50th Wedding Anniversary - Etiquette?

[pantheroc]

My wife and I have the understanding that we (including my brothers) should initiate and provide for a 50th Wedding Anniversary for my parents, not the parents (per some others). What is your opinion?

[Juice]

They sired and raised your ungrateful ass, set it up!

[pantheroc]

They sired and raised your ungrateful ass, set it up!
I AGREE and we are! I'm so grateful to have them as my parents.

[Juice]

I was just looking for an excuse to say that. Good on ya for setting it up! :beer:

[crouse]

Maybe you can celebrate your 51st birthday at the same time.

[SC Cheesehead]

Jerry,

Looks like it's a common practice, but not mandatory.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6647472_etiquette-50th-wedding-reception.html

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/article.aspx?cp-documentid=22601640

http://lifestyle.msn.com/messageboards/thread.aspx?board=00000065-012b-0000-0000-000000000000&thread=5b3dd640-618d-4a86-93cf-f9894125226a

IMO, go for it, what a wonderful to say "thanks" to your folks and honor them for achieving such a special milestone.

[CBT]

I would pay for it, as well as ask them for some input, unless it is supposed to be a surprise.

[Mr. Man]

Seems to me if you are throwing the party you should pay for it. If your folks want to throw it then they can pay for it.

[fastblackmerc]

You set it up, pay for it & surprise them.

[CBT]

Okay Jerry we have successfully answered your question, now all that is left is telling us where the party is :D :beer:

[Pat]

I like the idea of giving the parents some input, surprises are OK but at our age not mandatory.

However, if suprise is what you want, then descrete inquiries about food, sweets, drink, and places they enjoy. Also will it be casual, semi-formal or beach wear?

Invitation list, just family, friends or all of MM.Net?

Mine will be here in two years. Where did the time go?

[Bluerauder]

My wife and I have the understanding that we (including my brothers) should initiate and provide for a 50th Wedding Anniversary for my parents, not the parents (per some others). What is your opinion?

My parents and their brothers and sisters set up and paid for my Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1957.

When my parents 50th came around, my sisters and I set it up and paid the full tab. I think that was 1988.

So, if and when Bernie and I celebrate our 50th (in 2025), my kids better start making with the $. I really don't think the fact that they will be 55, 53, and 51 years old should make any dayum difference. Do you??? ;) :P

[Mr. Man]

How can Bernie celebrate her 50th anniversary in 2025? She'll only be 60

[HammerDown]

then you have the parents that came to me and said "I hope you are not planning a surprise 50th anniversary party for us, because we HATE that sort of thing. Well, my brother and sister and I had already started planning it. Well, we respected their wishes, let them plan what they wanted and we paid for it. It was a lovely smallish party with just who they wanted to be with and turned out great. So basically do what the parents wish and pay for it and everybody's happy.

[HammerDown]

forgot another one--Jack's parents said to us "we have planned our 50th anniversary party already. So we said okay, great. But then we surprised them anyway with a trip to Vegas (where they liked to go) with a few family members that we paid for and surprised them with that -- they loved it and it was a great trip. So you just have to work with whatever the situation is......

[cruzer]

For our 50th,the kids planned a quiet luncheon at a local restaurant with family and a few friends--went back home after party broke up---walked in the door and were met by family and more friends--in the dining room was a beautiful cake decorated with small pics of important events of the past 50 years--then my son, a lay minister, held a vow renewal ceremony.Earlier , Ginny and I had picked out new rings and had planned to exchange them in privacy--well, we did it at the end of the ceremony ( our old rings are now worn by our oldest grandaughter and her hubby ). We were presented with some very nice gifts---then the BIG SURPRISE--3 days in the Presidential Suite at the Mirage Hotel in Vegas--front row seats and a personal visit with Siegfried and Roy after the show---front row seats at Cirque de Solie "O" opening show, a limo at our disposal as needed , $ 500 in chips and an open-ended credit account at the Mirage and Balligio. Needless to say, this was one of the nicest things that has ever happened to us. You will never know how much it meant to us to know our children really appreciated us--but a simple hug and "We love you" would have made our day--hope all of you reach the same milestone--Good Lord willing , we'll celebrate our 60th in 2013. It's a great life, Maury and Ginny

[Horsepower]

That would be a nice gesture to show them that you care and support their relationship. Even if it means breaking bank bro lol. Therefore, hell yea, go for it.

[jsignorelli]

My wife and I were treated to a 40th by our children. I wish I could have done the same for my parents but Cancer took them both before they celebrated their 30th together. I would gladly pay for the 50th for my parents if I could.

[PhastPhil]

My wife and I threw a surprise 40th for my parents. My brothers and their wives chipped in too. We held it outdoors at our house. We had a make believe wedding. All the guests were in on it. My Uncle Vinny was the pretend priest and dressed up like Father Guido Sarducci. My Mother's sister was her Maid of Honor again. My father had two close friends growing up. Sonny was his Best Man, Henry was unable to attend the wedding. Sonny passed away many years ago, and Henry was honored to be the new Best Man. Henry wore a corny, loud and mismatched suit just to be funny. The theme of the wedding was Garbage Day. My mother always told a story about when they were newlyweds, Dad always forgot which day he had to put out the garbage pails to be picked up, and she had to remind him. When their first wedding anniversary came up, she asked Dad if he knew what day it was. He thought and then remembered...it was Garbage Day. And he was right ! But it was also their anniversary. Mom joked that he always got the two mixed up.
We held the Ceremony in our front yard, and the Reception in our backyard.
Anyway, everyone had a great and hilarious time. And nearly ten years later, everyone still talks about what a great party it was.
In a couple of years, we will be thinking about Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary.
The moral of the story is, you can still have a great time and great memories with a low cost celebration.

[HammerDown]

My wife and I threw a surprise 40th for my parents. My brothers and their wives chipped in too. We held it outdoors at our house. We had a make believe wedding. All the guests were in on it. My Uncle Vinny was the pretend priest and dressed up like Father Guido Sarducci. My Mother's sister was her Maid of Honor again. My father had two close friends growing up. Sonny was his Best Man, Henry was unable to attend the wedding. Sonny passed away many years ago, and Henry was honored to be the new Best Man. Henry wore a corny, loud and mismatched suit just to be funny. The theme of the wedding was Garbage Day. My mother always told a story about when they were newlyweds, Dad always forgot which day he had to put out the garbage pails to be picked up, and she had to remind him. When their first wedding anniversary came up, she asked Dad if he knew what day it was. He thought and then remembered...it was Garbage Day. And he was right ! But it was also their anniversary. Mom joked that he always got the two mixed up.
We held the Ceremony in our front yard, and the Reception in our backyard.
Anyway, everyone had a great and hilarious time. And nearly ten years later, everyone still talks about what a great party it was.
In a couple of years, we will be thinking about Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary.
The moral of the story is, you can still have a great time and great memories with a low cost celebration.

that party sounds like a really great/cool time. Sometime the low-cost casual affairs are way more fun!!!!!!!!! Now you'll have to top the 40th party;) but sounds like you and your family will come up with something.

My parents are coming up on their 60th!!! and my brother has a BIG property. HHMMMM mind if I use your party history???....................

[F8LBITEva]

get your dad strippers!

[PhastPhil]

HammerDown, your welcome to use any of it that you'd like !
Yeah it will be hard to top that one. We had a great time ! Thanks for the kudos.

[Cobra25]

Well just because someone is married 50 Years doesn't mean they want a party to begin with. But if they had a good Marrage it's a nice thing for their children to do if they have the Money.

[pantheroc]

Thanks for all your replies. We do plan on throwing them a party.

[Bradley G]

They sired and raised your ungrateful ass, set it up!My sister and I did that @ year 20 for Mom & Dad
Good times!

I AGREE and we are! I'm so grateful to have them as my parents.
" SureSure!, Location and what day did you say?" :party:

[tapl]

All I see is Kids plan (mostly), parents pay. Must be doing something wrong.