Creative Anniversary Party Ideas

Anniversary party ideas should stem from something or someplace special to the couple, such as an event they especially enjoyed during their first year together as man and wife. Reminiscing about happy times is a great way to start off another year in your marriage.

Regardless of how many years of marriage you'll be celebrating, organize your anniversary party around a special event. That could be a Halloween party you attended together as a couple, or it could be the site of your first date or the spot where you first declared your love. Would that be the drive-in, the local putt-putt or the dance held in the high school gymnasium?

If you're holding a surprise anniversary party, find a special event in the couple's life that's important, then use it to arrange the party. Even if the anniversary party is being put together by the lovebirds themselves, it's always fun to step back in time.

Drive-in Theme
Set the stage by finding out what year the couple was married and what movies were playing at the time. From there you can find someone in the family who owns a yard big enough for a movie to be projected against the house or garage. Make sure there's room for everyone's car. If the movie was Play Misty for Me, then make sure you get your hands on the original movie. Set up enough speakers so that everyone can hear the movie with their car windows open. The refreshment stand should be as authentic to the period as possible. Serve hotdogs, popcorn, soda and old-fashioned candy.

While this will take a little bit of planning on your part, the end result will be fantastic and everyone will love it. After the movie, continue by flashing snapshots of the happy couple onto the screen. Then move everyone into the garage where music from the year they were married will be playing to entice everyone onto the dance floor.

Putt-Putt Theme
If the first date was at a miniature golf course, check to see if it's still in business. If it is, chances are you can rent the course for a couple of hours. Sometimes they even let you bring your own refreshments.

If you can't find a course to rent, you can always recreate the fun in your own backyard. A few strategically placed 2 x 4s and some plastic cups will turn a lawn into a mini-golf course. Set up photos of the happy couple at each of the different holes. Each photo should represent each different time in their marriage.

Happy Memories
If the party is going to be inside or at a restaurant, simplicity is your best bet. Place bouquets of flowers identical to the ones that appeared in her bouquet and his corsage on their wedding day or at the prom. Display an original wedding invitation and several wedding photos of the happy couple.

Ask everyone in attendance to bring along some favorite stories and photos. Have the guests write a few stories down and then present the happy couple with a keepsake book of memories. Bring along old yearbooks, scrapbooks and other memorabilia. Everyone loves a trip back in time, but nobody loves it better than the couple themselves.

Entertainment and Food
Before the event, interview members of the family who cannot be there in person and get their take on the happy couple. Ask for snapshots that can be displayed on tables. Break out an old record player or fill an MP3 player with period music and dance the night away.

As far as food goes, it's always good to use foods that were popular at the time of the marriage. Potluck is perfect, because then everyone gets to sample all of the family favorites.