Wedding Anniversary Etiquette - when?
Q. I'm busy/ working / away from home on my Anniversary what should
I do ?
Q. Should gifts be opened at the celebration or should they be
taken home and opened later?
Q. When ordering a personalized gift should it have the date
of marriage or the number on it?
Q. Is it okay to have the anniversary party several weeks
before the actual anniversary date?
Q. Is it proper to have a party at a later date; in the
spring or possibly summer?
Q. I'm busy/ working / away from home on my Anniversary what should I do ?
If you can't celebrate your anniversary on the exact day then make a point of celebrating as close as possible to your Anniversary.
Q If gifts are given at a 50th Wedding Anniversary Party (although the invitation says, No gifts), should they be opened at the celebration or should they be taken home and opened later?
A. If gifts are given at the celebration it is down to the couple if they want to open the gifts there or not, generally they are opened later however it is down to personal taste.
Q I am trying to help my mother in law put together a 25th anniversary for my sister in law. I have one question. When ordering a personalized gift like toasting glasses for the couple should it have the date of marriage or the number 25 on it. I plan on putting their name on whatever I purchase but need the advise on their wedding date or anniversary years to be engraved. I plan on purchasing their glasses for the head table as well as guest book, serving set for the cake etc. Everything I want to buy for this anniversary has names and dates shown on them.
A. It looks like you have done a lot of planning for this celebration, I hope you and your in-laws enjoy it. With regard to your question on whether to use the wedding date or the number of years there is no prescribed etiquette however the majority of gifts state the anniversary being celebrated i.e. 25th Anniversary. I also prefer the anniversary or anniversary material (Silver in this case) as generally it is an easier talking point to any one who would see it in the future. i.e. someone will know instantly that they have been married for 25 years rather than have to work out how many years if there is a date on it.
Q My husband's family has an annual reunion on the last Sunday in July. We would like to have a surprise 50th anniversary celebration for his parents that same weekend, as many of the guests will have to travel long distances, and we don't want them to have to travel twice. The problem is that the actual anniversary date is not until the end of September. Is it okay to have the anniversary party several weeks before the actual anniversary date?
A. I think it may be a little early to celebrate their anniversary, is it not possible to move the annual reunion to a few weeks later?. If you moved it to the actual date then I think this would be a give away to your in-laws that something was going on however if it was organized to be within 2 weeks of the actual date then this would be more appropriate.
Q. My parent's 50th wedding anniversary is coming up and I would like to have a celebration for them but the weather is unpredictable (snow!!) in February and wonder if it is proper to have a party at a later date; in the spring or possibly summer.
A. You could move the celebration to a weekend near the date or move it around other events however to move it a couple of months would take some of the gloss off the celebration.
