Planning a surprise keeps the guests in equal anticipation and sets a mood even before the party begins. Here are a few important tips to help you plan an unforgettable anniversary party for your parents this year!
“A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.”
― Paul Sweeney
Coming up with gift ideas year after year seems difficult. This year, gift your parents a surprise anniversary party with the closest of friends and family members. Planning a party seems easy, but to plan one in complete secrecy, to keep it a surprise, is a tough challenge to accomplish. It involves taking care of a lot of tiny details, keeping your lips sealed, and delivering the final surprise with a punch. With so many things to plan, behind their backs, the effort required can be humungous.
Before you get all worked up with this task, here are some tips for throwing an anniversary party for your parents. This way your planning can be smooth and efficient, keeping the anxiety at bay.
Ssshhhh … It’s a secret
Keeping a secret is the crux of making this party a great surprise. To make this party a true success, make sure all your allies too understand the importance of keeping this affair under the wraps. Nobody really wants an accidental lapse to ruin the surprise you have planned all along. So, if you think there are certain loose cannons amongst the guests you intend to invite, then send those invitations at the last moment.
That’s the plan
Every party requires planning. However, a surprise party requires planning to the last intricate detail and minute. Everything, right from the number of people, the venue, the decor, food, to how will your parents actually get to the party, will have to be planned impeccably. Work out this plan when your parents are away, or when you are out of the house. With the various modes of communication that allow groups to chat together, use them for the optimum results to make this party a success. Keep the transactions of this plan on a mail, which can be sent to all those who are helping you out. This way everybody has a copy of the plan and everyone remains informed at the same time.
What’s the theme?
Every anniversary comes with a theme. For instance, the theme for the first anniversary is paper, second year is marked by cotton, as popularly known, the 25th is celebrated by silver, and so on and so forth. So, have a thematic approach corresponding to the year of marriage anniversary of your parents for the party. However, if you decide to pick an unconventional theme, then planning will get much more focused and directional in nature. A theme is essential for a party to come alive, set the mood, and to add an interesting flavor to party.
Invitation goes to …
The next thing you need to do is send out invites, and inform people that there is a party, but discreetly. While sending out theses invites, remember to inform them about the surprise bit. This means they have to share your secret too. However, make sure that you mention the arrival time for guests at least an hour earlier to the time your parents are likely to arrive. For instance, if your parents are expected to arrive at 8:30 p.m., then request your guests to come at 7:30 p.m. This will save last-minute spoilers such as bumping into guests outside the house.
Things to do
Getting your decorations, food, entertainment, and the gifts at the location without your parents finding out is the next most important thing. Manage your men, material, and money to execute the plan you have made so far. Delegate the work, have a follow-up, and pick a person who will chaperone your parents to the venue. The plan will seem more realistic if you get your parents to the venue. This way the room for suspicion will be eliminated.
The big reveal
The chaperone is going to play a big part in making this big reveal a success. This person will have to keep you totally informed with minute-by-minute update of when have they left for the venue, how far are your parents from the venue, and the actual moment’s notice when they are about to reach. Keep the venue dark, and remain in hiding till your parents enter. Once they do, switch on the lights, scream the traditional surprise, and let the celebrations begin.
The trick to hosting a surprise party is to make the prelude to it seem absolutely plausible. For instance, forgetting your parents’ anniversary is a little far-fetched and too cliched. So, come up with better excuses such as you have something planned just for the two of them, while the surprise ends up being an unforgettable gathering of beloved friends and family. Hope with these tips you will be able to plan a great surprise party.
