Reaching a milestone anniversary is a big deal — and it's the perfect time for family and friends to celebrate and honor a couple that has shared their life and love over the decades. If you're the one who is in charge of putting together the special event, you may be surprised at how costly it can be throw a party with all the panache a Silver, Gold or Diamond anniversary deserves. Holding the party at a less costly venue can significantly reduce the budget to a manageable level. Renting the local American Legion hall, a meeting room at a library or community center, or borrowing the large backyard of a friend is a cost-saving solution.
But what about the decor? You want to celebrated the honored couple's long-lived marriage with a touch of style. Don't worry. You can transform even the most bland, featureless venue into a classy space worthy of the occasion. The most important resource in creating an atmosphere of graceful decor is a well-stocked party rental company, like Ken Rent. Experienced staff can help select all the equipment and supplies needed to make a plain meeting space sparkle with party spirit.
Lighting
Because many meeting rooms and halls are illuminated with fluorescent-tube box lights mounted on the ceiling, your first step in transforming the room is to turn those things off. Replace the source of illumination with rented lighting equipment that includes:
Tables, Chairs and Linens
The space you rent for the event may include folding chairs and standard fold-up rectangular tables. You may choose to set those aside and rent round tables and more comfortable seating. Or combine the styles with the rectangular ones used for the head table where the honored couple are seated and the round tables for guest seating. Arrange several more rectangular tables at one side of the room to hold the cake, punch bowl and gifts.
Rented tablecloths and matching cloth napkins bring a layer of luxury into the design. Select a single color for all the tables, or mix and match two complementary colors for greater visual impact. Alternatively, use "glitter" linens that have woven silver or gold threads to emphasize the "Silver Anniversary" or "Gold Anniversary" party theme.
China, Flatware and Glassware
Tailor your selection of dinnerware and utensils to the type of food that will be served. For a simple array of heavy hors d'oeuvres followed by cake, you can skip the large plates you would need for a full catered meal and stick with smaller plates only. Make sure you have ample glasses for beverages, coffee cups, and don't forget the wine glasses or champagne flutes for a toast to the happy couple.
Entertainment
The rental company can set you up with a microphone and speakers for guests and the honored couple to make speeches that can be heard to the back of the room. The audio set-up can also include playback equipment for mood music during the meal and dance music later. Depending on the floor covering of the meeting space, you may also wish to rent a portable dance floor. And to keep cherished memories of the event, you can rent an arbor to use as a backdrop for fun, flirty and romantic photos.