If you are married, or are in a serious relationship, you will understand how important it is to acknowledge and celebrate milestones. A lot of people cringe at the thought of an anniversary coming up, but it doesn't have to be such a difficult thing, with a few simple steps you can an extremely happy anniversary. If you have an understanding of the custom and tradition behind anniversaries, coming up with some original gift ideas, and have an understanding of what makes a great anniversary party, then you will be well on the way to making your partner one very happy man or woman.

History and Tradition

Ever since humans started marking the passage of time, they have been placing milestones at specific places within their life. Kids can't wait until their next birthday when they are one year older, employees look forward to reaching that 10 year mark in their job, and couples put great emphasis into the years that they are together. This tradition may seem silly to some, but to others it helps to strengthen the bonds that you have, an is something that should be respected by all. Every year is a special occasion, and for each there is a traditional gift that is used to say Happy Anniversary.

Traditional Gifts

For example, if this is your first year anniversary, the traditional gift is paper. You could make your partner a hand made card, or write a sonnet. Some people even use this occasion to give money, which may be a good idea for you to give some other couple celebrating their anniversary, but probably not such a great gift for your loved one. The seventh is wool, maybe you could knit them a beanie and scarf, or buy them a thick woolen jumper for winter. The fourteenth year is ivory, maybe you could learn how to play them a song on the piano. There are so many different ways you could approach these anniversary presents, that you are only limited by your own imagination.

Planning Your Anniversary Party

A lot of people relish the idea of an intimate celebration of their anniversary, but some prefer to celebrate in public. If you are planning to have a party for your special day, you need to give careful thought to which guests are going to be invited. Just because you are friends with Joan down the street, does not necessarily mean that your partner is going to be happy about her being their. You need to discuss each person on your guest list together to ensure you both end up with the perfect crowd. Not only do you need to think about how your partner gets along with each potential guest, you also need to take into account how your guests are going to get on with each other. You may not know that Bob and Frank had a fight at the soccer game last weekend, but your husband might. This is why it's important to sit down, compile a list, and make sure that you discuss each potential guest with each other.

The other thing you need to give serious though to is catering. The last thing you want to do on your happy anniversary day is slave over a hot stove preparing food for all your guests. You will have a much more pleasant experience if you have the day catered for. The first step in doing this is to determine what sort of food you want served at your party. Some of the things you need to take into consideration are; do any of your guests have allergies to particular food, are any vegetarians, or do any have religious beliefs that are going to limit what they can eat? Once you have decided on the type of food, the next step is to find a caterer that will be able to provide you with what you want. The best place to start is either in the local yellow pages or online. Make some calls, get some prices, and keep a list of who you have contacted so that you can then make an informed decision about which caterer to choose.

All of this preparation can be a real headache, and some people even go to the added expense of hiring someone to put it all together for them. Of course, for most of us, this is simply not something that will fit into our budget. The most important thing to remember is that you do not lose sight of what this special day is all about. It's a celebration of your love for each other, and a reminder that whatever happens, you are dedicated to being with each other for the rest of your lives. If you follow the anniversary ideas outlined here, you will be well on your way to having a very happy anniversary. And don't forget, the best gift you can give someone is saying "I Love U", and meaning it from the bottom of your heart.