Gift Ideas for 50th Anniversary

Little_Mother
Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:07:48 +0000

For my in-laws’ golden anniversary (with their 60th coming up next year), the three kids (and significant others) rented a large house at the Heidel House resort in Green Lake, WI. MIL is from Wisconsin originally, and lots of relatives live in the Midwest. Plus one kid was on the East Coast, another on the West Coast, and the third in Illinois, so this was a good halfway point. The house accommodated all of the immediate family members and their families. Other relatives and friends could also stay at the hotel part of the resort. In addition, travel arrangements were paid for by the kids. We arranged for catering through the resort and bought a beautiful, homemade cake from a woman who baked out of the home (and delivered for free!). A boombox played tunes from their courtship so that folks could dance if they wanted. Bocce ball games were held in the backyard. Folks had submitted photos, anecdotes, etc., that we then assembled into an album that was shared amid lots of champagne toasts during a “cruise” around the lake on a large boat the resort owned. We encouraged folks to come by inviting them to help us celebrate 95 years of marriage–my in-law’s 50, older SIL’s 25, and our 20 that year! Of course, next year it’ll be 125 years combined.