i’m matt james

professional event producer

  • 27 years event-planning experience
  • Winner of 30 industry awards
  • Clients include:
  • Elton John,
  • Stella McCartney,
  • Sarah Jessica Parker,
  • Kevin Spacey……and more

welcome

Matt James professional event planner
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CONTENTS

ON THIS PAGE

01 MAKE IT SPECIAL

Thoughtful ideas that celebrate the happy couple, focus on the feel-good, and make an anniversary special

60 years of memories personalized photo book for an anniversary party
Reasons We Love You photo poster for an anniversary party
Custom 'Reasons We Love You' photo book with friends and family holding signs
'25 Memories for 25 Years' Share a Memory postcards for an anniversary party
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02 MAKE IT personal

How to add creative twists and personal touches to create talking points and memorable moments

custom face photo garland banner showing a husband and wife 'through the years' for an anniversary party
Celebrating 60 years. Sixtieth birthday anniversary party dessert table backdrop with photos showing the husband and wife 'through the years'
Mail A Mini-Me Custom Pinata
custom photo wedding m&m's with the bride & groom's face and names
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03 anniversary party decorations

How to maximize your budget by concentrating your anniversary party decorations in a few key areas

'cheers to 60 years' anniversary party custom photo banner showing photos of the husband and wife 'then and now'
anniversary party photo collage in the shape of the numbers 60 on a party dessert table
happy 50th anniversary spelled out in a yard card in front of house
balloon mosaic letters spelling LOVE anniversary party decorations
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04 anniversary party activities

How to break the ice, provide conversation-starters, encourage mingling, and create atmosphere

DIY vodka bar with mixers and fruit set up at a anniversary party
anniversary party guestbook alternative signing poster with photos of the husband and wife 'then and now'
'Who knows the couple best' printable wedding or anniversary party games
yellow retro telephone audio guest book set up next to an instructions sign inviting party guests to record a message
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05 anniversary party food

Why food stations geared towards small bites, tasting plates, and DIY options are better than buffets

Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers arranged in rows on a modern anniversary party buffet table / food station
anniversary party food presentation ideas: fish salad served in margarita glasses with forks
anniversary party hors d'oeuvres: cheese bites served on forks standing vertically
anniversary party food ideas: individual portion charcuterie cups
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06 dessert tables

How a dessert table can lend visual spectacle, save time, and maximize budget for an anniversary party

personalized custom caricature cookie of a husband and wife for a 50th anniversary party
peach, white and gold balloon garland party backdrop for a dessert table
mousse / pudding style desserts served in clear disposable mini dessert cups on a party dessert table
gold sequin shimmer party backdrop behind a dessert table
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07 anniversary party drinks

Get that professionally-catered look and give traditional drinks a creative twist

custom photo personalized beer bottle labels for anniversary party drinks
anniversary party drinks ideas: boxwood hedge party drinks bar wall with shelves of self-service drinks for guests to help themselves to
custom photo 'Fun Facts about the happy couple' anniversary party napkins
custom photo edible wafer party drinks topper with a photo of a couple floating on champagne in a flute
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08 anniversary party invitations

Why invitations needs to excite, inspire, and give guests something to look forward to

anniversary party photo collage invitation showing the couple 'through the years'
animated digital video anniversary party invitations displayed on mobile phone screen
balloon custom printed with anniversary party invitation details
custom vinyl record party invitation for a anniversary party
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09 anniversary gifts

Avoid uninspiring and clichéd gifts in favor of something that’s unique, meaningful, or a treat

custom muppet-style puppet of a husband and wife
custom personalized comic book for a anniversary gift
custom bobblehead of a married couple alongside their photo for an anniversary gift
personalized viewmaster reel viewer for a anniversary gift
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ADVICE FROM A PRO

anniversary tips

  • Anniversaries are a big deal, so you need to make an effort!
  • Avoid the obvious: generic store-bought decorations emblazoned with Happy Anniversary.
  • Instead, make everything as personal as possible
  • Celebrate the people, not just the number of years they’ve been together.
  • Concentrate on making them feel loved and appreciated.
  • Celebrate their life; their background, accomplishments, and all the things that have made them who they are today.
  • Celebrate who they are; admirable qualities, characteristics everyone loves, and even their weird habits and obsessions that drive people crazy!
  • Celebrate your relationship with them; take a walk down memory lane, share memories, funny stories, embarrassing photos, amusing anecdotes, fun facts guests may not know, and indulge in a little sentimentality.
  • Focus on things that are meaningful, because that’s what they’ll remember.
  • If you’re planning your own anniversary bash, you should still take the same approach. Make everything as personal as possible so that it’s a reflection of you; your tastes, your interests, and your sense of humor—with plenty of embarrassing old photos and fun facts
  • I’ll teach you how to design your anniversary party like a pro; creating ‘beats’ or ‘moments’ that run throughout the event so guests continue to discover new things as the party unfolds
  • Think of the guest’s journey in terms of different touch points; arrivals, bar, room décor, food, entertainment etc.
  • Then, add a creative twist, person touch, or talking point to each
  • Don’t forget to include activities; things for guests to do that will break the ice, encourage mingling, provide conversation-starters, and create a fun atmosphere that includes everyone.
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MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
in this section

01 Make it special

celebrate the people, not the years

  • Limit the gag gifts and decorations and focus on thoughtful, feel-good ideas.
  • Make them feel loved, appreciated, and good about themselves.

AVOID CLICHÉS

  • Don’t make the common mistake of theming everything around the number of years.
  • Those obvious decorations with 50 (or however many years) printed on everything are tired and lazy.
  • They make for an impersonal and unoriginal anniversary celebration.
  • Read my full post with ideas for how to make a anniversary special or preview some below
open full post
OR PREVIEW BELOW
ideas in this section

60 memories for 60 years

reasons we love you

anniversary photo slideshow

a gift every hour

50 years of memories letters

‘open when’ letters

throught the years photo book

photo collage memory box

reasons we love you photo book

AND MORE
preview

ideas to make it special

Check out this preview of some anniversary party ideas to make it special, then hit the ‘Open Full Post’ button below to view all ideas in this section (opens in a new tab).

the idea

60 memories for 60 years

Invite friends and family to mail a postcard sharing a favorite memory of the happy couple in the days leading up to their anniversary

read more
anniversary Share a Memory postcards printed with '60 Memories for 60 Years' on one side and handwritten message on reverse
the idea

a gift every hour

Spread the love over an entire day with 12 smaller gifts; one to be opened every hour.

read more
a collection of gift wrapped boxes
the idea

reasons we love you photo book

Invite friends and family to take photos expressing all the things they love about the happy couple to collect together in a keepsake photo book to celebrate their anniversary

read more
reasons we love you anniversary photo-book
the idea

anniversary slideshow

Invite friends and family to contribute photos and videos of the happy couple to surprise them with an animated slideshow

read more
group of friends watching a backyard slideshow
VIEW MORE

ideas to make it special

Reasons We Love You photo poster for an anniversary party
60 years of memories personalized photo book for an anniversary party
stack of illustrated brown 'Open When...' letter envelopes for different occasions
a stack of numbered '50 years of memory' letters in air mail envelopes
OPEN FULL POST
in this section

02 Make it personal

add creative twists & personal touches

  • An anniversary is a special occasion, so you need to make an effort.
  • Generic decorations from Party City or Amazon won’t cut it.
  • Cheap, shiny, and mass-produced in China doesn’t exactly say special does it?
  • It’s the creative twists, clever details, personal touches, talking points, and memorable moments that make an anniversary party feel special.
  • So, focus on customizable party supplies that use cute, funny, or embarrassing old photos of the happy couple to make them unique.
  • Read my full post about the party supplies I recommend and learn how to use them to surprise and entertain guests, create photo ops, and make your party memorable.
open full post
OR PREVIEW BELOW
ideas in this section

custom photo m&m’s

photo party hats

fan face custom cutouts

custom face banners

fun facts napkins

‘‘then & now photo banners‘

‘through the years’ photo banners

CUSTOM PHOTO WINE/BEER LABELS

life-size talking cutouts

CUSTOM PHOTO BALLOONS

CUSTOM PARTY CUPS

CUSTOM COOKIES

CUSTOM PINATAS

AND MORE
preview

ideas to make it personal

Check out this preview of some anniversary party ideas to make it personal, then hit the ‘Open Full Post’ button below to view all ideas in this section (opens in a new tab).

the idea

custom photo m&m’s

It’s the clever little details that create talking points, so swap regular candy for personalized M&M’s with photos of the happy couple

read more
blue and yellow custom photo m&m's with a woman's face
the idea

photo party hats

Create custom party hats printed with old photos of the happy couple from different stages of their life

read more
color and black & white photo party hats showing the happy couple now and on their wedding day
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Matt James professional event planner
the idea

fan face custom cutouts

Create photo ops by providing guests with faces of the guests of honor at different stages of their life

read more
two people holding custom fan faces of the couple in front of their own faces at an anniversary party
the idea

custom face banners

Personalize your party decorations with custom face banners of the happy couple at different ages

read more
60th anniversary custom face photo banners showing the happy couple at different ages hung above party dessert table
VIEW MORE

ideas to make it personal

Celebrating 50 Years custom photo anniversary party balloon decorations