mamax2 said:
Hi everyone. My parents 35th anniversary is coming up this January, and we want to throw them a party, so I'm looking for ideas for:
A) a theme; and
B) a way to work in subtle Disney references (sort of like the hidden Mickey idea)
I can't do a Disney themed party, because I've got to work with my sister and sister-in-law, and I don't think they'll go for it. So I'm asking for your ideas.
Thanks
Why the Disney references? Are your parents Disney fans? Do they have a
specific memory of Disney that you could evoke?
--If your parents are big Disney fans, then everyone probably knows it. Rather than signing a guestbook, or in addition to signing a guestbook, you could
buy a Disney book--a book of animated characters or the Birnbaum's official guidebook--and have everyone sign it, like a yearbook. Guests would pick the page that provides them with their strongest associations of your parents or evokes their own special memory of Disney they would like to share with your parents. I received one of these gifts for my birthday, except it was a collection of fairy-tales, and I just love it. I've also given these types of gifts, and all recipients have been touched. You could complete this in advance, have people sign it at the party, or a combination. Guests love to read it, too, and it often becomes part of the party chatter.
--I like
the slide show idea, working in Disney references. The family vacation, a Halloween picture, a child's birthday cake, a photo with a Mickey t-shirt.
--Do they have
Disney song(s) that you might play as part of the background music? Cindy's "A Dream is A Wish" is pretty romantic, as is BatB's "Tale as Old as Time" (hope I got the titles close enough).
--
Create a scrapbook/photo album with labels that are quotes from various Disney films. The newlywed or new baby years are "A whole new world." A picture of someone dancing or with a particularly memorable expression becomes "Don't forget the importance of body language." Etc.
--You could
organize the party as the Wonderful World of XXX [your parents' names], where they have given you and the whole family your very own magical kingdom.
--If you like the idea of Hidden Mickeys, but aren't committed to the Disney thing, maybe
create an icon that means something to your family and which could become your parents' unique Hidden "XXX." You know, design a logo that represents your parents' anniversary, one that shows up on invitations. Then you could incorporate that design into various decorations: on a cake, the tablecloth, napkin rings, etc. And you could make it a sort of scavenger hunt/party game, where the person who finds the most Hidden XXXs gets a prize (really good for kids). Or maybe it's not a new icon, maybe it's the family crest? Your parents' intials? Their wedding photo?
--Your parents have been married 35 years...1971, right? That's the same year WDW opened. It's gone through many changes, as your parents' marriage probably has.
WDW could become a unifying metaphor for a party tracing your parents' relationship. You could organize a retrospective, moving from the newness of their marriage based in the imaginative, fantastical, and utopian early years (MK); part II would cover the years of growth, as your parents' marriage reflects a time of expansion, of greater cultural knowledge and innovation (Epcot); then, as they are married a bit longer, your parents gain an even more mature understanding of what it takes to make a marriage work from behind-the-scenes (MGM); and now, after many years, your parents are coming to an appreciation for a relationship that becomes more natural and organic over time & one that's more aware of its deep connections to everything around it/circle of life (AK).
Oh, and here's my knee-jerk reaction to the last part of your post. It's your parents' anniversary, a celebration of their lives together, and I'm assuming your folks like Disney based on your post. If that's the case, then your sister and SIL need to suck it up. The party is about your parents, not them, and
a celebration which reflects your parents' interests and life is what is called for in this situation. Really, that's one of the things that makes me sooo hot,
when people can't see beyond themselves in situations which call for them to think about others' needs or interests. I can't imagine throwing someone a party (or giving them a gift) that was more about me and my interests than about theirs.
[Of course, to be fair, my comment above cuts both ways. If the Disney interest is more about you and your interests, don't do it. Or even worse, if the Disney connection is pretty unique to your relationship with your parents, or about your parents' relationship with your family/children, emphasizing Disney might inadvertently exclude your sister and/or SIL. If that's the case of the latter, I'd suggest going really minimal on the Disney thing, if at all, and maybe save those memories for a private celebration, taking them out to luch or whatever. The last thing an anniversary needs is a lot of tension which emerges from some sort of unconscious sibling competition to be the best child. I'm sure that's not what's going on in your case, but I'm trying to cover all the bases.]
