In the age of Zoom, Virtual parties have become very popular. I’ve hosted 6 in the past year and a half. And they’ve turned out to be so fun. You can even screenshot them for memories. I’ve thrown parties through Zoom, Facebook, and Duo on my phone. Facebook and Duo have fun features on them where you can ad funny faces, whimsical glasses, and hats, along with some games.
Valentines Background
First, let’s set the scene. Since we’re not in person, we want to try and create an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re right with your friends. That starts with having a Valentine-themed background. Here are five ideas for decorating your background.
- A room or feature wall – if this wall is red, white, pink or black, it is a built-in pallet. All you would need is contrasting Valentine’s colored decorations. For example: a black wall, string of lights and a red heart banner from a party store.
- Plain, Valentine theme tablecloth or gift wrap paper – can simply be draped on the wall behind you
- Valentine paper cutouts – you can find inexpensive cutout packages, or hanging decorations at your local party store
- Festive outfit – your festive Valentines outfit can serve as your atmostphere on any of the theme colored walls with a tall plant or balloons in the background
- Virtual Background – If you prefer not to be bothered with any of it, you can choose a platform on your laptop with a virtual background.
What to eat
When deciding what to eat, include your guests. Do we want a full dinner or appetizers? If you don’t want to do a full dinner, you can keep it light with one course like a salad or soup with breadsticks. Or do a one-pot or casserole meal. The meal can start right after everyone arrives on the call and you have greeted everyone. Then tell everyone what you’ll be doing for the evening.
Desserts & Drinks
If you want to keep it simple, you could also do desserts and drinks. Cupcakes, cookies, macaroons, or even a sundae with whip cream and cherry. And drinks for cheers! Whether it’s a full meal or desserts, this is the time you and your guests can socialize.
Card & Gifts
This is where you can get creative with your gift. You the hostess can pull names from a bowl and so your guests know who to buy for. Send out an email with everyone’s address. Have everyone send their gifts early enough for them to arrive at the person’s house no later than a week before the party. This will give it time for the gift to arrive if there are any backorders or delays. I like the idea of two items. A greeting card that is personal to that person and a gift that every guest will get. A small box of chocolates, hand cream, or a charm are a few examples.
You can end the evening with a fun printable Valentine’s game. Send a virtual invitation giving the details of the party including creating a background with ideas, what you all will be eating, games you will play, and when to mail gifts.
HOSTESS CHALLENGE: How far in advance will you tell your guests to make sure they mail their presents in time?
