As her 30th wedding anniversary approached, Deb Reichardt kept one saying in mind: “We never celebrate our success. We just go to the next deadline in this crazy world of ours.” So rather than letting the milestone pass by, she created a celebration to remember.

Everything from the soft-cotton tent that allowed stars to shine through to the band playing background music on the gazebo to a special moment when she and her husband danced to their wedding song exuded a romantic feel.

“My husband’s favorite saying when he gives a speech is that you’re not going to remember what was said, but what it felt like,” said Reichardt. “It’s important to set a mood.”

Bright summer days inspire outdoor parties. But when the sky’s the limit to party planning, channeling creative ideas into one party can seem daunting – unless you keep sight of three simple goals: fun, casual and personal.

“People like to embrace a theme whenever possible,” said Melinda Toyne, a party planner and founder of In Any Event. “It helps give direction and an outline for how the whole party will shape up.”

Popular ideas include Miami chic with Latin music, a Cuban menu, bright lanterns, and soft, vibrant cushions; The Hamptons with a backyard clam bake; or Spanish flair with sangria and tapas.

Above all, adults come to parties wanting as much fun as kids, so giving them something to do, especially for prizes, said Julie Andrews, a party planner and owner of Event Pros, is often the hit of the party and allows people who may not know each other to interact. Beyond typical backyard games of bocce ball or badminton, options can include trivia, scavenger hunts or a perennial favorite, karaoke.

“It’s always interesting to me,” said Toyne, “how much fun adults have with games.”

Suzanne Summy, general manager of Trostel’s Greenbrier Restaurant & Bar, who helped plan the 60th birthday party for Paul Trostel the restaurant’s owner, found that the best part of his party was a Spam-eating contest, inspired by Trostel’s love for Spam when he was a child.

Personal touches are key to a memorable event, especially if it is in honor of someone.

“What I did was try to really focus on what it is that makes Paul happy,” said Summy. “Unless it’s a surprise, involve the person as much as you can, get to know him, and ask what it is that will make him have a memorable party.”

In the summertime, casual is the best atmosphere as well. Summy has noticed that wine events are becoming more social and informal with patio locations filled with flowers and centered around several varieties of wine, appetizers and background music.

Inviting the right guests is often the biggest challenge. Mixing age groups can be a fun dynamic, but party planners recommend making sure the guests are all interested in the general theme or the main event – rather than inviting the entire neighborhood.

“I’m into making [an event] smaller,” said Summy, “not making it something that appeals to everybody, but doing different kinds of things.”

And of course the invitations should correlate with the theme to build excitement. Toyne and Andrews even recommend taking basic cards a step further by sending everyone something to wear to the event, such as an apron for a blues and barbecue party or custom-designed matching T-shirts, which make great mementos long after the celebration has ended.

Invitations are also a good time to include guests in the party prepping by having them bring something. For a sangria party, Toyne suggested having guests create their own concoctions with red or white wine and any kind of fruit from the garden or farmer’s market.

“It’s fun to sample around,” she said, “and see if people do a good job of creating a concoction.”

In the end, it all comes down to planning well in advance, from making sure the band and location are booked to ensuring that the plates and utensils are purchased and a space is cleared out and decorated inside in case of rain. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay occupied during the event. Toyne recommended hiring someone to make sure drink buckets and food tables are full and to help clean up afterwards.

“You want your summer gathering to be relaxed, laid back and enjoyable for you and your guests,” she said. “Try to keep that in mind when planning and maybe hire somebody for $15 an hour…Some people spend so much money on entertaining and never have a chance to enjoy it.”

The more creative and entertaining a party becomes, the more it may inspire others to line up summer parties as well.

“When you start to incorporate ideas and themes and get more creative about it, you set a precedent,” said Toyne. “Hopefully people reciprocate and are inspired to do the same.”