In planning for anniversaries there are many and unique ways in which they may be carried out. Everything that accompanies the anniversary being celebrated should be used. Always use a decided color and try to carry out the color scheme in the refreshments, the decorations, and the costumes. There are many suitable suggestions in the book from which to choose, in the way of both decoration and entertainment, besides the following.

First Anniversary—Cotton Wedding

The invitations for the cotton wedding may be written in ink on well-starched cotton cloth. Cut the pieces to fit regular-sized envelopes. You may request the guests to wear cotton costumes, if you wish, to add to the effect. Decorate the rooms with cheese-cloth of several colors gracefully festooned about the walls, and with the Southern cotton-balls if you can get them. The married couple may stand under a canopy made of wire covered with cotton wadding to represent snow, and wear cotton costumes, and the wife may carry a bouquet of cotton flowers. Artificial flowers made of cotton may be used, too, for decoration. Cover the refreshment table with cheese-cloth, and have place-cards written on prettily decorated pieces of starched muslin. You could have a Spider Hunt for an appropriate entertainment. For this, as you probably know, you provide balls of cotton twine, and wind the twine all over the house. The guests have to untangle their respective balls, and wind them up until they come to the end of the string, where a gift is discovered. The gifts should be pretty conceits made of cotton—shoe-bags or work bags of pretty cretonne for the women, and picture frames of cretonne for the men, etc.

Second Anniversary—Paper Wedding

The second year is celebrated as a paper wedding. There are many ways a house can be decorated with paper. Pretty colored paper shades can be made for all the gas jets (or lamp chimneys), flower-pots can be trimmed with fancy crepe paper, butterflies can be made from stiff colored paper, doilies can be designed from fancy paper, and paper napkins can be used in many ways. Whatever is used for refreshments paper napkins can be placed on each dish under the food; tumblers can be wrapped around with paper and tied with a dainty little ribbon. Plenty of paper flowers can be used for decoration. The tablecloth may be of paper, edged with paper lace, the centrepiece of paper roses, the candle-shades composed of their petals, while the ices may be served in boxes held in the hearts of paper roses. For entertainment, large mottoes containing paper caps may be distributed. These should be put on, and with their assumption a character impersonated by each wearer appropriate to the headgear. The guesses are recorded in paper booklets and the person most successful may receive a prize—a book or any paper trifle.

Fourth Anniversary—Leather Wedding

The fourth year is observed as a leather wedding. Invitations sent out for this anniversary can have a small piece of leather enclosed in envelope. A unique idea is to have a leather saddle hung in the centre of the room, with a leather whip and riding gloves. As souvenirs small pieces of leather with the date of the wedding, also the date of the anniversary, stamped or written upon them, and tied with white baby ribbon, may be distributed. Small leather calendars can be made, also heart-shaped leather pen-wipers with small paintings on them. Appropriate presents for the married couple would be leather purses, hand-bags, shoes, satchels, pocketbooks, lunch boxes, traveling cases, etc., and do not forget a leather smoking case for the host.

A burnt-leather box or basket filled with yellow flowers or growing ferns would not be ill-adapted for a centrepiece for the refreshment table, and leatherette receptacles, if made in sections tied together with ribbons matching the flowers, would be pretty for the bonbons, cakes and salted nuts.

The place-cards may be of leather with the names in heavy gilt lettering.

A game or contest is usually enjoyed, and the award of a trifling prize to the victor makes a pleasant climax to the evening's fun. In this case the article should, of course, be of leather.

Fifth Anniversary—Wooden Wedding

A description is given of an actual wooden wedding anniversary celebrated recently. The invitations were printed on paper that looked like wood. In fact it looked so much like it that it could hardly be told from wood. For decorations as much real wood was utilized as possible. In one large archway were hung twelve wooden plates, each with a painting on, and joined with white ribbon. Twelve young ladies served on the reception committee and the twelve plates were given them as souvenirs before they departed. In another archway there was a toothpick curtain which attracted much attention. This was made on silk cord with the toothpicks tied about two inches apart, crossways, with a small loop in the cord. They were draped back and tied with a bunch of silk cord. In the small doorways were clothes-pin curtains. A large wire bell, covered with shavings and goldenrod, hung from a canopy of the same, under which the bride and groom stood to receive their guests.

A large wooden flower-stand was placed in the reception hall and it was banked with goldenrod and cut flowers, with a large palm on top shelf. Several wooden bowls and baskets of goldenrod and cut flowers were scattered about the house. On the mantels, stands, table, sideboard, and piano, were large palms and goldenrod. All the chairs had been moved out of the house, except in the dining-room, where they were arranged around the wall. In the centre of the room was the polished table, with neat doilies, and for a centrepiece was a large yellow cake with the figure "5" in wood. This cake stood on a high cake-stand and around the edge of the stand were a row of clothes-pins, the kind with a spring, and a row of toothpicks sticking all around the edge of the cake. On two corners of the table were little wooden shoes filled with cut flowers, and on the two diagonally opposite corners were large apples stuck full of toothpicks. The guests were seated in the dining-room for refreshments and as soon as it was filled, the reception committee closed it with a large rope of goldenrod across the doorway. For refreshments ice cream and cake were served on wooden plates with wooden spoons. The ice cream was made to look like wood, the caterer using a mixture of vanilla, chocolate, bisque and lemon flavors. The different kinds of cake were also made to look like different kinds of wood, such as walnut, oak, cherry, and so forth. The souvenirs were large wooden butter moulds on which were printed the year of marriage and the year of celebration. An orchestra of eight pieces played all through the evening, under a canopy of white cloth on the porch, the porch being carpeted and curtained like a room.

Seventh Anniversary—Woolen Wedding

The woolen wedding comes with the seventh anniversary. The material is not effective, but the invitations may be worked in crewels on perforated Bristol-board.

The "cobweb party" might be revived, using colored yarns instead of cords, and placing a "fortune" as well as a favor at the end of each. Some unfortunate swain might, perhaps, find a huge worsted mitten, guided in his choice of yarn by one in the secret to insure its selection by a man.

On the refreshment table a large wedding-cake crowned by a "Bo-peep" doll with her flock of toy sheep would suggest the "woolly" idea.

Tenth Anniversary—Tin Wedding

These wedding invitations can be written or printed, and sent out ten days beforehand, either enclosing a piece of tin, or wrapped in tin foil.

The bride and groom should receive their guests, the bride carrying her bouquet in a tin funnel. The groom can wear a small tin horn in his buttonhole with a small bouquet. The author intends to celebrate her tin wedding this fall, and this is what she intends to have.

For refreshments, will serve coffee in tin cups, with tin spoons, and dainty sandwiches on tin plates; will pass water in a tin pail, using a tin dipper. All refreshments will be passed in tin pans, the waiters will use tin coffee pots to refill the coffee cups. For a centrepiece for the table, will use a large tin cake pan, with an opening in the centre, in which a small fish horn can be placed, the cake pan and fish horn both being filled with flowers. Shall decorate the rooms with tin as far as possible. In one archway shall use tin plates tied together with ribbon, a small hole being punched in the plates for the purpose. This will form a curtain for one archway. In another archway shall use tin cups for the same purpose. Tin candlesticks can be used, if one is fortunate enough to have them. Wire toasters tied with ribbon can be hung on the walls to hold photographs. Small tin spoons tied with ribbons can be given as souvenirs, being passed around by the waiters, in a tin dust pan.

Potted plants can be set in tin pails, and tin cans can be used for bouquets. A tin wash basin can be passed for a finger bowl. Tin foil can also be used with which to decorate.

Twelfth Anniversary—Linen Wedding

The invitations are written on squares of linen in indelible ink, and the name cards are also of linen. Linen is used freely about the rooms, linen lace working into decorative schemes most effectively. The flax flower is, of course, conspicuous whenever it can be obtained. The artificial flower may be used in many places, as well as the natural blossoms. The centrepiece, doilies, etc., used on the table should be embroidered with flax flowers in natural colors.

While the guests are at supper an old-fashioned spinning wheel should be brought into the parlors in readiness for a spinning contest, which may be conducted as described in the entertainment, "A Spinning Party."

Fifteenth Anniversary—Crystal Wedding

The invitations may be decorated with drawings of small hand-mirrors, tumblers, etc., and for the ornamentation of the house every conceivable kind of glass vessel and mirror may be used. In the table decorations cut or pressed glass should be prominent. In the centre of the table a small mirror might be placed, with a large glass bowl upon it filled with flowers. Red carnations with red candle-shades make a very effective color scheme for the crystal background. Little cakes with red icing, red bonbons, and red place cards may also be used. The refreshments should be served on glass dishes, the waiters using glass trays if possible. Tiny glass bottles each containing a red carnation and a sprig of smilax make very appropriate souvenirs. Should the bride desire an appropriate gown for the occasion, it may be trimmed with quantities of glass beads or the glass drops from a chandelier. Those who assist in receiving might also be similarly garbed.

Twentieth Anniversary—China Wedding

A good idea for a china wedding would be to have a course dinner and display all one's china. Use china wherever it can be used instead of silver, glass, or other dishes. Have plants and flowers displayed in china. A unique idea would be to give each guest a tiny china cup and saucer as a souvenir.

Any of the parlor entertainments or contests described in this volume may be used to pass the time pleasantly either before or after the dinner.

Twenty-Fifth Anniversary—Silver Wedding

The invitations to a silver wedding should be headed by the two eventful dates printed in silver.

For the decorations, use any flowers which may be in season, surrounding the mirrors and pictures as far as possible with a framework of green spangled with silver. Cover all the lamps and gas shades with white crepe paper flecked here and there with silver, and suspend balls covered with silver paper from the chandeliers.

Let the daughters in the family, and the granddaughters if there be any, wear gowns of simplest white, with draperies of silver tinsel. If there happen to be any grandchildren it would be well to have them distribute the favors, which may be bouquets of flowers tied with white ribbons.

The refreshments should be served shortly after the guests arrive. A suitable way to announce that supper is served will be to have the wedding march played, when the bride and groom of the evening may be requested to lead the way to the dining-room.

The supper-table should be lighted with white candles in silver candelabra, and the snowy tablecloth be crossed diagonally with white satin ribbon edged with silver. Upon a pretty centrepiece of silver-spangled tulle may be placed a silver or glass bowl containing twenty-five white roses. Dishes of white cakes and candies, and old-fashioned mottoes covered with silver paper may be scattered plentifully about the table. The large cake should be decorated in white and silver, and placed upon a silver dish in front of the bride of twenty-five years ago, who alone should be permitted to cut it.

There is no limit to the presents which may be sent in honor of a silver wedding, but no guest need be deterred from appearing because of her inability to send a present; her good wishes will please the host and hostess quite as well as an elaborate gift.

Pretty souvenirs of a silver wedding are bookmarks of white satin ribbon, upon each one of which is printed in silver the name of the guest and the dates of the anniversary he or she has been helping to celebrate.

Fiftieth Anniversary—Golden Wedding

Invitations to a golden wedding should be written or printed on golden hued cards. Let the bride wear a dress of golden hue, or, if she dislikes such bright colors, let her use plenty of yellow flowers in her hair and on her dress. The groom should also wear yellow flowers. Two armchairs decorated with straw might be used for the seats of honor. Have the home decorated with goldenrod if in season, if not, any yellow flower can be used; if the season for sunflowers, they are very pretty for decoration. Let those who help serve wear yellow dresses or plenty of yellow flowers. A large yellow cake could be used for a centrepiece, banked with yellow flowers; use brass candlesticks with yellow candles. Plenty of flowers or yellow paper should be used for the gas jets, lamp shades and picture frames. Refreshments might consist of yellow cake, lemonade, and yellow candy. Pretty souvenirs would be a yellow carnation for each guest.