An anniversary is a holiday that allows you to celebrate the beginning of a new decade in life. This is a new stage in life, which, as a rule, you want to meet with people who understand, support and go through life together or side by side. When celebrating an anniversary, many people want to say thank you, many people want to invite to the celebration. But who should really be invited and where should the party be held to make it truly worthwhile?
Celebrate anniversary at home
Every person associates home with something different - a place where everything is familiar, where most of life happens, or a place where you can simply relax. One way or another, every person associates a certain range of emotions with home. They are the right ones for successfully saying goodbye to the past decade and joyfully welcoming the new one.
Birthdays, and especially anniversaries, should be celebrated among the closest and dearest people
Celebrating a birthday at home is also beneficial in the sense that you don’t have to pay to be in your own apartment, like in a restaurant, you don’t have to be afraid that the establishment will close at 00.00 and you’ll have to go home, stopping the fun at an unfinished stage. Moreover, at home, a tired guest always has the opportunity to go to the next room to rest.
Decorating an apartment for an anniversary
You should prepare for the holiday thoroughly, because the anniversary is celebrated not for all the people who come to visit, but for the person whose birthday it is. This is his entering into a new phase in life, this is his holiday. Therefore, he has every right to throw the party he wants in his apartment. You can display photographs from the past decade and photographs of places you want to visit in prominent places, and attach photos of people you want to visit there with. Gifts from people who have served well over the past decade can be displayed in prominent places. If you want to organize a holiday in some exotic style or hold a costume party, your own apartment is perfect for this.
Dishes on the table
As with any holiday, when celebrating an anniversary in your own apartment, the question arises: what to feed the guests? At home, you can prepare all the dishes that you want to see on the holiday table, or order them from your favorite restaurant and not waste your time preparing a holiday dinner. The menu should be compiled based on the personal preferences of the birthday boy and the guests who will be at the celebration. It’s easy to do this at home – you can prepare dishes to suit everyone’s taste. But it is not possible to gather people in a restaurant where everyone will be served exactly the dish that he loves. Moreover, at home, you will be able to make the required volume of each culinary masterpiece for serving and decorate it in accordance with your personal vision.
Preparing a festive table is an opportunity for a hostess to express herself. Well, a good way to save money.
Stages of celebrating a round date
Official part
The beginning of the celebration in honor of the anniversary is the opening speech of the host or toastmaster.
Guests should be imbued with the solemnity of the event, so you need to prepare a special speech with an emphasis on the achievements of the hero of the day, his potential and, of course, emphasize the importance and respectability of the round date.
Introductory words can be in poetic form.
A real surprise for the hero of the occasion will be a slide show about his significant moments in life - a bright childhood, graduation from school and university, the beginning of working life, starting a family, the birth of children...
An addition to the slide show can be a video recording of congratulations from old friends and acquaintances - for example, classmates or classmates.
Congratulatory part with presentation of gifts
Usually, congratulatory words are said during toasts at the festive table, but presenting gifts is a separate part of the holiday.
Presents can be presented after the official part or at the very beginning of the holiday. However, it is more interesting to play up the unusual presentation of gifts - this can become part of the entertainment program.
We offer you several original and fun options for celebrating anniversary celebrations:
A gift for “the very best”
This is a great idea for giving a present during a woman’s 50th birthday (maybe a different age).
Pack the gift in several boxes according to the matryoshka principle, attach a note to each of them - “The tallest”, “The red-haired”, “The thinnest”, “The blue-eyed”, etc.
Descriptions should not relate to a person’s personal qualities (for example, if it is written “The smartest” or “The most beautiful”, everyone will want to take this box for themselves).
According to the scenario, a postman enters the room and says that a parcel has arrived at his department, and it says “Give to the highest.” The guests find the tallest one, he unwraps the box, and there is another package with the inscription “Give to the snub-nosed one,” etc.
So the guests unwrap the gift, and on the last box there is an inscription: “Give to the one for whom we are here.” The birthday girl opens the box, and there is a decoration or other valuable gift with a card “To the most beloved woman on earth.”
Arrival of the courier with documents
This congratulation is a continuation of the official part of the script and an excellent present for a man of any age during his anniversary.
Immediately after the solemn speech of the host, a serious man in a suit and with a diplomat comes to the guests and the birthday boy, introduces himself as an employee of a reputable company and says that he has important business with Mr. Birthday Man (the surname, name and patronymic of the hero of the day are given).
He takes out a stack of papers and asks to sign all these contracts. Each document is a contract for the delivery of an annual supply of health, happiness, financial well-being, love, luck, etc.
At the end of each text you must put a signature in the “I have no claims” column. Then these documents are solemnly presented along with the diplomat (there may be other gifts inside).
Festive banquet
Preparing a banquet for an anniversary means setting the table correctly, serving dishes in several stages and thinking through table entertainment.
In the culture of organizing anniversaries, there are several types of banquets, depending on the scope of the event and its focus:
Banquets with full or partial service
The first type of banquets are used at the highest level and require compliance with certain rules of etiquette. Dishes are offered to guests one by one. Such banquets are organized at official events, for example, corporate anniversaries of large companies.
At partially catered banquets during an anniversary in a cafe or restaurant, dishes are placed in advance, and waiters serve only hot dishes and desserts in portions. Guests serve themselves - serve food, pour drinks.
Banquet buffet
Its distinctive feature is the absence of chairs at the festive table. Dishes at the buffet are served in small portions so that you can pick up the plate and eat without the help of a knife.
Buffets have two advantages: firstly, this banquet option is more economical compared to a standard feast. Secondly, those present have more opportunities to communicate with each other, moving freely around the hall.
A buffet can be held at events of any level.
Mini banquets
These include a cocktail banquet and a tea banquet. Their names indicate the predominance of certain drinks. These are usually small events with light snacks and sweets. More often they are held during corporate parties.
Entertainment part of the event
You can prepare an entertainment program on your own or order it from professionals. When writing a script for an anniversary, remember a few rules:
- The central place in most entertainment should be given to the hero of the occasion.
- When creating a relaxation program for a party, focus on the age and preferences of the guests; do not select competitions that are too intellectually or physically challenging.
- Use various types of games and competitions at the event - creative, intellectual, dance; alternate them so that guests do not get tired of the monotony.
- To motivate and encourage guests, prepare small prizes for them not only for winning, but also for participating. At the end of the party, arrange a ceremonial awards ceremony and present comic certificates or medals to the most active participants.
- There should not be too much entertainment - those present need free time to relax and chat with each other.
- You will find the best options for an anniversary gift for a woman manager in our article.
- In order not to rack your brains about where to celebrate your anniversary, look for ready-made ideas here.
Invited guests
Inviting guests is one of the most important points in celebrating an anniversary. Who should be present at this celebration? It is important that the birthday person wants to “see” this person at home, at his party, and not think that he “should” be invited. You shouldn't invite someone just out of fear that the person will be offended if you don't invite them. It is worth entering the new decade of life with those people whom you want to see, with whom it is easy and comfortable. These can be people with whom the hero of the day has known since childhood, his grandmothers, uncles and aunts, and even people with whom he has known for less than a month, but he already communicates easily with them and the hero of the occasion really likes them. You shouldn’t be afraid that someone doesn’t like someone or that someone won’t feel comfortable - two people can always find a common topic for conversation and do a common thing if they choose the right situation and group of guests. Well, on the birthday of the birthday person - everything should be exactly according to his wishes.
Original scenario ideas for a holiday party
Table games and fun
Compliments in alphabetical order
This game may be the first script competition for a cool way to celebrate a woman’s anniversary. Along the chain, all guests give compliments to the hero of the occasion, starting with certain letters of the alphabet in order (the letters “y”, “b” and “b” should be omitted).
Anyone who cannot come up with a description of the birthday boy in a few seconds is awarded penalty points or another “punishment” (for example, having to dance a dance for the birthday boy to randomly selected music). For each penalty point, the guest grants one birthday wish.
Another variation of this competition is the use of each letter in the first and last name of the hero of the day for compliments.
Fun “Exclusive congratulations”
This is a great table game for warming up guests and raising the level of fun. Prepare cards with words of different themes according to the number of guests.
Each of those present draws a card and must congratulate the hero of the day using the written word. Choose complex and unexpected words - for example, “transformer”, “inventory”, etc.
Magic hat game
The host announces that he has a magic hat that can read minds. He puts it on the guests one by one.
When the hat is on someone's head, a short excerpt from a popular song is played (the musical cut must be prepared in advance), which contains lines from the first person. It is advisable to choose funny and unexpected songs.
Creative competitions and projects
Competition “Symbolism for the birthday boy”
All guests are united in several teams of 2-3 people. Teams are given whatman paper and markers.
Their task is to come up with a flag, coat of arms and anthem for the birthday boy (the anthem can be a reworked quatrain of a popular song). Then these projects are presented. The jury awards certificates to all participants in various categories.
Game “Assemble your team”
For all guests you need to prepare cards with words that can be combined into several groups (for example, “Construction”, “Depot”, “Circus”, “Kitchen”, etc.). Each guest takes one card.
At the command of the leader, the search for members of their teams begins. The players whose team assembles the fastest are considered the winners.
The second part of this game is to compose congratulations for the birthday boy on behalf of your team. For example, the “Kitchen” team can congratulate the hero of the day on behalf of the housewife, “Construction” - on behalf of the construction team, and so on.
Game “Associations”
The presenter says two words that are not related to each other. The first player comes up with a sentence that includes these two words.
Then he names the next word, and the second participant must continue the story started by using it. This continues until the guests run out of imagination.
Entertainment for guests
An important part of the celebration is its fun program. After all, after eating, you don’t just want to sit on the couch and talk, but do something. If you have gathered people who love to dance, then you should turn on your favorite audio recordings and give them the opportunity to do what they like best. If most of the team likes to sing, you can turn on the karaoke machine.
To keep absolutely all the guests busy with some interesting activity, you can invite them to draw. Even those who don’t know how to do this will, after some time, want to share something that is in their head. Each guest can be given several sheets of paper and pencils or pastels. After which, all the drawings can be collected and decorated with them on the wall, after inviting guests to create a story that will show the connection between all the illustrations. You can invite guests to draw on one huge Whatman paper. You will have to stock up on these in advance at a specialized art store.
Everyone loves to sing karaoke. Both grandmothers and young people will sing the songs with pleasure. The main thing is to stock up on discs with the appropriate repertoire
This kind of entertainment is perfect for adults of any age - it will allow them to express themselves, remember what they have always wanted and wish the birthday boy all the best in visual illustrations. Another way to entertain all your guests at once is to have everyone play a board game. This could be a classic journey along a drawn map of some fictional world, a game of monopoly, or guessing words against time in the game “Alias.” This game allows you not only to involve all the guests, but also to shake them up quite well after a significant meal.
When celebrating an anniversary at home, you should remember that this is, first of all, a celebration of the birthday person himself. And it should be celebrated in accordance with how the hero of the occasion wants. That is why he should decorate the apartment according to his own wishes, invite exactly those people whom he wants to see and spend time exactly as this person feels. Only then can we hope that a person will meet the new decade happy!
Raising the level of fun: entertainment for the “equator” of the holiday
Outdoor games and relay races
Competition “Hold the balls”
Balloons are laid out on the floor. At the command of the host, the guests begin to collect them. Their task is to collect and hold as many balls as possible.
Relay “Eat Pie”
Participants are divided into two teams of equal numbers. Each player's hands are tied behind them. A pie is placed in front of the teams. Players run up to their pies one by one, take a bite and run back.
Having passed the baton to the next participants, they stand back. This continues until one team's pie is eaten - these players are declared winners.
Fun competition “Cucumber”
All guests stand in a circle, pressing their shoulders tightly against each other. In the center of the circle is the leader.
The players’ task is to pass the cucumber behind their backs unnoticed by the host.
and take a bite when the opportunity arises. If the driver guesses who has the cucumber, he takes his place and the game continues.
Comic competitions and fun
Competition “Sushi in Russian”
Two or more people participate. The host announces that the guests will prepare an excellent dish for the birthday boy - sushi, but using a special technology. A mountain of candy is placed in front of the participants and they are given a pair of sushi sticks.
At the leader’s command, they begin to transfer the candies into their vases. Whoever has the fullest vase at the end of time is the winner.
Game “Feast of Moles”
Several pairs of participants are selected for the competition and they are blindfolded. Partners sit opposite each other at the table. In front of them is a plate of some semi-liquid dish (for example, jam or semolina porridge).
Their task is to feed each other within a certain time. The winners are those who have the least amount of food left on their plate.
Competition “Milk the cow”
This fun will fit perfectly into a cool anniversary scenario.
Participants are given one glove filled with water and a small container. There are small holes in the fingertips of the glove. The players' task is to milk their glove as quickly as possible.
At an anniversary party, not only the guests, but also the hero of the occasion should relax.
Despite the fact that preparing a holiday is a very troublesome task, the hero of the day should find time to relax and enjoy the attention of the guests, feel their love and support
