Ben and I just got back from a very full weekend celebrating my parent’s 40th anniversary. Today, I am sharing the formal celebration but it really was 3 days of festivities! Starting with camping at my sister’s (just family) and ending with a catered meal and very small gathering of my parent’s closest friends.
I wanted to give you a little peek into our time at Jeffrey’s, the venue my parent’s chose and how we were able to do it with restrictions due to Covid. In a way, Covid simplified things for mom and dad since they were very limited to the gathering they could have which in my opinion, made it that much more intimate and enjoyable! *I have a highlight in my stories on Instagram if you want to see live footage and more.
The Venue
A friend of mom and dad’s suggested Jeffrey’s Cafe & Catering in Grande Prairie, Alberta and in my opinion it was just perfect! They ended up renting the entire loft which includes a foyer (great for pictures), studio (where our meal was served) and patio (where the kids burned off all of their energy). It was truly a picturesque space, a gem I wasn’t even really aware of in my home town.
Food
Each meal came with bread and salad, the choice of chicken or roast beef (sides: vegetables and potato) and a rich chocolate dessert. I’m not a food connoisseur but every bite was scrumptious! The type of meal I don’t have the pleasure of enjoying very often.
Program
My parent’s didn’t want a lot of fuss so we enjoyed an evening walking down memory lane. Sharing memories from mom and dad’s relationship throughout the years and our family. With special focus on the grand kids! Ben and I mc’d the night which could have stressed me out, lol, but it really was such low pressure.
While everyone ate we shared random videos of the grand kids growing up. They were a big hit, especially to the kids because they weren’t expecting it. *Side note. It’s still so hard to believe that my oldest nephew is already 15 (I think I have talked about that in the last three blogs, lol)! The years really do go by so fast and there are so many memories that I truly cherish!
My older brother put together a slideshow (btw, Jeffrey’s has a whole set up just for that) and there were a couple games. My parents asked close friends to take care of the entertainment. It was so cute, they ended up asking the grand kids to come up and did the shoe game with a twist. Instead of mom and dad answering the questions, the grand kids did. It was really fun and sweet to see their perception.
We ended the evening with a gift for mom and dad (the sign below). We had to get creative…who really knows what to get for a parent’s 40th anniversary gift, lol. I think the sign turned out beautifully and expressed the right sentiment. If you are curious where it’s from, my sister ordered from Santana Park.
What we wore
As always this was the extra fun part! My mom really wanted family photos so it gave us all a great excuse to dress up. It can be kind of stressful to try and coordinate everyone so my mom sent us a color scheme to use as a guide. Which really helped! I ended up choosing the dress above and have never gotten so many compliments ever on a dress before. I paired with nude accessories -my shoes are a few years old already and my bag is new. It was the perfect excuse to purchase the bag I had been eyeing for awhile.
Ben ended up wearing the suit he bought for his sister’s wedding last summer. We just bought him a new shirt to compliment my dress and he picked up a new pair of shoes (loafer style). I have shared this nugget before but Ben finds the BEST suits at Le Chateau. He’s bought his last two suits there and hasn’t needed a single alteration. He looks best in the slim fit (it was made for him, hehe). So, if you are looking for stylish and affordable suits, trust us when we say you’ve got to check out Le Chateau! Also, the suit I linked below is Ben’s exact suit on major discount!
Well, that’s it! Hope you enjoyed a glance into how we chose to celebrate my parent’s 40th. Maybe it will help you decide what you should do for your parent’s wedding anniversary. It is such a special time!
Before I go, I did want to mention that Jeffrey’s did have COVID guidelines in place. Guests were seated with a maximum of 6 people at a table. Families were encouraged to sit together and there were less than 30 people in attendance. We felt safe while able to enjoy and most importantly celebrate such a significant time in my parent’s lives. xoxo.
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