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more anniversary party decoration ideas

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02 welcome area

Why you need to create a welcome area

  • In an ideal world, you’d greet party guests by answering the door, taking their coats, offering drinks, and introducing people to one another.
  • But before long, people will start arriving in quick succession.
  • So, just as you’re taking someone’s coat, the doorbell will ring again, and you’ll have to abandon those people before you get time to offer them a drink.
  • Then, before you’ve even had time to take coats from the next guests, the doorbell will ring again, interrupting that welcome.
  • Then, as you try to greet the next group, someone will ask you where the bathroom is, or where they should put their coat.
  • Or they’ll hand you a birthday card or a gift to open.
  • And before you know it, you’re being torn in all different directions.
  • Not only does this make for a stressful start to the party for you, but it also means none of your guests get a proper greeting.
  • Instead of being thanked for coming, offered a drink, and made to feel welcome, theyโ€™re abandoned as soon as the doorbell rings again and handed off to a room full of people they might not know very well,
  • Which can leave them feeling a little deflated, or worse, snubbed.
  • Remember, theyโ€™ve come to see you; to celebrate your anniversaryโ€”probably bearing giftsโ€”so the least you can do is make sure they get a warm welcome.

What makes a good reception area

  • In reality, itโ€™s just not realistic to try to greet every guest personally the moment they arrive; unless you plan to hang around the entrance all night.
  • Which is why it pays to automate the arrivals processes as much as possible by creating a welcome area to:
  • greet guests; with signage, decor, and self-service drinks,
  • entertain; with activities, photo ops, and party favors, and
  • manage flow; with directional signage for cloakrooms, bathrooms, table plans, and a gift/card table.
  • This way, guests feel acknowledged upon arrival and itโ€™s clear what they should do and where they should go; without you having to act as a receptionist.
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the idea

life-size talking cutout

Have the happy couple greet guests at the entrance with a life-size cutout paired with a motion-activated voice recorder to play a personal greeting in their own voice

senior couple standing next to a life-size cutout standee of their younger selves on their wedding day
the idea

welcome signs

Help guests find the entrance, reassure them they’re at the right place, and invite them in without having to stand at the door

custom photo anniversary party welcome sign with a retro photo of the couple on their wedding day
the idea

photo collage sign

Entertain guests by placing a photo collage showing the happy couple at different stages of their life on welcome desks or bars

celebrating 65 years anniversary photo collage sign set up on a party drinks table bar
the idea

welcome area signs

Communicate practical information regarding parking, restrooms, cloakrooms, WiFi, guests book, cards & gifts, and welcome drinks with printable signs

collage of anniversary party welcome area signs for parking, wifi, guest book, cards & gifts, signature cocktail, and please help yourself to drinks
the idea

custom card box

Provide a box at the entrance for guests to leave cards so neither they nor the happy couple has to carry them around during the event

woman's hand placing a card into a custom wood card box with the name Wilson on it
the idea

Shoot it, share it sign

Ask guests to capture memories by snapping, sharing, and tagging photos on social media using a custom hashtag

'Oh Snap! Share the Love' custom hashtag sign for event photos
the idea

custom hashtag sign

Remind guests to tag their photos on social media by placing a custom hashtag sign at the entrance

'Your Hashtag Here' laser-cut freestanding tabletop custom hashtag sign for events
the idea

self-service drinks table

Set up a self-service bar at the entrance with pre-mixed or ready-to-pour drinks that guests can all help themselves to on arrival

DIY self-service party drinks bar for a anniversary party
the idea

champagne / cocktail walls

Create a big first impression by offering guests their welcome drink on arrival from a self-service ‘grab and go’ champagne / cocktail wall

boxwood hedge drinks wall with shelves of self-service drinks for anniversary party guests to help themselves to
ADVICE FROM A PRO

ENSURE YOUR GUESTS FEEL COMFORTABLE

  • Weโ€™ve all experienced turning up to a party and thereโ€™s no-one there to greet you…
  • The door swings open and youโ€™re faced with a room full of peopleโ€”maybe no-one you knowโ€”already chatting in groups, some of whom turn to stare at you.
  • Itโ€™s always a bit awkward and you feel like you have to wade into the crowd and seek out the host before you can truly settle in and relax.
  • This can easily be avoided by providing a few simple โ€˜ice-breakerโ€™ activities in the welcome area to ease guests in and give them the opportunity to connect with others before they enter.
  • Below are a few ice-breakers, activities, and party favors that would work well alongside the anniversary party decoration ideas in the welcome area.

MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
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welcome area activities

Below are some ice breakers, activities, and party favors that would work well in a welcome area. To see more, check out my separate page of anniversary party activities.

the idea

Hello My Name Is… stickers

Facilitate introductions and conversations with name tags revealing guests Special Talent, Superhero Power, or Favorite Sitcom Character

Man wearing Hello My Name Is... sticker
the idea

photo party hats

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

color and black & white photo party hats showing the happy couple now and on their wedding day
the idea

guestbook alternative: signing poster

Invite guests to write messages for the happy couple on a signing poster with ‘Then & Now’ photos to be framed as a keepsake

anniversary party custom 'then & now' photo framed signing poster guestbook alternative
the idea

audio guestbook

Bring your guestbook to life and capture authentic and unfiltered voice messages from friends and family to treasure forever

anniversary party red telephone audio guest book next to a printable instructions sign inviting party guests to leave a message
the idea

polaroid guestbook

Snap it, shake it, stick it, sign it! Invite guests to illustrate their guestbook entry by using an instant camera

Polaroid guestbook, instant camera, and instructions sign set up for an anniversary party
the idea

video guestbook

Capture the love by setting up a tablet on a tripod for guests to record video messages for the happy couple

couple recording a video message on a tablet on a tripod for an anniversary party
the idea

fan face custom cutouts

Create photo ops by providing guests with fan faces of the happy couple at different stages of their life

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

Celebrating 60 years. Sixtieth birthday anniversary party dessert table backdrop with photos showing the husband and wife 'through the years'
blue ombre effect paper circles garland backdrop behind a anniversary party dessert table
custom face photo garland banner showing a husband and wife 'through the years' for an anniversary party
balloon mosaic letters spelling LOVE anniversary party decorations

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