Surprise parties can be memorable experiences to highlight an already significant date. To pull off well, they do require a mix of cunning and creativity.
Read below for our top tips to pull off the perfect surprise anniversary party for the love of your life.
Plan ahead
No, not like that. Obviously you’re going to plan ahead for a surprise party!
What we mean is that you should literally plan the party ahead of the actual anniversary date, providing your friends and family the opportunity to celebrate with you while still reserving the day-of for an intimate one-on-one evening.
Planning for an off day also adds to the surprise factor, kind of like delivering flowers on February 12th or 13th.
Plan a decoy event
If it’s not the date of your actual anniversary, then you will need a reason for your significant other to look nice and snazzy for their own party without arousing suspicion. Telling them that they need to dress up for dinner with a work colleague or casual friends is a great go-to for a simple cocktail party. You could also actually go out for said dinner date with another couple and then return home to the afterparty.
If you are planning something specific such as a bowling party, night on the dance floor, or activity that requires specific attire, make sure that your cover story encourages a similarly conducive wardrobe. After all, you don’t want your sweetheart layering on the mascara because they have no idea that they’re headed to a rooftop pool party.
Enlist help
This is by no means a solo mission; at the very least, you will need a partner in crime to help coordinate the actual moment where you flip the lights on and everyone jumps up to yell, “SURPRISE!”
Ideally, enlisting a group of friends can only enhance the celebration. A diverse planning committee can offer valuable insight for the guest list and be great to bounce ideas off of. Family members, co-workers, and long-time best friends are the best people to turn to when enlisting help for planning your surprise anniversary celebration.
It’s all in the little details
This isn’t just any old party, the real key to the perfect surprise party is all of the thought and effort that goes into it, especially all of the little things that were successfully pulled off right in front of your spouse’s nose. In addition to drinks, food, and the typical fan fare, make sure that your party planning is riddled with deception and maybe even a little bit of tomfoolery.
Tell them the dinner date is with a co-worker who they find particularly irritating to the point where you have to drag them off to an evening that they have no idea will be so much fun.
Convince them that a nice dinner out just isn’t in the budget this year and you’ll have to remain very low key for your anniversary this year.
Have friends and family from far away fly in to “crash” the party.
Add cosmic irony by having them unknowingly coordinate and plan their own party through a casual conversation with a friend who will feed you the details on the sly later on.
It’s all in good fun
In the end, this special day is all about you and your one true love. Only you know how to make it special and memorable by personalizing the details, but we hope that you found these guidelines useful.
Happy Gifting!
