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Add your
anniversary
story to
this site!
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Page
1: Checklist for Planning a
Large or Formal Anniversary Party
Begin
planning up to 8 months in advance
1. Decide on a date. You might need to be flexible with
the date if you want a particular place to have the party.
2.
Determine your budget. Who else might help with the finances,
for example, other family members?
3.
Determine who you will invite and approximately how many people:
family, current friends, old friends, neighbors, old classmates
who have kept in touch etc. The number of people that will actually
attend, especially  people
from out of town, will be fewer than the number you invite.
4.
Do you want to have your party in a restaurant with a private
room, a hotel with banquet facilities, a private hall, a country
club, or even a winery? You have many options depending on where
you live, your budget, and how many people will attend.
5.
Ask friends, coworkers etc. for recommendations for possible places
to have the party. If you belong to a club or an organization,
talk to the social chairman for recommendations of places to hold
parties. Keep notes on recommendations.
6.
Begin to contact places that have been recommended. This will
take more time than you think because you will have to leave messages,
call back to talk to the right person etc. Get information as
to menu, cost (usually it is calculated as cost per person), available
dates, experience, cost of decoration, anniversary theme suggestions,
etc. If you are holding the party at a hotel, find out if you
can negotiate a group rate for hotel rooms for out of town guests.
7.
Narrow down your list of places. Visit the top choices. Talk face
to face. You will need to work closely with the person who coordinates
functions so you want to feel comfortable that this is someone
with whom you can work. Does that person listen to your ideas
and offer creative suggestions?
Suggested
areas for questions:
- What
are your options with the menu and the cost? Can you negotiate
certain things, such as a menu item?
- What will
the wine and liquor cost? Does the total price include a bartender
or is that separate?
- Can they
supply a cake or do you need to get the cake from a bakery?
You may decide to get a cake from a bakery anyway, if you have
a favorite bakery. You may want the cake to be special.
- What will
the final cost be? Make sure gratuity and taxes are included
in the quote of the final cost.
- Ask for
references and names/phone numbers of people that used their
facility for a similar party.
- Does the
place have the capability for a band or DJ to play (electrical
outlets, space to set up, and good acoustics)? Does it have
a dance floor?
- Does
the place supply the decorations? Do they have pictures of previous
parties with the decorations? What creative ideas do they have
for party themes and decorations? Do they put up the decorations?
Often you and your friends/relatives will put up the decorations
the morning of the party.
- Look
at the rest rooms, parking facilities, kitchen etc.
- Ask relatives
or friends to accompany you to your final top choices. Confer
beforehand on the questions you will ask and write down the
questions. Ask your friend/relative to write down the answers
for you.
- Confer
afterwards. Write down pros and cons of each top choice.
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