My husband's grandparents just celebrated their golden anniversary, a very special event in the life of any couple. My mother-in-law took very special care in planning a celebration party for her parents.

The event was to be as a surprise. She secretly got together a list of names and addresses of the people closest to the couple and mailed out beautiful invitations designed by myself and my husband's sister. The bottom of the invitations requested that in lieu of gifts, a donation would be made towards a surprise trip for the couple to Hawaii, a place that Grandma had wanted to go to for many, many years.

On the night of the celebration, my husband and I picked up his grandparents in our car. They thought we were just taking them out to dinner. Rather, we drove them to a random spot and stopped the car and asked them to put on blindfolds.

With them unable to see, we drove them to the place of the party by a round about route. When we got to the party, they took the blindfolds off together and everyone shouted surprise.

There were refreshments and cake available and everyone sat and chatted for a while. Many people got up and shared heart-felt stories about the couple. My mother-in-law relayed happy memories from her childhood and growing up and how her parents have blessed her into her adulthood.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law played a picture slide show of the couples lives from when they met up to today and the great grandchildren they have now. A moving piece about the loss of their son was included in the mix.

My husband stood up and told what an inspiration his grandparents are for living together faithfully for 50 years. He expressed his desire to do the same with our marriage.

Then, at the end of the night, a slide show played about them getting on a plane and enjoying a trip to Hawaii. My grandmother at first thought it was a joke, and that we had planned a luau party for them. She was overcome when she realized she was really going. What better way to have a 50th anniversary party than family, friends and a dream come true?