06/11/2010 04:57 PM

When you think of summer events, you might be thinking about a wedding you need to attend. After all, summer is the most popular time of year for nuptials. This summer, for our family, love is in the air. We’re not talking a wedding, we’re talking about love; not puppy love, not we’ve been married for how long? type of love, we’re talking about everlasting love or close to that,  we’re talking about a 50th Wedding Anniversary. Before you ask, no, it not’s mine and my husband’s. We’re barely going on 10 years. It’s the 50th Wedding Anniversary of my folks and for the last several months, I have been the lead on a planning committee made up of a feisty one, a controlled one, a pleaser, and a macho one. In other words, me and some of my brothers and sisters!

See here’s how the story goes, after our family experienced a traumatic and tragic event last year, we came to the realization that our parents were on the verge of celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and with that realization, we also knew that if they were willing to put up with our antics for almost 50 years, they really did deserve to be celebrated! Anyone who has raised us and all our quirky personalities (fiery one, controlled one, pleaser, macho one, hard-headed one, interesting one,  and  full of life one and have managed to stay sane) not only deserve to be celebrated, but deserve to have a little fun!

Like many good intentions though, things got in the way and we found ourselves 7 months later without a party plan in motion. So, a few of my brothers and sisters, plus myself, stepped in and decided we would make this happen. Fast forward to today.
Since we’ve started the planning, here’s what we’ve found out:

• Waiting until a few months before a big party, is a bad idea especially if the event takes place at South Padre Island and during the summer! Everything is booked, summer rates are doubled, there are beach goers everywhere, fishing tournaments, conferences, and let’s not forget tourists that makes the island a busy and hopping place!


• Having different personalities plan a party is a hard thing to do! You really need a lead and a vote; thus making democracy a good thing, even in family units! Especially, when there’s a hold-out!

• Each one of us posses traits that our parent possess. I know we’re supposed to, but you never really think it, do you? You never really think, ‘Oh, I look just like mom!’ or ‘Oh, he has dad’s eyes, etc.’ or ‘Oh, that’s where we get our chin from’. You really don’t think that! Until, you see the photos of them when they were young, when they were teens, when they got married, and the many years after that and you start getting glimpses of each of us in their faces.

• A 50th Anniversary celebration is almost like a complete wedding. Some couples even renew their vows like my aunt and uncle did a couple of years ago. Our parents have chosen not to do that, but the celebration did involve us choosing a venue, choosing a menu, considering and determining decorations, sending out invitations and all the details that go with that. The party itself will include dinner, a specialty band, d.j. services, a wedding-type anniversary cake, and then of course, a toast! So, in a sense, they are having a reception after the ceremony type thing.

• All I’ll say about the last thing we found out is that a budget is a priority especially when seven families are pitching in to help pay for it all and have a say in everything planned. 

The party is only two weeks away, so we’re down to the home stretch! Oh and by the way, finding outfits for the middle of the summer at the beach, but for an anniversary party and not a luau, is not as easy as you think. Beach attire won’t do, but evening cocktail attire is too much!