Just want to know what ideas you all have.

thanks

You could do a dessert and coffee party, too, to keep costs down. Spend some money on a beautiful cake, have appetizer and dessert trays, with fresh fruit and lots of good coffee and tea.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

I don't feel anyone has to justify having a party. If we want to get together with friends, whether it's a special occasion or not, there's nothing wrong with that!

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

Noone who is coming to the ann party was at the wedding

thanks

If your Texas friends weren't invited to the wedding, then you might want to call this a reception of some type. Maybe someone here knows the etiquette for that situation, or you could post on a wedding forum.

I wouldn't expect gifts, though; I'd just throw the party to celebrate with friends.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

I figured instead of having the reception for my friends last year i would wait until our 1st ann to celebrate it with them then. just figuring out a non tacky way.

any suggestion would be great!

thanks

I think we have already suggested the way to do this in a "nontacky" way. You are not in it for the gifts, so make sure it doesn't come across that way simply by not mentioning your anniversary on the invitations. Although I mentioned that people may have bought you gifts last year, in a way the details you shared about the wedding almost make it seem MORE important that you not seem like you are fishing for gifts; you don't want them to think that the small wedding seemed romantic to you at the time, but now you are regretting not getting more gifts. I also think a year later is too late to call it a "reception," and that for sure would sound to me like a late bid for gifts.

At the party itself, of course, you can do whatever it is that would make it an anniversary party; show the video (if it's not too long; otherwise, maybe have it running on a loop someplace where people can go and see it if they are interested), have a special cake and live music and perhaps a special dance, give romantic anniversary toasts, wear a corsage or perhaps the dress you wore to the wedding (especially if it wasn't a wedding gown), special decorations, etc. And as the other posters pointed out, YOU TREAT for everything.

Your original question was about ideas for a classy and romantic party that won't break the bank. I like swampwitch's idea about desserts. You could have inexpensive champagne and coffee (which keeps down the liquor costs), a sheet cake, perhaps a chocolate fountain or fondue and some sweet trays without spending a fortune. If you want a full meal, brunch is usually cheaper than dinner, and if you did that on Sunday it would be on the anniversary itself. Consider reallocating the budget away from food and drink, too: a single live musician and a few fresh flowers on the tables can make an otherwise inexpensive party seem like a very, very special occasion.

How many people are you thinking of having? What is the weather likely to be like where you are?