i’m matt james

professional event planner

  • Over 25 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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01 how to make an anniversary special

CELEBRATE THE couple, NOT the years

  • Don’t make the common mistake of theming everything around the number of years being celebrated.
  • This makes for an impersonal and unoriginal anniversary celebration.
  • Instead, celebrate the couple, not the years.

FOCUS ON THE FEEL-GOOD

  • Concentrate on making them feel loved and appreciated.
  • Anniversaries should be about making the couple feel good about themselves;
  • treating them, reminding them what makes them special, and expressing what they mean to you.
  • It’s an opportunity to communicate all the things we might often think, but seldom say.
  • People often focus on their own faults or failings and overlook or underestimate the good things about themselves.
  • Friends and family are there to remind them of how amazing they are;
  • the good they’ve done; what they’ve contributed, accomplished, and the effect they’ve had on others.
  • So, focus on thoughtful anniversary gifts and ideas that will make them feel special.
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the idea

reasons we love you

Invite friends and family to highlight the admirable qualities, notable traits, or amusing quirks that make the happy couple so loved

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framed reasons we love you poster with photo of the happy couple
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

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anniversary Share a Memory postcards printed with '60 Memories for 60 Years' on one side and handwritten message on reverse
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a gift every hour

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

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a collection of gift wrapped boxes
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open when… letters

Be there in spirit when you can’t be there in person with a collection of ‘Open When…’ letters for every occasion

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selection of brown 'open when...' letters for different occasions
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audio guestbook

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

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anniversary party red telephone audio guest book next to a printable instructions sign inviting party guests to leave a message
advice from a pro

02 thoughtful anniversary ideas

  • Many of the special anniversary ideas on this page are designed to make the guests of honor feel loved and appreciated.
  • So, use them to:
  • Celebrate their lives; their background, their achievements, and what they’ve contributed
  • Celebrate who they are; their 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.
  • You want them to look back and remember their anniversary warmly.
  • So, focus on things that are meaningful, because that’s what they’ll remember.

MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
the idea

a trip down memory lane

Have guests take a trip down memory lane by sharing their favorite memory of the happy couple

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Share a memory cards and sign for an anniversary party trip down memory lane
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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

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reasons we love you anniversary photo-book
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anniversary slideshow

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

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group of friends watching a backyard slideshow
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25 years of memories

Invite friends and family to pen a handwritten letter sharing their fondest memories of the happy couple to present as a thoughtful anniversary gift

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a stack of numbered '25 years of memory' letters in air mail envelopes
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photo memory box

Collect cards, memories, letters, photos, and anniversary wishes from friends and family and present them to the happy couple in a custom photo keepsake box

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memory keepsake box customized with photos of the happy couple through the years
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reasons we love you guestbook

Turn a guestbook into a meaningful keepsake by having party-goers write down all the things they love about the happy couple

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handwritten 60 reasons we love you signing poster anniversary guestbook alternative
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bucket list suggestions

Ask guests to suggest experiences for the happy couple to have before their next milestone anniversary

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bucket list suggestions cards and sign for an anniversary party
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‘through the years’ photo garlands

Create interactive party decorations by asking guests to bring their favorite pictures of the happy couple to add to photo garland decorations

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woman hanging a photo on interactive photo garland anniversary party decorations showing the couple 'Through the Years'
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video guestbook

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

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

60 years of memories photo book

Invite friends and family to contribute photos of the happy couple ‘through the years’ to capture in a custom photo book

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60 years of memories anniversary photo book showing the happy couple through the years
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photo collage

A framed photo collage of the happy couple at different stages of their life makes both a thoughtful anniversary gift and an entertaining tabletop display to entertain guests

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framed Happy 50th Anniversary photo collage with the numbers 50 made up of 'through the years' style photos of the happy couple at different ages
advice from a pro

03 limit the gag gifts

  • A few gag gifts are fine, but don’t make them the entire focus of your celebration.
  • Everyone has seen and heard them all before,
  • and they’re the type of thing that just ends up stuffed in a drawer the next day,
  • or worse, in the trash.
  • Instead, focus on fun gifts that are personalized and/or meaningful, because that’s what they’ll remember and want to keep.

MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
the idea

custom piñata

Create a talking point, memorable moment, and photo op for guests to share with a custom piñata resembling the happy couple

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custom pinata of a couple alongside a photograph of the couple it was based on
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custom puppet

For a truly unique and personal gift have a custom Muppet-style puppet made of the happy couple

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woman standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of herself for a adult birthday gift
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custom reel viewer

Ask friends an family for photos of their favorite memory of the happy couple to collect together in a custom reel viewer

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custom reel viewer / viewfinder made with your own photos for a adult birthday gift
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custom comic book

Tell the happy couple’s life story (so far) by creating a custom comic book featuring photos of them ‘through the years’

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'Super Dad' custom comic book featuring cartoon versions of family photos for a adult birthday gift
advice from a pro

04 how to make an anniversary memorable

  • Let’s be honest, looking back, they’re probably not going to remember that their anniversary party had Mango Mojitos…
  • or gourmet bacon & goat cheese sliders…
  • or that the balloons were emblazoned with ‘We Still Do’.
  • And all those gag gifts and jokes are probably going to get stuffed in a drawer (or the trash!) the very next day.
  • But the special anniversary ideas on this page are the type of things they’ll keep and treasure.
  • They’ll get enjoyment from re-visiting them in the future.
  • Because they’ll remember how they made them FEEL.

MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
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

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anniversary party custom 'then & now' photo framed signing poster guestbook alternative
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fun facts balloons

Hang photos with ‘fun facts you may not know about the happy couple’ from helium balloons to entertain guests

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Photos and 'Fun Facts' about the happy couple hanging from helium balloon strings used as anniversary party room decorations
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polaroid guestbook

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

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Polaroid guestbook, instant camera, and instructions sign set up for an anniversary party
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FUN FACTS FILLED BALLOONS

Fill balloons with ‘fun facts you may not know about the happy couple’ and encourage guests to pop to reveal

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Fun facts filled 'Pop Me' balloons for an anniversary party
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fun facts napkins

Use on bars, buffet, or dessert tables to provide conversation-starters and entertain guests with ‘Fun Facts About the Happy Couple’

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custom photo 'Fun Facts about the Happy Couple' anniversary party napkins

fantastic finds

great Ideas i wish i’d thought of…

Check out this great idea below from Marta Dansie of Marta Writes

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fun facts garland banners

Personalize your party decorations and entertain guests with garland banners highlighting fun facts about the happy couple

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fun facts about the happy couple garland banner anniversary party decorations hanging from tree at garden party
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more anniversary party ideas

Hit the ‘Read More’ button below to check out my main page of anniversary party ideas.

anniversary party self service drinks bar with drinks dispensers, mixers, and mini champagne bottles
black and gold striped custom anniversary party dessert table backdrop
Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers arranged in rows on a modern anniversary party buffet table / food station
boxwood hedge anniversary party drinks bar wall with shelves of self-service drinks for guests to help themselves to
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