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30th Anniversary Reception for Parents

cpa1115cpa1115 member
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
Hello all, I was married in 2011 and used the Knot for wedding planning. Now, I am planning an anniversary reception for my parents' 30th wedding anniversary and have a couple questions: We have access to the facility where the reception will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This reception will not be super extravagant, just an opportunity for those that love my parents to come together and celebrate them. I would have preferrered to do something in the late afternoon, from like 2 to 4 for example. Because I can't, I'm looking at doing either 12 to 2 or 12:30 to 2:30. With that timeframe in mind, it is appropriate to offer sandwiches, salads, fruits, desserts without a more formal, seated lunch lunch? It will still be come and go, and I will make sure there is plenty of food. As of now, I plan to call it an Anniversary Reception and will say something like, "Please join us for food and refreshments as we celebrate 30 years of love and laughter" or something like that. I've only gone to receptions in late afternoon so didn't know if that term still applies earlier in the day, especially around a meal time. Thanks for your guidance!
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Re: 30th Anniversary Reception for Parents

  • southernbelle0915southernbelle0915 mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I think if you overlap a meal time, you need to serve a meal or what would be heavy enough to constitute a meal. I think sandwiches, salads, fruit and dessert sounds like lunch. You don't need to serve a fancy seated lunch - buffet style is completely fine. I would just make sure you have enough for people to make it a full meal. 

    I'd change your wording though. To something like "...Please join us in celebrating 30 years of love and laughter..." You don't need to mention what you're serving. The time of day is enough for people to know to expect food.
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  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I think your menu is fine for the time of day.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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  • jenajjthrjenajjthr member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited July 2014
    We went to an anniversary celebration during that time frame. Sandwiches, fruit, and salad was served. Along with cake, yummy cake. It was more than enough, and very filling. We had a great time. They had a lovely slideshow through the years of the couple. The only thing I didn't like was that the children put the slide show together and there were a lot (and I mea A LOT) of pics of the kids, not enough of the couple of honor. If you do something like that, focus on the couple. Yes they have kids, etc. Just be sure they, the married couple, are in the majority of the pictures. 

    ETA: they - means married couple, not kids.
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  • ashleyepashleyep member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary
    jenajjthr said:
    We went to an anniversary celebration during that time frame. Sandwiches, fruit, and salad was served. Along with cake, yummy cake. It was more than enough, and very filling. We had a great time. They had a lovely slideshow through the years of the couple. The only thing I didn't like was that the children put the slide show together and there were a lot (and I mea A LOT) of pics of the kids, not enough of the couple of honor. If you do something like that, focus on the couple. Yes they have kids, etc. Just be sure they are in the majority of the pictures. 
    I did a video for my parents 25th (and my grandfather's 80th) and it was actually really hard to find pictures of my parents that didn't have us in it in some way. 

    ETA: wait, the parents weren't in the pictures of the kids?! 
    Anniversary
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  • jenajjthrjenajjthr member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    No, it was picture after picture after picture after picture of the kids. I would say 80% of the pictures were of the KIDS! From the time they were babies to they were teens to grown ups having their kids. I mean, I get it, you get married, you have kids, you are in the pictures with your kids. But nope, not in this slide show, once the kid pictures started, the parents, COUPLE OF HONOR!!,  where nowhere to be found until the very end. I was floored. 
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  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    jenajjthr said:
    No, it was picture after picture after picture after picture of the kids. I would say 80% of the pictures were of the KIDS! From the time they were babies to they were teens to grown ups having their kids. I mean, I get it, you get married, you have kids, you are in the pictures with your kids. But nope, not in this slide show, once the kid pictures started, the parents, COUPLE OF HONOR!!,  where nowhere to be found until the very end. I was floored. 
    that's just weird.  I had cut and double mounted some 85 pictures for my dad's party.  He was in every single picture.  Everyone.   He wasn't alone in everyone, but he was in there. Some were just him, most were him with 1-2 other people.  A few were group shots.    It never occurred to me to put in a picture that he was not in.

    Well I take that back, one lawn sign had a picture of him has a baby.  Then there was my parents on their wedding day.  Then next picture over was us kids.  Next on over was the grandkids.   That sign told a story.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
    Report Reply
  • jenajjthrjenajjthr member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I know, DH and I felt bad for his aunt and uncle. This was their 50th. When I first met his family, sad circumstances since it was due to the death of his mom, they were the most awesome family. They made jokes, told funny stories, welcomed me and my kids, I fell in love with them immediately. I just felt like this slideshow (although it had awesome songs, showed them growing up, meeting, wedding, birth of kids) became more about their kids than it did about the couple and their awesomeness. I wanted to go slap their daughter who put it together and give her a piece of my mind. DH held me back. That is not how you honor your parents by being a AW on their anniversary.
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