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Ever since I posted about this anniversary party last year I’ve been thinking about doing one. I don’t want it to have a “renew our vows” vibe, I don’t want it to feel like a wedding at all. I just want a really special and pretty party and I want a cool dress. Our own wedding was a stressful and not awesome day, so I kind of want a re-do. I like that it is like planning a wedding but without all the pressure and expectations. For ours I think I would do an outdoor dinner party in San Francisco. I would serve as many courses as years we’ve been married and each course would represent something about that year (ie: the sixth course would be French food!) We’d have to make up some stuff because we definitely had an occasional boring year in there. For entertainment I would have a friend’s band play and then maybe Paul and I could make each other short little 5 minute movies. We are both not very good at speeches so I like that we could make something creative to express ourselves without having to talk much. For decorations I would keep it simple but I would have flower crowns for all the women. I would probably keep the silly and fun stuff to a minimum (no photobooths or circus themes this time.) The one allowance of whimsy though is I would give Paul one of these vintage Fiat 500’s as a present and then we could drive off into the sunset together.
Would you ever have an anniversary party? What would yours be like?
photos by Leo Patrone all vendors listed here.
Sarah
July 17, 2012
I LOVE the idea of every year being a different themed course. That’s genius!!
– Sarah
agirlintransit.blogspot.com
The New Diplomats Wife
July 17, 2012
love this idea. we’ve been wanting to do an anniversary to-do – our wedding was such fun but you’re right it’s stressful and there’s a lot that’s going on. we just wanted to celebrate how far we have come and how much we appreciate hte support of those around us. we say we’re going to do it every year and somehow it all goes by so fast but maybe next year – one day we’ll do it.
rubi
July 17, 2012
that party sounds perfect! are you sure that vintage fiat wouldn’t actually be for yourself though?
jordan
July 17, 2012
@Rubi haha Paul says its like Homer giving Marge a bowling ball for their anniversary with his name on it. hehe
Lindsey
July 17, 2012
Oh, I love this idea. My wedding was also stressful and not a lot of fun. And I’ve also wished for a do-over, but never wanted to be “that girl” who other ladies roll their eyes at for being so silly.
Lane
July 17, 2012
It’s actually my second wedding anniversary today. We just moved into a new house this past weekend so I’m planning a clean house and our first home cooked meal to celebrate. I think if we did have the money/desire to really celebrate we’d jump in the car and head to Palm Springs for a few days instead, kind of like we did instead of having a big wedding. I also consider marriage years to be similar to big dog years, so I’m saying today is our 16h anniversary. 🙂
Evani G
July 17, 2012
I think the idea of an Anniversary party is sweet! Especially if the wedding was stressful, you deserve a re-do!
Evani
http://www.simplyevani.com
Lissa
July 17, 2012
Your anniversary dinner plans sound so sweet! And the course-per-year idea is great!
Maria
July 17, 2012
Your post about this last year, inspired me to renew our vows in a vineyard with a backyard reception….so thanks so much@!!!!!LOVE this idea, especially since we didn’t have the money to really get a great photographer or enjoy our cake!!!
Gina
July 17, 2012
If I ever had an anniversary party, it’d be after renewing vow on the 25th anniversary and so on. I love the colors and the idea of it. It really refuels the flame!
http://www.eatblogpray.blogspot.com
xo
Lucy Mitchell
July 17, 2012
Its anniversary time in our house too. Each year my husband gives me a gift appropriate for the year – salad tongs for our fifth(wood), a mug for our ninth(pottery), a book for our first(paper). So its been low key and sweet. Until this year! It was our twelfth(silk) and he got me a Hermes scarf! Sadly, as I am greedy and materialistic I must admit it has been my best anniversary ever!
Erica { EricaDHouse.com }
July 17, 2012
I would absolutely have an anniversary party! My bf and I have talked about getting married in the future and we both like the idea of renewing our vows every 10 years in small ceremony with friends.
Mary-My Life in Scotland
July 17, 2012
I love the idea of an anniversary party. I think I’d really love one. My wedding day was very small and understated to the point that we basically eloped. No decorations. We did have a cake and I had a dress. But no money for anything else. I’d love to have a party to celebrate. A pretty dress and some awesome wedding cake made by our same cake maker. I’d want it at a lovely restaurant, with close family and friends.
Catie
July 17, 2012
I liked my wedding just fine at the time, but I think I could do it so much better now! Our 20th anniversary is in 2013 and I would very much love to do a nice party to celebrate. No vow renewal, but an awesome dress, great food and our family and friends. Yes! I guess I should probably start planning now.
sarah
July 17, 2012
yes! i love any reason to have a party…i’ve thrown a few anniversary parties over the years…and, agreed, it’s just that whole need for a “do-over” feeling caused by the wedding being stressful, in general.
Last year, for our 10th we threw a mustache party…it was really fun…we had stick on mustaches (and real live ones too) and a cotton candy machine…and we sold stick-ons to raise money for our friends adoption. A few years ago, when we were in separate states for a project, we made each other “mixed tapes” (aka play lists) and surprised each other with them posted on the blog…now, we go to giant water parks with the kids.
I often wish I would’ve put my foot down about walking down the aisle to “When I’m 64” by th beatles, the pink dress (rather than white), and vintage tux…but, we were 20 and weren’t paying for a cent of it! I got the best thing out of the whole deal though: that crazy groom. thanks for posting this..our anniv is this saturday…makes me all sentimental ;o)
Fernanda Storck
July 17, 2012
Nossa! Amei esse site. A partir de agora será um dos meus favoritos!
Beijos!
Jennie
July 17, 2012
For our fourth anniversary, I threw an intimate dinner party for 10 close friends in the backyard and hired a chef to come cook. We started with passed appetizers and then proceeded to multiple courses, each paired with wine and a non-alcoholic beverage (for the non-drinkers). We hung paper lanterns and covered the table with flowers and candles. Yes, a fourth anniversary is a strange one to mark with a lavish dinner party, but our anniversary happened to coincide with the end of my husband’s child support payments to his ex. I wanted to mark the end of that chapter in our lives, to celebrate our love and to thank the people who had supported him and us. It was a magical night and we dream about doing it again some day!
pemora
July 17, 2012
i LOVE this idea and i LOVE reading all the other ideas in the comments (especially sarah’s…my husband would love a mustache themed party). this is great!
Brooke
July 17, 2012
Oh, this post hits close to home. My Mr. and I never really had a wedding…we’ve been together since high school, eloped when we were 22 at city hall. Two beautiful girls, graduate school (me), law school (him), many relocations, and countless adventures later, its been a wild ride, but I don’t regret a minute of it, for better or worse, in good times or bad. Next Oct. will be our 10th anniversary, and I really would love to have a party to celebrate. I love the idea of surrounding ourselves with loved ones, thanking them for all their support, commentating how far we’ve come, and toasting to the years ahead….I think these rituals are so important. Jordan-will you plan it for us??? 🙂
anne
July 17, 2012
What an amazing idea. My wedding was really stressful as well, and I feel like I kind of checked out from the whole day. I want a redo but not, so this is such a great idea. We’ve barely been married a year, but this is an idea I’d keep in mind. I love the idea of flower crowns for the ladies. I’d invite my closest friends and family, and it’d definitely be an event because some of my friends would have to fly in from out of state. I’d have my friend’s band Kindlewood play and do an outdoor meal at a long table under a string of lights. I’d love to have it at a farm or a ranch of some sort, to capture the Colorado essence. And I’d hope that all my friends and I could dance into the evening.
What a dream! Thanks for the inspiration
liondragoncustom
July 18, 2012
Love the party cake!Anticipate more photos.Thanks for your sharing.
thequeenofquirk
July 18, 2012
my husband and i had an anniversary party because it was an incredible coincidence (both the date and the # of years). so we decided to host a 20’s party in honor of our 11th anniversary which just happened to fall on 11.11.11. we thought it was pretty frackin’ cool and we ended up having a blast drinking champagne and ooh-ing and aaw-ing over each other’s costumes. 🙂 the date was so cool that we kinda HAD to celebrate it. the best part? we didn’t even realize the circumstances of this anniversary until about 2 months before it happened. it was never planned but it turned out pretty amazing. 🙂
http://thequeenofquirk.typepad.com/the_queen_of_quirk/2011/11/111111-recap.html
Steph
July 18, 2012
Sounds like a sweet party! Love the flower crown idea.
Kelly Golightly
July 18, 2012
Such a sweet idea — and I’m with you on the vintage Fiat!
After we got married we said we should do a big anniversary party every year or at least every five. But we’ve been married six years and we haven’t done it yet. This just inspired me to get on it!
p.s. Thanks so much for also inspiring this:
http://kellygolightly.com/how-to-give-someone-a-heart-attack/
Ali Hodges
July 18, 2012
What a great idea! I would love to plan, throw and have anniversary parties. Anniversaries are normally so intimate but I think it’s fantastic to get your loved ones together again for another party to help you celebrate.
Kathy
July 19, 2012
OMG I’m totally planning our 10 year anniversary party right now. It’s not a huge number of years but I think it’s worth celebrating. We’re doing it in the backyard and it’s all going to center around our cake. I’m having our wedding cake remade. I went to etsy and had someone make an invitation with a cake like ours and the title of the party is “Let’s Eat Cake!”
I still have a bunch of other elements to put together but I’m drawing inspiration from your parties!
Kathy
Jenny
July 19, 2012
I love this idea! I always wanted to have some huge anniversary bash one year and have chocolate in every food, so we would have to have mole for the main course probably. But I love the idea of a course for every year! It’s my 10th in a couple weeks and we can’t go anywhere this year so maybe a private 10 course meal with lame food the first two courses until I learned to cook well.
You’ve given me something to think about! Also, your apt pictures rock. I’ve been in my house 3 months and I just hung a couple pictures this week…
Denise Laborde
July 20, 2012
Love anniversary parties! Have one every year. Sometimes it’s a nice sit-down dinner, sometimes it’s a dance party. Either way, it’s like birthdays – worth the celebration!
Caitlin
July 21, 2012
I love this idea! My boyfriend and I are planning on eloping (the traditional huge wedding isn’t for us), but I do occasionally wonder if I’ll look back and wish I’d done something a bit fancier. This sounds like the perfect solution, and I love the idea of courses to match the years!
Heather
July 22, 2012
We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with a commitment ceremony last summer on the beach in Punta Mita, Mexico. it was amazing…The logistics were a little crazy. We did all the decor and food ourselves, But it was all worth it. We asked my kids to each say something about love and family it was very touching. We were able to have most of our family with us. I definitely recommend it!
marianne
July 23, 2012
We had a lovely anniversary party for our 25th. I wanted exactly the same as you, just a lovely party with friends and family and a great dress. (my wedding wasn’t exactly what we wanted either). My sisters in law gave us the catering which made everything perfect. Our girls and the nieces and nephews did a funny parody on our lives. We did the decor ourselves in silver (with metres and metres of cheap shiny material) and although it is almost two years ago, people still say it was the best party they ever went to. Love your website. Makes me smile.
zee
July 28, 2012
that cake. that cake. lol forget the anniversary i’m having a party in celebration of that cake