Months in the planning, our anniversary celebration took place a few weeks ago. Giving my husband the gift of friendship was a unique idea but (almost literally) took an army to execute: Planning, catering, flowers, landscaper, beer and wine, the custom made architectural cake, jazz band and Diversion #1, #2 and #3 took many people and a lot of coordination in order to pull it off without spoiling the surprise for him. The end result was absolutely fabulous and the look on my husband’s face when he came home that Friday night to find 65 of our closest family and friends there was just PRICELESS. Ok, I may have overshot it a bit, but it was well worth it- three weeks later, and he’s still in amazement ;)
Nod to the following who helped make this celebration truly a memorable one: My parents and sister Lisa for catering and set up, Ginger & Pickles Catering, Amazing Cakes by Joanne, Charles Fine Wine, D&J Lawn Care, nostalgiccandy.com, Conard HS Jazz Band, Beth Longo, Sandra Tierney and Jen Banks.
Party Planner extraordinaire maybe, but I’m not about to give up my day job. I will however, share some tips on how to kick up your next big party from fun to fabulous since holiday season will soon be upon us:
1. Hire a bartender – or have a guest volunteer to manage opening wine and beer bottles (or ladle punch, or pour coffee). Use wine glasses if you have them on hand. If not, you can rent them fairly inexpensively. There’s nothing worse than drinking good wine out of a plastic cup! Consult your local wine purveyor for ideas- they will know what and how much to buy to cater to the masses.
2. Use disposable plastic plates- they’re so much nicer than paper and they have some that have the look of china. You can reuse them a few times to really get your money’s worth. P.S. be sure to have a couple garbage bins around for easy disposal so that people do not have to go in search of…
3. Utilize both indoors and outdoors – to maximize space. If the weather doesn’t permit you to be outdoors, you can temporarily relocate or rearrange furniture to create more circulation space. One suggestion is to move the dining room table along an outside wall to create a buffet table. Remember to use elements of height on the table to create more interest.
4. Prepare as much as possible ahead of time- and be sure there is a good variety of selections and have one signature item that really stands out. Not enough time to do it all yourself? Hire a caterer or restaurant to supply the more complicated dishes.
5. Hire a local jazz band- they’re good, enthusiastic and highly affordable. Aside from the overwhelming number of people who attended my party, this was what really knocked my husband’s socks off!
