Wedding Anniversary Party Planning

Anniversary party planning can get complicated, especially if you're hosting a big to-do for a large gathering of people. Whether you're celebrating your own tenth anniversary or your grandparents' fiftieth, having a good plan is key. There are lots of things that go into a good plan for an anniversary party. Here are just a few that you should start thinking about as early as possible.

The venue

This is probably the most important piece of your planning, since it will determine everything else. The type of venue you get will depend on your needs and budget. You could host a small garden party at your home or a family member's home. A larger party probably requires a bigger venue such as a hotel ballroom or function room. To get the best deal, check out venues early, and look at unexpected options, such as local pubs, restaurants and even historic homes, which can be affordable outside the wedding season.

The catering

Catering is an important part of anniversary party planning. Because people socialise over food, most good parties start out with good food. Whether you serve an entire sit-down meal or just a simple buffet in the afternoon, you need to think about who's going to cater the party. For a smaller gathering, you might consider self-catering, which is easy if you have a good plan and some help. A larger party might require an outside caterer. Again, start looking early, and get quotes from several options before you make a decision.

The drinks

Drinks are definitely a fun addition to anniversary parties. If nothing else, you'll probably want to have champagne around for the toasts. Your venue will help determine what you're going to do about drinks. Be sure to check the costs for the venue to provide the drinks as compared with corkage costs if you bring your own drinks in.

The invitations

Thinking about invitations should be a priority when it comes to your anniversary party planning. People are busy, and even people who really want to be at your party will find it difficult to attend if they aren't invited more than a couple weeks before. Send out invitations at least a month before the party for a great turnout.

The decor

Your wedding anniversary décor will partially be determined by your venue. Once you have the venue planned, start thinking about and gathering up decorations right away. Some great ideas are to decorate using pictures of the happy couple or to create a themed party that comes from the era in which the couple met or were married.

Other considers with anniversary party planning

Wedding anniversary party planning is nearly as complicated as wedding planning these days! If you're going to get lots of people together to celebrate a marriage, you need to think about lots of little details. Here are just a few of the questions to consider as you're planning the party:

• What kind of budget do you have? Who is going to be pitching in for the party?
• How many people are you going to invite? Are you going to try to get old, old friends of the couple or just invite people they're currently in touch with?
• How long do you need to plan the event? Will you have help planning so you can delegate some of the parts of the process?
• Can you get hold of some wedding memorabilia and pictures from the couple? These make great springboards for ideas and can help you decorate, too!
• Do you need help setting up for and cleaning up after the party? Who will you ask?
• Is this an adults-only party? If not, will you be providing childcare or somewhere for the kids to party?
• What sort of feel should the party have? Should it be more of an open house, a surprise party or a garden party? It could even be reminiscent of the couple's wedding reception!

This is by no means a complete list of all the things to consider with anniversary party planning. It will certainly get you started though.