Whether it is your 1st, or 10th wedding anniversary, it is worth celebrating, and what better way to plan a celebration than with an anniversary party checklist?

The most successful anniversary parties start with an idea – how the event will begin, continue and end. Having a finite and concrete party checklist to plan in helps you to keep your wedding anniversary party right on track.

1. The best thing to do when creating any party is to develop a theme. By creating a theme you can set the mood, location, food ideas and attire as well as invitations. A theme doesn’t need to be fancy; it just needs to be something both you and your spouse / friends are interested in. Some ideas of themes that can be very fun are:

Decade parties – Fabulous 50’s, Swingin’ 60’s, Disco 70’s.

Famous Movie Themes – pick a movie you love and create your theme around it.

High school / Sock Hop

Pool Party

Pig Roast

Western Theme.

2. At this stage you have probably found your theme. Now it is time to create a guest list for your event. ‘Theming’ your invitations allows you to start the party them off right. Start your invites about three weeks before the event. Ask your guests to be creative and come with the appropriate attire if possible, and encourage them to be creative and have fun. Focus on people you correspond with often, and known people who are fun ‘party people’ (we all know who they are!) I find homemade (DIY) invitations are always more fun than store bought ones; however both do the trick

3. Create your menu. Search for serving dishes which correspond to your anniversary party theme. Finger foods are always a hit as they are light, easy to prepare and are a quick clean-up. If you wish for a larger event, organize your food preparation help, or even contact a caterer. Create your grocery list about three weeks before the event.

4. Party decorations are important. They help establish the mood and ambience. Again, we go back to the party theme for ideas here. Lighting is also very important. Search for lighting ideas that correspond to the theme i.e. 70’s themed parties should have at least one disco ball to be sure!

5. Games, games and fun stuff! Always plan for creative anniversary party games. Spin the bottle, famous dances and Twister are always a blast. If games are not your thing, consider live entertaintment –A D.J., live band, comedian all have worked very well in the past.

6. Beverages are an important part of the party. Decide (based on your personal preferences and location) whether there will be an open bar, BYOB, or virgin refreshments. Inform guests in their invites as to whether to plan to drive or take a cab. Cab services that drive your vehicle home for you (with you in it of course!) are a great alternative and allow you to make ‘on the spot’ decisions regarding transportation.

6. Most of all, sit back and have fun. Not everything will always go your way, but if you have followed your anniversary party checklist, your event should be very rewarding.

Three to four weeks before event:

Choose your theme
Prepare Grocery List
coordinate cleaning / after-party helpers
Select Caterer (if applicable)
Collect food preparation items, serving plates and utensils
Develop your guest list
Create or purchase your party invitations
Plan and purchase or create your decorations.

A couple of days before the event:

Contact any follow-ups for guests.
Begin preparing any food that needs to be done.
Run over your checklist again to ensure everything is in place
Set out your costume or attire

The morning of the party

Relax
Begin preparing food
Run over your checklist one last time
Sit back, have fun and enjoy your creation~!

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planner. The above article is found in our wedding anniversaries category.

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