High School Reunion

I graduated in 1969 from FORT HUNT HIGH SCHOOL. Our school colors were green and white.  When it came time for our 50th reunion last summer, we were very fortunate to get to use a ballroom at the Fort Belvoir Officer's Club.  The room overlooks the Potomac River and was gorgeous undecorated.  I actually had my wedding reception at this club
47 years ago.  Since the room was so large, I felt that balloon poles would add an extra pop.  I, however had never done twisted long balloons around a pole, so practice was needed.

 I used mops and brooms to practice on until I had pulled my balloon poles from
my party storage shed.  I Googled a video on how to do this.  It is actually ingenious.
I bought 260 long balloons and 160 long balloons on Amazon.  You slip the smaller long balloon inside of the larger long balloon and knot them together at the tips.  Holding
the necks together (very important), you slip the nozzle of your air pressure machine between the two lips.  As the balloons inflate, they CURL.

You can see that my bases for the poles are pvc plumbing fixtures filled with cement.
The poles are pvc pipes.  Getting the connects to the bases takes time to choose them, but is worth it for portability.  I  wrapped the swirls at home, then carefully wrapped each pole in opened trash bags taped together as the party was 45 minutes away.  I wasn't sure it this would work, but it DID!!!

During setup at the club, I had my air compressor with me.  I blew up the smaller green and white balloons and tied them together in groups of four.  You simply twist them around the pole.

The HUGE white balloons were actually attached by sending a weighted object on fishing wire down the middle of the hollow pvc pipe and wrapping the fishing wire around the pole at the bottom. 

Here is the fourth pole behind the photo op. I bought blackboard signs on Amazon and glued them to wooden dowels I bought at Michael's.  Pinterest had tons of reunion sayings. I also bought the colored blackboard markers on Amazon.  I filled the tall plastic container with bricks to give needed weight.  On top of them, inside the container, is a box filled with small rocks to stick the dowels into.  This worked like a charm!!!

I  wanted a photo op background that represented 1960's.  I designed these in PhotoShop 
to print out at 36" wide by 72" high.  I sent them to the printer I use for the office parties to do. The drive-in represents one that we actually used to go to by our high school. I added the classic cars. Can you find the girl handing popcorn to her friend in the car trunk.  That was a special committee member's request.

This spot was a very popular place to be.  I think the signs added to the attraction.

To tie into the classic car idea, I ordered plain white album covers from Ebay.  I made one for each table with classic songs from 1969.  I searched online for ideas.

My sister-in-law Lois and I, with help from our two daughters, made the centerpieces--in green and white flowers, of course.  I bought wooden triangles at JoAnn Fabrics and
shorter dowels.  We glued the dowels onto the  triangles and sprayed them white.
I PhotoShopped triangles with our high school logos that side fifty years on them.  We tied on green ribbons.  Each pole had a table number on it.  The committee had special favor bags and lists of the names of the graduates.

                                                      

Most reunions have a memorial table for classmates that have passed.  I chose small
5" x 7" silver frames and PhotoShopped their graduation photos and names.

I used my manzanita trees as a background.  Candles and small flower vases helped set the scene.  Classmates said it was very easy to find their friends displayed this way.

We also had a table of memorabilia.  My sister-in-law Lois spent many hours configuring
the display.  The committee had the collection.  I had the easels in my party supplies.
I think it turned out pretty nice.

We also had six high-top tables.  I used acrylic frames from Amazon to create fake Time magazine covers with iconic images from the sixties.  The classic cardboard cars held
flashing glow rings, a small centerpiece, and jars full of vintage candy.


                                                   

Where did I get vintage candy?  Amazon, where else?

This band "The RoadDucks" has been around since 1976.  They play many of our reunions.  Not only are they a "danceable" band, they play nostalgic music which really set the scene.

Lois is in green, the second from left.  I am in the middle.  Wow!! FIFTY years.

                                                          Now and Then

                                                     The Buffet Area

                       This is only the right half of the photo.  We had a big turnout.

I am closing with the final photo above.  We had a dinner party at our friends' house
Kathy and John Harris.  John was in a class a few years before ours.  Theirs was one of those romatic stories of the girl next door comes home from college.  Tesa in the middle, was my very first friend I met in eighth grade when we moved to Virginia.  I met Nancy (far left) in eighth grade also.  I didn't actually know Lois in high school.  My hubby and I met her at a reunion at Tesa's house over 39 years ago.  We loved her on the spot and
knew we wanted her in our family.  She obliged by marrying Buzz's brother Chip.
If you follow my blog, you have seen them in my party photos as great helpers.