What to Buy for an Anniversary Party

An anniversary party needs more than food and a cake. Plan the serving pieces, drinks storage, table settings, decorations and sound equipment before shopping day. Count plates, glasses and cutlery against your final guest number, then add a small buffer for breakages and extra servings. Buy non-perishable items early, and leave fresh fruit, vegetables, cake and chilled orders until the day before or the morning of the party.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 7
Chairsqty 55
Buffet tablesqty 2
Coat racksqty 2
Party tentsqty 2
High tablesqty 4

Tableware

Dinner platesqty 60
Pastry platesqty 60
Glassesqty 70
Coffee cupsqty 60
Forksqty 60
Knivesqty 60
Spoonsqty 60
Serving spoonsqty 10
Napkinsqty 120

Decorations

Tableclothsqty 9
Balloonsqty 100
Buntingqty 8
Anniversary letter banner
Flower arrangementsqty 6
Photo backdrop
Photo framesqty 12
Table decorationsqty 9

Equipment

Bluetooth speakersqty 2
Wireless microphone
Extension cordsqty 4
Power stripsqty 4
Coolersqty 4
Thermos flasksqty 4

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 4
Chef’s knives and bread knivesqty 4
Serving plattersqty 12
Serving trays with lidsqty 4
Scissorsqty 2
Aluminum foilqty 2
Cling filmqty 2
Kettleqty 2

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 4

Lighting

String lightsqty 4
LED lanternsqty 6

Catering

Groceries
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 3 boxes
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 2 liter
- Cola - 8 bottles
- Cola Zero - 6 bottles
- Sinas - 5 bottles
- Tonic - 3 bottles
- Ginger beer - 2 bottles
- Sparkling mineral water - 8 bottles
- Still mineral water - 8 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Orange juice - 4 cartons
- Alcohol-free beer - 2 crates
- Pilsner - 3 crates
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Rosé - 5 bottles
- Red wine - 4 bottles
- Sparkling wine - 4 bottles
- Ice cubes - 10 bags
- Baguettes - 12 pieces
- Mini rolls - 80 pieces
- Butter - 3 packs
- Hummus - 6 tubs
- Cream cheese - 4 tubs
- Young cheese - 2 kilos
- Brie - 1 kilo
- Serano ham - 1 kilo
- Smoked chicken breast - 1 kilo
- Herb butter - 6 tubs
- Cucumbers - 6 pieces
- Bell peppers - 8 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Carrots - 2 kilo
- Grapes - 3 kilos
- Apples - 30 pieces
- Melons - 3 pieces
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Snack mix - 4 bags
- Olives - 4 jars
- Mixed nuts - 3 bags
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Garlic sauce - 2 bottles
- Herb mix - 3 jars
- Salt - 1 pack
- Pepper - 1 jar
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Napkin cake - 1 piece
- Whipped cream - 4 aerosol cans
- Ice - 4 tubs
- Mini pastries - 60 pieces
- Chocolate - 6 bars
- Coffee creamer - 2 tubs
- Lemons - 10 pieces
- Cocktail sticks - 2 boxes
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Disposable packaging - 2 packs
- Trash bags - 3 rolls
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Toilet cleaner - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 6 pieces
- Microfiber cloths - 10 pieces

Tips

Plan one dinner plate, one pastry plate, one glass, one coffee cup and a full set of cutlery per guest. Add 10% extra, so a party for 30 people needs 33 of each regularly used item.
Allow two to three drinks per person for the first hour, then one per person for each following hour. Chill drinks in coolers at least 4 hours before guests arrive and keep a separate supply of water available.
Do not leave serving equipment until the last shop. Count serving spoons, cutting boards, napkins and tablecloths against each buffet or food station, and buy or reserve them at least 7 days ahead.
Decorations are easy to underestimate: check the number of tables before buying tablecloths, and prepare the anniversary letter banner, balloons, bunting, flowers and photo backdrop at least 1 day before setup.
Test the Bluetooth speakers, wireless microphone, extension cords and power strips 24 hours before the party. Keep the microphone and sound equipment together so they are not forgotten during venue setup.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to buy for an anniversary party?: Plan food and cake, drinks, plates, pastry plates, glasses, coffee cups, forks, knives, spoons, serving spoons and napkins. You may also need tablecloths, decorations, coolers, thermos flasks, cutting boards and sound equipment such as speakers and a wireless microphone.
How many plates and glasses do I need for an anniversary party?: Allow one dinner plate, one pastry plate and one glass per guest, plus 10% extra. For 30 guests, prepare 33 dinner plates, 33 pastry plates and 33 glasses; add more glasses if guests will use separate ones for different drinks.
How far in advance should I shop for an anniversary party?: Buy non-perishable food, drinks, tableware and decorations 3 to 7 days beforehand. Collect the cake and chilled orders the day before or on the morning of the party, and wash fresh fruit and vegetables shortly before preparation.
How much food and drink should I buy for an anniversary party?: Use the confirmed guest number as your base and add about 10% for serving items and portions. For drinks, plan two to three per person during the first hour and one per person for every additional hour, with extra water for the full event.

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