by ANDREW LEMIEUX
Anniversaries are a perfect time to celebrate your relationship and show your love and appreciation for that special someone, but they can also feel like a lot of pressure to get just right. You want to plan the perfect celebration: something that will communicate exactly how you feel for them. Luckily, we have the secrets for how to turn an intimate night-in into something magical.
Set the Mood
Always start with the ambience. Before you serve the first course, you want to make sure that you’ve set things up to rival the most romantic restaurant. Here’s how to start:
First, choose your location
If you’re planning the dinner at home, choose a space that feels special, whether that’s the dining room or somewhere else. An intimate picnic in front of that fireplace in the living room can be just as romantic as a more traditional setting at the dining table.
Decorate the space
Anniversary dinners should be treated as your very own private holiday for the two of you, so make the decor personal to your relationship. You can include Polaroids of your relationship, or small notes with reasons why you love them. Take inspiration from trending decor, or include tie-ins to your wedding. One simple way to decorate is by using their favorite flower in your table settings.
Create a romantic ambience
This is more than just decorating the space now. Consider how you want the night to feel. Add in soft lighting like twinkle lights or candles to give the night a romantic, intimate feel. If you want, include scented candles and choose a scent that you both love. Add music to the night. Some slow jazz or romantic love songs can really send the night over the top. If you’re in doubt about what to play, include songs that hold special meaning to your relationship.
Plan out a delicious menu
Now here is a chance to have some fun. Food can be an incredible way to show love to another person, and there are so many directions you can go with it. Recreate the meal from your first date, or plan a sampling of all of your favorite dishes as a couple. There are a plethora of date night recipes online that you can use to help you decide what to serve if you need a little inspiration. Remember, you can be as wild or as traditional as you want to be when it comes to planning the menu for tonight, so long as it feels right for your relationship.
Choose the perfect drinks
A dinner is more than just the food you serve; it’s also the drinks that come along with it. For this night, you’ll want to plan out your approach. Do you want a single bottle of wine to accompany the entire dinner? Or would you prefer to pair each course with a specific drink? Crafted cocktails (or mocktails for a nice non-alcoholic option) can be a great way to elevate the dining experience and bring out the flavors of the night. Here’s a sample of a menu and drink pairings:
Starter course:
Begin with a simple crudité platter paired with a modified Aperol Spritz for something fresh to start out the night.
Main course:
For the main event, why not try pairing a nice filet mignon and potatoes au gratin with a glass of Malbec.
Desert course:
Pair tiramisu with a glass of dry Fino sherry to balance well with the bittersweet notes of chocolate and coffee to finish off the night.
Elevate the night
You’ve planned out the space, settled the decorations, and decided on a menu, but what are some other ways you can make this night truly memorable? If you have the budget for it, here are a few extra touches you can make that will elevate the entire evening for you and your loved one.
Hire a private chef
Maybe cooking isn’t your strong suit, or maybe you want to reserve your energy to focus on the main event rather than expending it all on the preparations. Either way, hiring a private chef for an anniversary dinner removes the stress of planning and preparing the meal and allows you to focus on what really matters: your love.
Hire live music
We talked a little bit about using music to set the ambience for the night, but there’s nothing that really compares to the energy of live music. Hire local musicians to serenade you and your love for the evening and create the feeling of being out on the town while preserving an intimate atmosphere for you both.
Ultimately, the secret to a perfect and unforgettable anniversary dinner is to make it your own. Add in the personal touches that make this evening unique to your relationship and deliver an experience that no fine dining restaurant could hope to recreate.
