Set the mood. Choose one of these party invitations to create and send your invitation.
Wherever you hold the party the clue to the décor is in the name — GOLD! Gold helium balloons are easy to come by. Accompany these with gold tableware and bunting.
In honour of the couple’s marital longevity, create a series of memory boards to display at the party that they can then take away and keep, crammed with photos from throughout their years as man and wife. Start off with their wedding photos, and build it up from there, making sure to include any particularly special people, places and occasions (honeymoon, children and grandchildren, memorable high days and holidays). A bit of research should lead you to some major events that took place the year they got married. See if you can sleuth out some good stories (make them cheerful ones) like Grand National winners, births of royal babies, and sporting triumphs, and include those on the memory board.
Make sure that there are plenty of comfortable chairs around the place, and that a good percentage of them have arms, and are easy for those less nimble guests to get in and out of. There’s nothing more undignified for an older person than having to be hauled out of a squashy armchair by several younger relatives because they’ve got stuck.
The chances are that the happy couple and many of their guests will be well into their 70’s at the very least, so attire should be conservative. Plunging necklines and pelmet skirts cause too much of a stir. Remember, your grandparents grew up in an era when people knew how to dress properly for a party — lounge suits and pretty frocks would be appropriate.
To please the crowd and make sure that the happy couple and all their friends last the distance, organise a tea dance. Find a band to play the hits of their youth so that the older folk can show the young ones a few moves on the dance floor. If there’s a piano, organise a good old English sing-song.
To give the party a focal point, nominate a friend or family member to do a ‘This is your Life’-style presentation about the happy couple including video and audio messages from old friends and family members who are unable to attend the party. The speech should end with the presentation of a special commemorative gift — ask the best man or one of the bridesmaids to do this to add extra poignancy.
Make sure you have all the elements of a traditional English tea — cucumber sandwiches, scones and jam with clotted cream, Battenberg cake, and melt in the mouth shortbread — all served on a proper tea service, complete with doilies. Some older people may have difficulty with chewing, so it’s best to steer clear of peanuts and other awkward foodstuffs notorious for lodging in people’s dentures. The finishing touch should be a special cake for the happy couple to cut, bringing memories of that happy day 50 years ago when they cut their wedding cake together.
| Tea will figure prominently, obviously, served in proper cups and saucers, with silver teaspoons, and tongs for the sugarlumps. But don’t forget that it is a celebration and people may wish to let their hair down no matter how advanced in years they may be. Champagne is a must, as well as a selection of sherries and plenty of gin and tonic. |  |
| 1. | I’ve Got You Under My Skin / Frank Sinatra |
| 2. | Let’s Fall in Love / Cole Porter |
| 3. | My Love / Petula Clark |
| 4. | Living Doll / Cliff Richard |
| 5. | She Loves You / The Beatles
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| 6. | That’s Amore / Dean Martin |
| 7. | Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) / Doris Day |
| 8. | We’ll Meet Again / Vera Lynn |
| 9. | Unchained Melody / The Righteous Brothers |
| 10. | What a Wonderful World / Louis Armstrong |
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