A golden anniversary is a rare thing to celebrate, and the couple usually insists they want nothing. What they rarely get is to hear their children, their grandchildren and the friends who stood up at their wedding say what the marriage has meant to them. A film collects those voices, including the ones who cannot make the trip.
1. Build the list from both sides
- Their children and grandchildren. Every grandchild, even the youngest. Short is fine.
- Brothers and sisters on both sides, and the cousins they grew up with.
- The wedding. Anyone still living from the wedding party, or who was at the wedding. They have the stories from the start.
- Friends of the couple: the neighbours, the church or temple, the couples they have travelled with for years.
Around 15 to 30 people makes the best film. Split the list with your siblings: one takes Mom's side, one takes Dad's.
2. Ask about the two of them
"Happy anniversary, you two are wonderful" is kind but forgettable. Questions about the couple themselves get the stories:
- How did you first hear about the two of them?
- What do they do that the rest of us should copy?
- Tell us one story about the two of them that you still tell.
- What did watching their marriage teach you?
- A wish for the next ten years.
Pick two or three and give everyone the same ones. When six people answer "what should we copy?", the film makes its own point.
3. A four-week plan
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks before | Agree with your siblings who does what. Pick the questions. Collect contacts from both sides. |
| 3 to 4 weeks before | Send the invites. Phone the oldest friends and relatives yourself. |
| 2 weeks before | Reminders. Close recording now if you want a printed book; a week later for a film only. |
| 10 days before | Edit. Approve the book proof (4 to 5 business days to print, then 2 to 5 days in the mail). |
| The day | Play it at the dinner, after the toasts. Have someone film their faces. |
4. The invite
5. Use the photos
The wedding photo, the first apartment, the road trips, the grandchildren's births. Ask each person for a photo with the couple, and scan a few from the family albums. Between the messages, they turn a set of greetings into the story of a marriage.
6. Play it, then keep it
- A TV with proper speakers beats a laptop. Captions help in a noisy room.
- Seat the couple together and facing the screen.
- Send the film to everyone who recorded. Consider a printed book with a page for every person and a QR code that plays their message: something to keep on the shelf after the party.
You can make this yourself with a phone and an editing app; for 20 or more people, set aside a couple of evenings for the edit. Or let us collect, remind and edit while you plan the celebration.
Common questions
What is a meaningful 50th anniversary gift for parents?
Fifty years is about the people the couple built a life with. A film of messages from their children, grandchildren, wedding party and lifelong friends, played at the celebration, gives them something no store sells: everyone telling them what their marriage has meant.
Who should be in a 50th anniversary video?
Children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters on both sides, anyone still living from the wedding party, and the friends who have known them as a couple for decades. Around 15 to 30 people makes the best film.
What questions should I ask for an anniversary video?
Questions about the two of them, not about marriage in general: how you first heard about them as a couple, what they do that the rest of us should copy, a story about the two of them, and a wish for the next ten years.
How long before the anniversary should I start?
Three to four weeks ahead. Older friends and relatives need time and reminders, and a printed book needs about two weeks for printing and mail after the proof is approved.
Does this work for a 25th or 40th anniversary too?
Yes. The plan is the same. For a 25th, the circle is usually friends and children; for a 40th or 50th, add grandchildren and the people from the wedding itself.
Want us to handle it?
Pick the questions and add the people. We invite everyone, remind them, and edit the film, with a printed book if you want one. Free until your trailer is ready. Then choose Film ($49) or Film + Book ($109).
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