gellchom - Thanks for the reply. The indoor party was borne of so many years of late summer parties that have been much too hot for the comfort of guests who are a bit older. I love to cook and will probably do some of my best appetizer recipes with additions by professional catering. I guess I am most interested in what would have been served back in 1958 as a place to start. If I don't get much in that regard, I will proceed with my own recipes. Unfortunately, I am a control freak about food and usually give the caterer recipes I want done, but don't have time to do myself. I always enlist help with serving, re-filling bowls, freshening drinks, etc when I host parties. I want the party to have a casual elegance. I like the catering/service people to be a bit "invisible". Even my annual 4th of July party is so much easier with a couple of extra hands. I think it is money well spent as it takes alot of the stress away and enables me to mingle and enjoy the party so to say. I am definitely utilizing help in that regard. I am looking for some unusual or time-reflective recipes that were served in 1958. My parents had a modest wedding by today's standards. Their receiption has been described as something like a beef and beer to me. LOL While they had a modest wedding, they had attendants, etc. The receptions back in the day seem to have been less elaborate than those of in the past couple of generations. The lollipop lamb chops are a great idea as they really can be handled as an appetizer. Besides my dad loves lamb. I love your ideas. I am going to look into some music options. I am a bit limited space-wise for a quartet, so a single flute player would be lovely in the background. I had planned using fresh flowers for decorating and for my parents. I did a 25th and 40th anniversary party for them, dry runs for the 50th! Sangria is a great idea. I have many summer and winter sangria recipes, so I will dig those out. I am thinking a champagne toast before I serve cake. I am a bit stuck as to the signature drink. Don't want something martini-like as a majority of my parents friends take medicines for cholesterol and the like, so I am not sure how well hard alcohol mixes with different meds. I also worry about guests driving. With lite fare, appetizers and desserts, I don't think strong drinks would be a good idea. I was thinking maybe weak whiskey sours? The invite including a request for a memory or anecdote is another great idea. I planned on copying my parents' wedding album photos for display on the buffet and throughout the rooms in my home where the party will take place. Perhaps I can go through all my photos and incorporate them into the album and insert the contributions of the guests. I gave DH a surprise 40th b-day dinner party years ago, and the pics I had copied and enlarged for display were a huge hit. They were displayed in a subtle fashion - on the buffet, in the enclosed porch where the bar was set up, you get the idea. DH b-day party was an intimate dinner party with 10 couples and about 15 family members. DH hates attention so the surprise dinner party was just perfect and was hosted at the home of our closest friends. The party atmosphere was understated and lovely. It was more about great food (we all belong to a gourmet club so we served my husband's favorite meal). I didn't want to go over the top with peripheral decorating as my friends' home is beautifully decorated. I spent a majority of my budget on great food. I guess that is the "feel" I am going for with this party as well. A special album for keepsake would be wonderful. I will have to enlist the services of my SIL who is a big scrap-booker. She, I'm sure will have some ideas! I will also need to chose a unusual invitation. Once again, thanks for getting my brain functioning. I know it is a year away, but I like to have things planned to the T. A total list maker am I! Thank you again.

For my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary, I put together a photo album. It started out with their wedding picture, followed by photographs of their parents, a geneology chart for each of them (dating back to the 1700's), their baby pictures, pictures of them as teenagers, their first date picture, courtship pictures, marriage, birth of children, first house, etc. At the end, I had a section labeled "Friends". About a month before the anniversary, I sent out questionnaires to all their close friends asking them to respond to questions like "How did you first meet?" "What special memories do you have of your friendship?" "What qualities of Mom & Dad do you think contributed to their long & happy marriage?" and "What is your favorite love song, poem or story?" Almost everyone responded. I used the responses and pictures of the friends at the back of the photo album. My parents loved reading all the comments. It brought back many great memories. I also prepared a plaque with $.50 pieces from each year of their marriage in the shape of a 50. For the coins I had trouble finding on my own, I went to a coin shop. I mounted the coins on red velvet on a wood board and had it framed. The hot glue has come loose on some of the coins, so rubber cement might work better. If you want any other ideas, let me know.

Absolutely beautiful! And so unusual and appropriate. You do have some Japanese in there, Carole. The last two "letters" in the right-most line are "na" and "ru," which turn the previous two kanji characters (which mean happiness) into an adjective to modify the characters for marriage in the next line over. Japanese and Chinese share a lot of characters, but the "na" and "ru" are definitely only Japanese. In fact, the only part of the writing that might not be taken for Japanese is the first character in the right line, which, as you probably already know, means "celebrate." It would normally come in a different place and have one or two Japanese letters, such as a verb ending, with it. Still, it is perfectly understandable to a Japanese. What a wonderful gift you made!

You might let the people know that during the party a bell will ring and someone will be asked about a memory--funny, informative--(not sad) Keep it short, if they bring notes, keep them on a 3x5 card. After reading them, drop into a bowl, jar. then if this is a lunch/supper, draw one ( or more) for a silly prize. Like pen/pencil/tiny tablet, small bottle of shampoo/conditions/soap/lotion like you get at motels, Just a thought.