Hot Searches:

 

 
 
 
Mrs. Kiwi Mrs. Kiwi, Los Angeles Age and Occupation in 06: 27, Bookkeeper Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, P.E. Teach/Coach @ private schools in LA Engagement Date: March 31, 2006 Wedding Date: November 3, 2007 Venue: Radisson Hotel About Me: I'm a bookkeeper who failed high school algebra. I'm currently living in Los Angeles, literally a street over from where I grew up with Mr. Kiwi, my honey of three years. We have a jumbo mini-dachshund (seriously, he's huuuuge), and we're planning an autumn themed wedding on a shoestring, paid for by ourselves. The wedding date is my late grandma's birthday, I needed her there somehow, and that seemed like the best way for us. I can't believe I'm a Bee! I couldn't be more proud!
 
Mrs. Kiwi's Picture
Mrs. Kiwi, Los Angeles Age and Occupation in 06: 27, Bookkeeper Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, P.E. Teach/Coach @ private schools in LA Engagement Date: March 31, 2006 Wedding Date: November 3, 2007 Venue: Radisson Hotel About Me: I'm a bookkeeper who failed high school algebra. I'm currently living in Los Angeles, literally a street over from where I grew up with Mr. Kiwi, my honey of three years. We have a jumbo mini-dachshund (seriously, he's huuuuge), and we're planning an autumn themed wedding on a shoestring, paid for by ourselves. The wedding date is my late grandma's birthday, I needed her there somehow, and that seemed like the best way for us. I can't believe I'm a Bee! I couldn't be more proud!
About Mrs. Kiwi

Here’s To Fifty More!

March 7th, 2008 @ 4:32 pm by Mrs. Kiwi

While this post isn’t directly wedding related, (although it kind of is…) I thought I’d post here to get some suggestions. My aunt and uncle are having their 50th wedding anniversary in September, and we’re starting to plan it now. I say “we” because my aunt has recruited me and my skills into helping with the reception (or is it a party?). I’m more than thrilled to help her since she was a great big help for my wedding (any time I mentioned my aunt, it was her!), and because I know this is the chance for the big soirée they never had.

My aunt got pregnant in high school, when she was in her senior year. My uncle was desperate to marry her, despite the hostility my grandma tossed at him. It wasn’t just about getting her daughter pregnant (although that was NOT good), it was actually many factors - he was African-American, and she was Hispanic, she was a devout Catholic, and he wasn’t… those kinds of things. So, instead, my aunt and uncle got married at the courthouse and then had their baby. My aunt finished school, they had two more kids, and had a small ceremony done in the Catholic Church a few years later, without fanfare. They have been in love going on 50 years now, and you can tell that although their courtship wasn’t typical (especially in the 50s!), they had never doubted their choice to marry (oh, and my grandma eventually loved my uncle as her own, especially when he learned to speak better Spanish than my aunt!), but wished they had a chance to have a big ol’ party.

Now that the big anniversary is coming up, my aunt asked me for ideas for decorations and centerpieces. I told her that something that is popular nowadays are the tables with pictures of the couple at different ages. She had a problem with that one, since both my aunt and uncle grew up in the projects and didn’t really have very many pictures of themselves as kids (not being able to afford a camera). I told her a different idea would be to have those picture frame boxes as the centerpiece with pictures of the couple throughout the 50 years- cheaper than flowers, and a chance to showcase the many great times they had. She actually loved that idea and was going to scour the stores for bargain picture frames (too bad I have no idea how to make them).

That’s just one idea though, can anyone help me think of more ideas to help celebrate a 50 year anniversary?

For your consideration, here are pictures of the happy couple (although not together, what is up with that? Is that the secret to 50 blissful years?) at our wedding. They have always been like surrogate grandparents to me, and I really want to help make their anniversary the wedding they never had.

My aunt with my cousins

z135070

My uncle being, well, himself.
z13507001

This here is the shot of my aunt and uncle helping me out, like they always have. Man, my dress was a three man job!z12043605

7 Responses to “Here’s To Fifty More!”

1.
Elizabeth says:

My husband and I just helped throw a 60th wedding anniversary party for his grandparents. We had pictures on the table of them together throughout their 60 years together. We also had a slideshow playing the whole time with pictures of them with friends and family through their whole marriage. It was a great hit! For music, we played big band music from the era in which they got married.

As a guest book, we took the pictures from the slideshow and had it made into a book for everyone to sign.

Towards the end of the party, we played a newlyweds-style game. We had each guest write a couple of questions in which the answer was either Bob or Jane. Questions like: who’s the better kisser; who started the first fight; and goofy one’s like “who’s idea was it to move their oldest son to the barn when the youngest son was born” You get the idea. It was a great laugh. Plus, it got the two of them to tell stories about their marriage.

Good luck with everything!

2.
Sarah says:

We were just at a 50th last week, and I think it’s all about the people. Think about how true that is for weddings, and then consider the number of friends you can gather around you in fifty years!

For this particular couple, there was a buffet luncheon with a slide show and a few heartfelt speeches, then the immediate family went to a pub for dinner and many beers. It was exactly appropriate for them: it fit them completely.

3.
yogigal says:

I love their story!! Maybe you could put together a slideshow for them to show at the party.

4.
starjas says:

With the photos and not having enough of the couple together…try asking relatives and family friends if they can take a look in their albums for any photos of your aunt and uncle together. You’d be amazed at how many photos there are out there that someone else took. We sometimes forget to take pictures of ourselves when we bring our camera to events.

5.
squirt says:

Second hand stores, like Goodwill often have picture frames in all sizes and shapes for under a dollar each.

6.
Brandi says:

I’m not sure how to incorporate it into a party, but my grandparents just celebrated their 50th. They asked for a card shower, my aunt and mom sent out cards (invitations, if you will) to have everyone send cards to them with stories, photos, jokes that they have told to commemorate the day. If there are people from out of town who might not be able to make it, you could ask them to do that, have them sent to you and surprise your aunt and uncle with them at the party.

7.
Sheri says:

What a sweet story and sweeter couple =)

I did the picture frame lanterns ala Martha Stewart for our wedding in November and the cheapest frames I could find were at Ikea (3 4×6 for 1.99, 2 5×7 for 2.99). They were unfinished and had plexiglass in them, but I stained them myself and they came out nicely! You just attach three frames together to make a triangle and put a candle in the middle. The trick to attach them to each other is bandage tape from the drug store. It looks like grosgrain ribbon.

I made black and white copies of the pictures and encouraged the guests to take any pictures that they wanted at the end of the evening. They were a big hit!


You can also just...