A dear lady planted the seed of an idea in my brain five years ago: "Have you thought about giving your parents a 25th anniversary party?" It didn't work out at the time, but ever since I have known that in 2014, for Mama and Papa's 30th wedding anniversary, we were going to throw a party! Not just any party, but a bash with all their friends, their favorite foods, and romantic decorations. It would have to be an occasion worthy of their commitment and faithfulness to one another for 30 years!
All six siblings pitched in to help. Susanna made the red velvet cupcakes using the same recipe Mama and Papa's wedding cake was made with. Mikaela took care of the balloons (we used over 100!), and together we did the shopping for the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo dinner we served. Micah worked on games while Melanie blew up all those balloons and Jonah did the menus.
The red velvet cupcake bar turned out beautifully!
Susanna put together a memorabilia table with photo albums, pictures, and mementos.
The first event of the evening was a hilarious game that Mikaela led, involving all the guests doing simultaneous charades. Every person's action had a match in the crowd of charade actors, and each player was trying to find the person doing the same thing as them. This resulted in a lot noise, priceless photos, and great memories!
Next all the couples sat down for dinner, which we served them along with the helping hands of some wonderful friends!
One of the best parts of the whole event was keeping everything under wraps from Mama and Papa. We handed them an invitation after they were all sent out, but all that they knew was what was written on the invitation. Unbeknownst to my parents, Mama's brother and sister-in-law drove several hours to surprise them on Saturday morning, and it was a thorough, wonderful surprise! On top of that, some old friends drove across the state and arrived at our house on Saturday afternoon. Although I was at the church decorating when they made their entrance, I heard later there were screams of delight when they surprised my parents! So many other people made long trips as well, and there were couples from every stage of my parents' life there!
After dinner, I gave a tribute to Mama and Papa in the form of a list: Top Ten Things Our Parents Have Taught Us About Marriage
Later in the evening, Susanna and Micah hosted a few rounds of the Newlywed Game, which had everyone in stitches! They asked the wives questions like: "Which would your husband rather lose: his hair or his job?" The wives wrote down their answers, and then the husbands announced their choice. Only then did the wives reveal their answers, and the couple gained points for matching answers. After a few questions, the husbands and wives switched, with the husbands now writing answers and the wives announcing them.
The women respond to the question: "What character or sound is your husband known for imitating well?"
The husbands respond in classic fashion.
The lovebirds themselves: still going strong!
After everyone was partied out, there was still plenty of clean-up to do, so everyone pitched in to help. (Well, at least everyone who wasn't mourning the death of all the balloons!)
This is our fabulous cast and crew! These people were crazy enough to agree to dish salad for 30 people, wash 30 china plates, take out garbage, and do whatever needed doing. In fact, Sarah took all these beautiful photos for us! Believe me, the basement kitchen of the church was never as busy or as laughter-filled as it was that night, even with a stack of dirty dishes in the sink!
It was an evening to be remembered, and although pearls are still scattered in our car and our dishwasher is still full, I am so glad that we were able to honor our parents in this way. Serving them dinner was but a tiny repayment of all they have done for each of us. Surprising them with moments of joy that they were not expecting will give us harvests of memories and joy for years to come.
With the party over, I woke up yesterday morning to an email from my uncle: "So, what are you going to do for their 50th?" Thankfully, we have a few years!
With the party over, I woke up yesterday morning to an email from my uncle: "So, what are you going to do for their 50th?" Thankfully, we have a few years!
Wow that's wonderful Lauren! Everything turned out so beautifully. I'm sure it was a blessing to your parents. I'm amazed you were able to keep it a suprise. That is always hard! Thanks for sharing the photos. I enjoyed looking at them.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Cash!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! :) I loved the pictures... and the game ideas!
What a delightful time we had. I cannot remember an evening where I laughed so much and thoroughly enjoyed the company. The couples in attendance were from all walks and all generations; however, each was sweet, sincere and so very funny. I loved the games and candid hilarity that made this celebration so memorable. Thank you for honoring your parents and allowing us to take part in such a special evening! Still smiling, The Aunt W/30 shoes
ReplyDeleteHa! So I just have to jump in here and insert that I had to count my shoe collection when I got home, and found that I have approximately 18 pairs (not counting winter boots, garden shoes, and flip flops, which--of course!--one does not count [?]). So I still have some catching up to do in order to aspire to fill your shoes. : )
DeleteThis is amazing. You guys did a fantastic job! What a precious gift to your parents that they will always treasure!
ReplyDelete