Cheers to 45 Years! An Anniversary Party to Remember

I love to plan a party and so when my mom mentioned the idea of celebrating her and my Dad’s 45th wedding anniversary over Thanksgiving when we would all be together, I was all in.

45 years! Isn’t that amazing? They have been incredible models for what marriage should look like. I am so thankful for them and was honored to create a time for us to celebrate them.

The backdrop of the party was the beach…. so that was a win! The table where we planned to eat looked out over the water and the sun set, it was completely picturesque.

My sister Megan found out what they served at their Rehearsal Dinner (because wedding receptions “back then” were more like mints, nuts, cake and punch). And thankful Meg and her husband are both amazing cooks. They made a perfect meal reminiscent of that night 45 years ago.

Since we were traveling, we kept the decor simple. And added in a few fun elements since all of the their grandchildren were also in attendance. Kids love a photo booth! Who am I kidding, the adults do too.

Like I have said before, I am very sentimental, so I asked my mom to bring her wedding dress so we could display it. The little girls had the best time admiring it and taking their picture with it. They couldn’t believe that was the dress she wore 45 years ago!

I set the table with plastic wear, because… kids. I found a really pretty set that was versatile for other events we had planned that week and with the flowers and the eucalyptus garland, the adult table was reminiscent of a wedding or wedding shower. The kids enjoy their fancy dinner on the deck.

And for the cake, I actually bought a plain vanilla cake from Publix. We don’t have them in Mississippi, which is tragic, because they make amazing cakes! And then I just added the fresh flowers to give it something a little extra. Of course, we had them cut the cake and feed a piece to each other. They laughed at the memory and their grand kids are still talking about the funny traditional of feeding each other cake.

We ended the night with a game of the “Not So Newlyweds” – it was hilarious! And a great way for us all to hear old stories from their dating and young married lives. Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!