50th Anniversary Party - How to Use Photos to Make a Golden Anniversary Shine

Any couple that has lasted fifty years in a solid marriage deserves an anniversary party.  This is an achievement worth celebrating.  And the best way to highlight a half century of life, love and memories is to showcase photos that tell the couple's story.  Here are some of the best ways:

Photo Anniversary Invitations

Put your guests in the mood to share the memories with a photo anniversary invitation.  You can scan the anniversary couple's wedding photo, edit it on your computer, add the what, when and where information, and print it at home.  Or you can leave it to the professionals and order your photo anniversary invitations online.  If you choose this option, look for a company that has designs you like and can add both their wedding picture and a current one.  Shop around the internet a little and you'll find beautiful photo invitations at very reasonable prices.

Photo Anniversary Favors

A small gold frame with the happy couple's wedding photo makes an elegant memento of the occasion.  You could also pick up some pocket 4x6 photo albums available at dollar stores and craft stores, then fill them with copied or photocopied pictures from the couple's life.

How about photo anniversary bookmarks as keepsakes for your guests?  It's something everyone can use, is inexpensive, and can also contain both the wedding photo and a current one.  Order these online and you might find a company that offers photo bookmarks that match the design to their photo invitations for a coordinated look.  Just do some browsing, and you'll find photo coasters, magnets, pocket mirrors, notebooks and just about everything else imaginable.

Photo Anniversary Decorations

For a no-fuss, easy way to extend your photo theme, set up a photo table at the anniversary party.  On the table, place the couple's old wedding album and lots of family photo albums.  Your guests will enjoy looking through them.

To take it a step further, make copies or photo copies of photos that represent important stages in the couple's life together.  On large posterboard or foam board, make a collage from the photos and display.

Or you can make enlargements of those significant photos, anything from 8x10 to poster size, depending on your budget, and hang them from wide gold ribbons.  Place them around the room in chronological order for a stunning exhibition of their 50 years together.

Another fun idea is to make photo placemats for the tables.  Make a collage from copies of photos and have a print shop enlarge it to placemat size.  They will then print and laminate the placemats.

Photo Anniversary Cakes

If you want a great finale to the evening, a cake with the couple's wedding picture is a real show stopper.  The photo is imprinted onto the icing with safe, tasteless food dyes.  You should be able to find a local bakery that offers these cakes.  Speaking of desserts, you can also find photo cookies and photo chocolates using the same method, and they are available online.

Photo Anniversary Memory Book

No fiftieth anniversary party should end without a heart-felt gift for the couple.  And one of the most meaningful gifts is a scrapbook filled with their memories.  Ask everyone who attends the party to contribute.  Give each person or couple a page to fill out.  Keep the size of the page small, either a 6x6 or 8x8 album page is good.  Instruct them to add a photo that the anniversary couple might not have in their possession.  Then ask them to write a personal message under the photo.

To make it even easier, add photo corners to the page, so they can just pop in their photo.  And instead of asking them to think up a few words, give them a "fill in the blank".  Some examples would be, "I'll never forget when Bill and Jean____" or "my fondest memory of Bill and Jean was when ____".  You can mail them the blank pages before the party and have them bring them to the event.  Or you can ask them to bring a photo and fill out the page at the party.  Not everyone will cooperate, but you'll still get a lot of great responses.  And the anniversary couple will be profoundly touched by this memory book prepared with so much love and affection.

Fill their 50th anniversary with photos.  Your guests will be delighted as they walk down memory lane.  And the happy couple will have the chance to relive those precious moments that made up their lives together.  It's a chance for everyone to reminisce and a wonderful way to celebrate such a monumental occasion.