60th Wedding Anniversary

11 years ago

My siblings and I are seeking ideas to recognize our parents' 60th wedding anniversary. We've goofed, thinking that we had another year and that this month was going to see their 59th. Ten years ago we did a family portrait with my sister and brother coming with their families from their respective states. That won't work this year with several away at colleges. We aren't looking for some type of family get together either, as other relatives are too far away or old/ill. (My husband and I are actually it for relatives in the same state as my folks.) I suggested a weekend at a bed and breakfast at the shore, but my sister pointed out that our father would have the burden of packing for them and getting her in and out as she became a paraplegic about 4 years ago. Plus my sister didn't think the idea of the shore in late fall very enjoyable, anyway. Any ideas? What have you done, seen/heard of, been the recipient of, in the way of big anniversaries? Thanks!

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Comments (13)

kayjones
11 years ago
This site has a LOT of great ideas for a 60th wedding anniversary gift:

http://www.drdaveanddee.com/anniversary1.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Celebrating a 60th wedding anniversary
marie_ndcal
11 years ago
We too will be celebrating our 60th next July, but do not want anything special, but not for the same reasons you might have. DH's health is just ok, but I have suggested maybe a family get together, but in your case maybe you could have friends and relatives send a special picture with some memories from the past. They put it together either on a DVD or in an album they could look at and share. And/or if they send pictures of their own family, you could take those pictures and form a collage and frame it. Or make up a calendar using different memories from the friends and family for each month.
If you Mom cooks or use to, even receipes, old household hints, and if they ever traveled just some pictures of places they have been. You can even get them off the internet.
Hope that helps a bit
Marie
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I once went, at my teen-aged son's insistence, with him to pick up his girlfriend. He had this idea it was time to meet her parents. The only thing is, he didn't warn them I would be along. I goes into the kitchen with him, and sitting at the table is the whole family, eating from open food tins and pots just sat at the table. The poor woman was mortified, although after having worked a long day in the same profession as she, I could relate to how it is an act of love to even COOK a family meal, let alone set a fancy table for a family supper. What I'm getting at, is that in all marriages co-existing with another adult is fitting a key into the proper lock. There are going to be things marriage experts say not to do you are doing..........likewise there will be things they say you must do, that you don't. You only know what works through trial and error and each couple, if they are committed, know when to keep their mouths shut, when and more importantly WHAT to share, where their boundaries are and when to shift them to maintain a marriage. I also know that social theories change with the years. Alls you got to do to find this out is read a fifty year old woman's magazine and the advice of the experts in that era. It ranges from recommending game-playing, to total honesty, and everything in between. There are days I wonder if I shouldn't have stayed single and other days when I am so thankful I didn't. When partners bounce off each other in exasperation and fly in opposite directions, it is some sort of invisible thread stopping them before the breaking point. What that thread is made of determines whether it'll hold or snap. When you are a parent and successfully raise a child to become a well-adjusted adult, you shudder at how many times you would have 'divorced' them if the option were there. LOLOL. It gives you a perspective of how worth-it hanging in there and making a situation work really is. Not that I am an expert since this is my third marriage, but I've found it to be in this order 1) trust 2) communication 3) laughter and lastly some sort of common goal, even if it is not to kill each other. LOL.
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Kristi, I have not been on line much in the past several months and wanted to say I keep you and your parents in my prayers. I hope things worked out and that life is a little less hectic for you. Sixty years is a wonderful milestone. My parents celebrated 53 years before my mother passed and then I took care of my father for the remaining 8 years he had and it was not easy as he had several strokes and died of cancer. You also know I took care of my husband for over 2 1/2 years. I think of you often and wish we lived closer. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you other than say I love you and send you a hug through cyber space, Linda
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Hi - My brother and I had a 60th anniversary party for my parents last August. We decided the following: - tell them about it ahead of time (we, too, had given surprise parties before) - have it at an actual place/restaurant (as opposed to back yard barbecues) - ask them to choose who to invite - - they know their favorite friends more than we do. We didn't limit them to a particular number - they should have anyone they want there. - make it a more formal event (not formal dress, but not a casual cook-out) - make it a brunch, because many/most "older" people are less reluctant to drive at night. We anticipated our parents saying "oh, no - - we don't want a party", but were pleasantly surprised when they thanked us and agreed. It turned out wonderfully, and planning the event turned into a nice thing that they got involved in together. After a few weeks they gave us a list of about 40 people (more got added subsequently - they were trying to hold back so as to reduce our expense - but we really only ended up with about 50 people there). I made up some photo boards. I just bought some display boards from Staples and taped nice family and friends photos to them and put them around the room. I also created a wedding memories board. I got my nephew and niece involved so that they felt a part of it, too. We did a great thing (it wasn't my idea - so I'm not bragging!) ... we went out and bought flower pots, scanned and printed several old photos of my parents, my brother and I, friends, beloved pets, etc., then cut them into flower shapes, glued them back-to-back with a pretty pipe-cleaner in between, and stuck them into florist "stuff" (I don't know what you call that green stuff) in the flower pot, and filled the pots with Hershey's kisses. Those were the centerpieces, and people were out of control about them. Oh - - and I had the kids paint the flower pots first(they were terra cotta). My parents loved it, too, because the kids were really involved and not just tag-alongs. Also, I made up a list of "How Much Do You Know About ..." (my parents) questions. I had questions and multiple choice answers - - some were funny. I printed them on pretty party-type paper, and during the "pre-brunch" time - - socializing, cocktails, the kids passed them out to people who were mingling. It really got people talking to each other trying to figure out the (sometimes obscure) questions/answers about my parents. Then we went over them after the meal and got people involved and joking about what the right answer might be. (This was something my folks didn't know I was going to do - - they were laughing at the questions, too). Oh - I also had a surprise limo arrive to take them to the event. This is a wonderful thing - - imagine being married 60 years!!! Congratulations to your parents. Remember that the family can have as much fun planning the event as you do at the event. Best regards, Suzieque
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carabubble
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you, Kayjones, I'll be taking a look at that website. Marie-ndcal, we'd actually been thinking of scanning some of the pictures they have and giving them a CD? DVD? with the pictures set to music. A friend at work says she can help me do that. It'll be tricky trying to sneak some of their pictures out without them being aware. I'm hoping one of my sons can help distract them.
susie53_gw
11 years ago
For Christmas our daughter had a collage made and framed for us of all the 3 families. What a wonderful surprise. You could have everyone send you pictures. They do them at most drugstores like CVS or Walgreens. It was a wonderful surprise. I had her do another one for our home down south. It was only $20.00 and I bought the frame.
jemdandy
11 years ago
A group photo is still a good idea even though only a few can be present. The years are passing quickly and ones present today might not be alive next year. So, do not hesitate to photograph whomever is present at the celebration this year - It is important.
azzalea
11 years ago
Since the family is so scattered, what about you and yours going to spend the day with Mom and Dad, and taking your computer--and then having the others make video calls to them at different times during the day? Work out the schedule ahead of time, so everyone gets the chance to call, see Mom/dad/Grandma/Grandpa on their very special day. And so The Anniversary couple has a little time to rest between calls, if they need it.

And a VERY happy day to them--what a glorious achievement for them to be celebrating.
kayjones
11 years ago
If you decide to use Skype, know that you can capture/take pictures while Skyping - just click on the symbol in the middle of the bottom of the screen. Take a bunch of pictures and make up a photo album - they will love it!
kayjones
11 years ago
Here are the instructions on taking pictures on Skype:

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA11061/how-do-i-take-a-picture

Here is a link that might be useful: Take snapshots while Skyping
susanjf_gw
11 years ago
why not celebrate the entire year? give them the gift of 60 minutes a week? that could be a planned meal together, shopping, cleaning, ect...that way the family who are not in town, can visit when able, without anyone getting too tired, ect...
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
When my mother turned 80, someone gave her a digital picture frame, and she loves it. New pictures can be added at any time.
dollydolots
11 years ago
We celebrate our 60th Anniversary next July 18th.
Our 2 Daughters are planning something for us but
we won't know until the day. All I have to do is
send the guest names and thats it.
Dolly
carabubble
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, folks, for all the ideas. I especially liked the ideas about people skyping in throughout their big day and taking pictures from that. I emailed my sister and we're going to talk on the phone tomorrow night to go over some of the ideas. My sister lives 8 hours away and my brother 5, so you can see we're dealing with distances!
joyfulguy
11 years ago
Here's a suggestion for your future benefit.

My son has sat me down a couple of times and had me tell the recorder about my life when I was young, about the house that we lived in, taking a bath in the galvanized wash tub behind the stove on Saturday night, doing farm work at age 10 when the hired hands went off to war, etc.

Such a project would be valuable to you and the other families in future, I imagine, possibly especially for the grandkids (and theirs - if the equipment in those days will still reproduce [if you'll pardon the expression] current recorded material's carrier).

ole joyfuelled

60th Wedding Anniversary

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