Anniversary celebration ideas
Match the celebration to the couple: a family dinner, a long lunch, a backyard party, a picnic or a surprise, dressed in the milestone colour, such as silver for the 25th, ruby for the 40th or gold for the 50th. This guide covers party formats, decoration ideas with Australian prices, photo displays, how a vow renewal works here, and a timeline for planning it all.
Plenty of anniversaries need nothing more than a table for two. The ones that grow into a party tend to be the milestones, such as a 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th, and the person organising may be the couple themselves, one of their grown children or an old friend.
Start with the guests of honour. Some couples want a full room and a speech from every table, while others would much prefer a quiet lunch with the grandchildren. Ask them, or ask someone who knows them well, before you book a venue or send a single invitation.
In Australia: The Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants says a couple cannot be legally married a second time, even to each other, so a vow renewal here is a ceremonial event and the celebrant must make clear it is not a second marriage.
Party formats that suit an anniversary
Pick the format by the size of the guest list and the couple's energy, then choose a venue that works for their mobility and the season. A winter party needs a warm room, and a summer one needs shade.
Family dinner at a favourite restaurant
Book a private room or one long table, and let the couple order first. A fixed menu agreed in advance keeps the bill predictable for whoever is paying.
Long lunch
A daytime party suits older guests and families with small children, and it wraps up before anyone is worn out.
Backyard party
Hosting at home puts the budget into food and drink instead of room hire. Borrow or hire a marquee if the weather could turn, and set some chairs in the shade.
Picnic in a park or by the water
Choose a spot with toilets and parking close by, and bring folding chairs for anyone who would struggle to get up off a rug.
Surprise party
Works best when one trusted family member manages the couple's day and gets them to the door on time. Have a quieter fallback plan in case either of them is unwell on the day.
Weekend away with the family
For a major milestone, a shared holiday house lets several generations spend two days together instead of one evening.
Back to the wedding reception
Return to the original venue if it still operates, order the same cake flavour, or play the first dance song again at the same point in the night.
Colour themes for the milestone years
The milestone names hand every big anniversary a ready-made colour scheme, and most party sites build their decorating advice around them. Pick the metal or gem for the year, then add one neutral so the room does not read as a single block of colour.
Silver for the 25th
Silver-rimmed glasses, white flowers and a scatter of silver confetti down the tables. Iris is the flower Australian florist Floraly gives for the 25th.
Pearl for the 30th
Ivory, cream and soft white, finished with lilies, which Floraly lists as the 30th anniversary flower.
Ruby for the 40th
Deep red flowers and napkins, with a ruby-coloured wine poured for the toast. Ready-made 40th decorations are harder to find than silver or gold ones, so plan to make the centrepieces, perhaps with gladiolus, the flower listed for the 40th.
Gold for the 50th
Gold tablecloths or runners paired with white, cream or burgundy, plus gold balloons on the welcome table. Floraly gives violets and yellow roses as the flowers for fifty years.
Diamond for the 60th
Clear glassware and white linen with small touches of silver, so the candlelight does the sparkling.
A travel theme for any year
Name each table after a place the couple has visited together, and stand a photo from that trip in the middle of it.
Decorations on a small budget
Anniversary decorations can cost very little if you buy the basics online and spend the effort on personal touches. A gold banner and two number balloons from sellers on Kmart's online marketplace come to under $20 before delivery.
Happy Anniversary banner
About $3.99 (Kmart marketplace, 2.7m gold)
A holographic gold banner listed on the Kmart site by a marketplace seller. Marketplace items are excluded from Kmart's free delivery over $65, and standard delivery is about $10 metro, $14 regional and $16 remote.
Gold number balloons
About $2.99 to $6.99 each (Kmart marketplace)
Spell out the year in foil numbers: a 35.5cm gold number 3 was listed at $2.99 and an 86cm gold number 5 at $6.99. Tie two of them behind the cake table to make a photo backdrop.
A wedding photo on every table
Print one picture from the wedding day for each table and use mismatched frames borrowed from around the family.
Homemade centrepieces
Jars of flowers in the milestone colour are simple to put together the day before, and guests can take one home at the end.
Candles in the theme colour
A cluster of candles in silver, red or gold holders gives an evening party its glow without florist prices.
Signs with the wedding date
A chalkboard or printed sign at the entrance showing the date and place they married gives guests an opening line.
Photo displays, slideshows and speeches
A display of the couple's years together gives guests something to talk about and lets the couple see their story told back to them by the people who lived it.
Timeline wall
Pin photos in order from the wedding to today, with the year written under each one.
Slideshow or short film
Ask relatives for photos and short clips a month ahead and set them to songs the couple love. Play it once, after the meal, when everyone is seated.
Memory book for guests
Leave a blank book and a few pens near the door, and ask each guest to write a memory of the couple or a piece of advice.
Couples trivia
Quiz the room on how they met, where they honeymooned and their first car, with the couple acting as judges.
The original wedding album
Set it out on its own table with a small sign asking guests to turn the pages gently.
A few short speeches
Two or three speakers at most, each kept to a few minutes, with the couple given the last word.
Renewing your vows
A vow renewal lets a couple repeat their promises in front of the people who matter to them now, many of whom may not have been at the wedding. Because it has no legal effect in Australia, the couple is free to shape the ceremony however they like.
Why couples renew
The Federation names couples who married overseas or interstate, couples with an empty nest, and couples who simply want to do something special for their anniversary.
Shape of the ceremony
A renewal traditionally follows the outline of a wedding, with an entrance, readings, vows and an exchange of rings, minus the legal wording.
Choosing a celebrant
About $350 to $2,000 (general celebrant fees, Oneflare and Bridebook AU)
Those ranges are for wedding ceremonies, and a shorter, non-legal renewal may be priced differently, so ask each celebrant for a renewal quote.
Original vows or new ones
Some couples read the words they said on the day, while others write fresh vows that reflect the years since.
A role for the family
Children and grandchildren can act as attendants, give a reading or carry the rings.
Where to hold it
Back at the church or venue where they married, on a beach at sunset, or in their own garden with the party straight afterwards.
A timeline for planning a milestone party
A bigger celebration is easier with a plan worked back from the date. A small dinner may only need a booking a few weeks out, so trim the steps to suit.
Three months before
Agree the format and guest list with the couple, or with the other organisers if it is a surprise, and book the venue, plus a celebrant if there is a renewal. For a 50th or later, request the free official congratulatory letters two to three months ahead so they can be read aloud at the party, as our anniversary messages guide explains.
Six to eight weeks before
Send the invitations, ask about dietary needs and start collecting photos from relatives for the slideshow.
One month before
Order the decorations, confirm numbers with the venue or caterer, and decide who will speak.
One week before
Finish the slideshow, print the table photos and check the music and microphone with the venue.
On the day
Put one person in charge of timing and the running sheet, so the hosts can enjoy the party with everyone else.
Common questions
Choose something that suits the two of you rather than a set formula. A dinner at the restaurant from your first date, a picnic at the place you got engaged, or a long lunch with family are all good options. For a milestone year, a party or a vow renewal gives the people around you a chance to celebrate with you.
Silver for the 25th, ruby red for the 40th and gold for the 50th, following the names of those milestones. Pearl white suits the 30th, and clear glass with silver suits a diamond 60th. Pair the main colour with one neutral, such as white or cream, so the room feels balanced.
A banner, number balloons for the year, flowers or centrepieces in the theme colour, and a photo display cover most parties. Online marketplace sellers list a gold "Happy Anniversary" banner at about $3.99 and gold number balloons at about $2.99 to $6.99, so the basics can come in under $20 before delivery.
No. The Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants says a couple cannot be legally married a second time, even to each other, so a renewal is a ceremony without legal effect. The celebrant must make that clear to the couple and their guests.
There is no standard renewal price. General celebrant fees run from about $350 to $2,000 depending on the source and the city, but those figures are for weddings, so ask celebrants directly for a renewal quote.
Around three months ahead for a milestone party with a venue, a celebrant or guests travelling from interstate. A family dinner at a restaurant can be organised in a few weeks.
Follow the couple's lead. If they have an anniversary registry, put the link on the invitation; if they would rather have no gifts, say so on the invitation, and guests can bring a card instead.
Want friends and family to chip in?
A free anniversary registry collects contributions toward a trip, an experience or one shared gift, so nobody has to guess what to buy.