Infinite Ideas - Party Ideas: How to Plan the Perfect Party

Party ideas

How to plan the perfect party

Infinite Ideas with Lizzie OPrey

Previously published in paperback as Perfect parties

7. Lifelong love affair

Anniversaries should be a cause for great celebration.

Lets be brutally frank about this. These days, the longer a couple stays together, the more miraculous it seems. And you dont have to be married to celebrate it!

I am delighted when I hear of people who have stayed married for five, ten or twenty years. I make every effort to send cards to friends and family members on their anniversaries because I truly believe people should be lauded and applauded for making a marriage work. I know there are plenty of couples who dont feel the need to formalise their relationship with a marriage certificate. If thats you please dont just turn the page theres no reason why you cant celebrate exactly the same milestones even if you arent wearing a wedding ring. And anyone can end up having to organise an anniversary party for someone else.

Now, in the early years of the relationship, gifts can be pretty easily (and inexpensively) given. Its only when you have put in a good few years service that the traditional themes get more and more expensive, as you will see from the following list.

1st: paper

2nd: cotton

3rd: leather

4th: fruit and flower; linen

5th: wood

6th: sugar and sweets; iron

7th: wool; copper

8th: bronze and rubber (yes, really)

9th: pottery and willow

10th: tin; aluminium

11th: steel

12th: silk and fine linen

13th: lace

14th: ivory

15th: crystal, and then

20th: china

25th: silver

30th: pearls; ivory

35th: coral; jade

40th: rubies

45th: sapphires

50th: gold

55th: emeralds

60th: diamonds

In the early years, an anniversary is very much an occasion on which gifts are given between the couple. After all, everyone who came to your wedding gave you a gift on that day, so it would be more than greedy to expect something every year after that.

Do put in the effort with your partner to mark the occasion. I would make a point of putting the date on the kitchen calendar. That way you wont have that stomach-churning feeling when you produce a card and gift on the day and your other half has completely forgotten. They then have to run out to the shops at the last minute, which always takes the gloss off any subsequent declarations of love. Especially if all thats open is the local petrol station.

Family affairs

Its really only when you start to get to the big numbers that its appropriate to go to town with friends or family by inviting people to an event. From a twentieth anniversary onwards, there is a strong possibility that it will fall to the couples children to arrange a party.

While you may want to plan it as a surprise, there is a case for making the couple aware that something is being planned. One reason for this is that you can then arrange for a special gift by asking guests to donate money in advance. You could use this to pay for a weekend away or a particular piece of furniture. If you know that your parents have had the same set of china for years, supplemented by mismatched bits and pieces acquired over time, it could be appropriate to buy them a complete set for their twentieth china anniversary. While frivolous gifts are a delight, sometimes the better option is practical rather than pretty, something that the recipients need and will use. And if youre going to approach guests for money then you must speak to them by telephone or in person. Make sure that you explain to them why you are hosting the event and your reasoning for the gift idea. It is unthinkable to send out a postal invitation with a request for money.

At the party, try some of these ideas. Buy a large card, big enough for everyone who is attending the event to sign. That way your parents will have record of everyone who has contributed to the gift. Now, place a camera beside the card and take a picture of everyone as they sign, so that there will be a visual record of those who attended the party. As anyone who has hosted any kind of event will testify, the hours can fly by; its a great idea to have photos that you can refer to the next day. The recipients will want to send out thank-you letters, and this is one way of making sure that everyone who contributed to the gift receives a note. Do wait until everyone has arrived and had time to chat before presenting the gift; if you are having a sit-down dinner or buffet then wait until coffee has been served before making the presentation.

How did it go?

QI forgot our last anniversary so I want to make this one something special. Itll be our fifth, which according to you is marked by wood. This doesnt seem very romantic, any ideas?

AYoure right. In all honesty, you need to think laterally: consider a weekend away to a particularly beautiful part of the country where you can walk in a forest. Or why not take a cruise or go out on a wooden boat for a day?

QSounds lovely, but I am working to a budget here What else can you suggest?

AIll bet if you search local restaurants, you can find somewhere that has a wood-panelled dining room, or an open log fire. Alternatively cook something at home and serve up an oaky Chardonnay.

Heres an idea for you

Tradition says that the top layer of a wedding cake is kept to be eaten on the first anniversary. While you will have thanked all of your ushers, bridesmaids, parents, whoever on the day of your marriage, why not send them a thank-you note a year on? Its a lovely gesture to send a piece of cake you can buy cake boxes to send through the post with the note.

Defining idea

What ought to be done to the man who invented the celebrating of anniversaries? Mere killing would be too light.

Mark Twain

8. The cocktail-hour kit

When you want to serve up stylish drinks, the right cocktail makes the ultimate place to start. But you do need some kit.

Everyone has a perfect cocktail story. Whether it was the location, the company, the drink, or the dreamy barman

That was the moment when everything came together and you sipped your favourite tipple and longed for it to last all night. I was in New York, taking a trip with a girlfriend. We looked in the guide books for cool places to drink and ended up in one. The lighting was dark and the tables were pretty full, but we found a corner and sat down and ordered. I had a Vodka Martini, and I cant remember a more sublime first sip.

Its important to hold on to that feeling when you decide to start mixing drinks for yourself. Because the person that served your perfect drink is no different from you except they had the equipment to do the job properly. They also used the best ingredients. Now, any barman worth his salt should be able to make a mix of cocktails. While bar staff might have learnt all the right techniques, as much as anything its those right ingredients and having the right equipment that mean they can deliver what you want. So, if you can fulfil those two criteria then you too can deliver the same result in the comfort of your own home.

Lets look at the essential tools here.

You wouldnt expect to be able to make a delicious dinner without having sharp knives, mixing bowls, easy-to-use peelers and versatile dishes to help you prepare the food properly. So dont think you can mix up designer drinks without the requisite tools of the trade. Theres a pretty long list of what you could buy, but for starters lets consider the basic things.

Cocktail shaker . This has two purposes. Firstly, it allows you to mix the ingredients; secondly, with the addition of ice, it allows you to chill the drink. There are two different types. The first is made up of three metal components: tumbler, strainer and lid. The second has just two parts, a metal tumbler and glass tumbler. If you opt for the latter you will also need a strainer. Many professionals believe it is better to use a two-part shaker with a separate strainer, as it is quicker to pour the drink.