1950's BBQ- How it was put together

This is the placesetting... each guest was seated near a different photo centerpiece

This was the FIRST party that I recieved only one RSVP for and didn't call to verify the others were coming... But everyone showed up... Ladies in their aprons and with a salad or dessert in hand.
I began planning this party about 2 weeks ago. I got the invitations (condiment bottles with the invite written in permenant marker on them) delivered just a week before the party.
I wanted to make some textured green reversible placemats for the party so together with my Young Women on Wednesday night we got them sewn. I had 1950's Diner plates, pint jars for drinking, retro coasters, and white woven fabric tablecloths and matching napkins. For centerpieces I had lots of flowers, metal tin buckets with party favors in them (rolled up BBQ mitts tied with ribbon), some teen novels from the 50's (Bobbsey Twins) and framed photos of actors and actresses from the 50's.
The food was fantastic. Three couples brought salads (two potato and one oriental salad) and three couples brought dessert (cheesecake, pumpkin cake, rootbeer floats, and orange cream bundt cake). We made the hamburgers.
We put together 3 tables and lined them up in the living room. From the ceiling I hung clear Christmas lights (350 lights)zigzagging them across the cieling. Then I hung paper globes from the strands so that they hung over the tables. It all looked so nice. They coordinated nicely with the table decor.
For party favors I bought BBQ oven mitts that coordinated with the colors in the tablecloth and flowers. I rolled them up tightly and tied with a thick ribbon. They were placed in the tin buckets on the table and were part of the centerpieces.