NANA + POP POP — 60s ANNIVERSARY PARTY

All photos by Alyssa Bell

Though we often make it all about weddings and the start of love in the event business, I think anniversaries are the true testament of a couple’s strength. To say “I do” is one thing, but to follow through everyday is something different altogether. That’s why I love planning anniversary parties!

Nana + PopPop celebrate 60 years of marriage

This month marked the 60th anniversary of my husband’s grandparents, which means they got married in — you guessed it — 1960. They’re not much for parties, but our event-loving gang just couldn’t help ourselves. And with all our spring events cancelled, I’ll take any excuse to put my planning skills to use.

We decided to host a family dinner in their honor, set in the year they got married. The dress code would consist of pearls and skinny ties, with floral aprons and a dash of pomp.

For inspiration, we watched some Dick Van Dyke, pored over Pinterest, and asked relatives to recall their fashion choices from way back.

To set the scene, Alyssa, my sister-in-law and frequent site photographer, moved the furniture around in her house to create a retro dining room. She and my mother-in-law, Jana, had scoured the local thrift shops for era-appropriate decor, including wicked cool table settings, a retro telephone, and old board games, as well as using the pieces she already owned. It just happened to work out that her house is decorated in a mid-century modern — we couldn’t have planned it better!

The menu consisted of mini meatloaves, mashed potatoes, and green beans, in true 60’s form. I baked a bundt cake and we served it with decaf coffee following the meal. If it looks familiar, it’s because I nabbed this Nothing Bundt Cakes copycat recipe here and just switched out the chocolate cake for red velvet.

Jana had emailed the happy couple’s siblings, to ask for memories from their years dating and we read them aloud to Nana + PopPop, peppering in questions of our own.

We finished off the night with a game, though we broke our theme to play Catchphrase, a family-favorite. After months of isolation, it was just what we needed. An event doesn’t always have to be big and flashy. For us, it just had to be time spent with the people we love.

If you’d like help planning an event like this or you have any questions, feel free to contact me here.