Many people celebrate wedding anniversaries in the same fashion every year: The usual partying and drinking. Others might even take a long drive out for a weekend getaway. While some keep it simple and lovers have intimate dinners on their anniversary night. Some couples like to spend it with the whole family.

However, the way you do these types of celebrations might be a little cliché already. Perhaps, it’s time to upgrade it a bit and do more gimmicks. You can help your parents plan their next anniversary celebration. Or maybe, you should come up with your surprise for them. 

One way to make this day memorable for your parents is by taking them down memory lane. Pull off a party that’ll make them remember how it was when they were still young. Here are some anniversary celebration ideas you can do:

Make a Slideshow of Their Old Photos 

Bring memories back by showing your parents their old photos when they were still young. You might have to scour through hundreds of old photographs. It’ll take a lot of effort from you but trust the process. It’s all going to be worth it.

After looking for the old photographs and collecting them, you have to scan them. Upload these pictures into a computer. If you have time to spare for this unique project, you can edit the photos. Use photo-editing software to enhance the old images. You can then make a video presentation using these photographs. Show them to your parents after their anniversary dinner. It’ll surely bring back those times when they were young and carefree.

Play Their Song as a Young Couple 

Listening to old songs you used to love years ago can induce nostalgia. You can trigger the same feeling in your parents when they hear their favorite tunes as a couple. Give your parents the best gift on their anniversary.

Buy old records that genuinely resonate with the era when they spent much of their youth. But before you do that, get to know who are their favorite artists first. List down their favorite songs as a couple. You might have to do a lot of digging through thrift stores or record stores. You can then prepare the tracklist during the anniversary dinner.

Old music can truly evoke the most bittersweet moments a person had in their youth. Songs can transport you back years ago, and some studies back this notion backed by science. This intangible gift of memories can be the greatest your parents will receive for their anniversary.

Take Them on a Date That Brings Back Memories

Take your parents back to where it all began. Drive them to the diner where they first met. Surprise them by bringing both of them to the school where they had their first interaction. Maybe they met at an off-Broadway play. Buy tickets to see the play with them or buy tickets for the two of them. Or perhaps your dad proposed to your mom at a famous theme park in California. Buy your dad a Disney-inspired engagement ring to give your mom. Bring your parents to Disneyland and make your dad propose to your mom on their wedding anniversary. Make him do it like how he did it years ago. Your parents will cherish this moment of their lives.

Ask Their Friends about Their Stories

Surprise your parents with long-lost friends who have stories to tell about the couple. Invite these friends to dinner for the wedding anniversary. Their presence will be the highlight of the anniversary celebration. Surprise your parents with a round table talk with the special guests. Do this by making each of their friends talk about the earliest memories of the couple. It’ll be entertaining to listen to and will bring a lot of comforting nostalgia for your parents.

You might even discover things you didn’t know about your parents like how they were when they were young. Or if your grandparents wholeheartedly gave their stamp of approval for the relationship. Ask cute questions to your guests about your parents as a young couple. But let your parents’ friends aprovider first. Then you can give time for your parents to give their own answers.

Give them time to defend themselves if their friends’ answers weren’t exactly what they expected. Bring laughter and tears of joy to the wedding anniversary celebrants. It’s going to be a lovely evening of discussion.

You can celebrate your parents’ wedding anniversary in many ways. But remember, you have to check first if they’re down with your ideas. Ask them first unless you want to give them a thoughtful surprise which they might end up appreciating anyway. If they’re going to celebrate it their way, let them be. You can always give them your way of celebration after a day or two. What’s important is to make your parents the happiest on their wedding anniversary.