How to Plan a Fun Virtual Party in 48 hours
The pandemic has shifted the way we get to celebrate life’s moments with family and friends. I haven’t seen many of my friends and family in person since the new year because we’ve been socially distancing for the most part. We have regular virtual chats on Zoom, Facetime and Houseparty. When it came to planning my 35th birthday party this month, I was stumped on what do because many people are tapped out and missing in-person chats with friends and family.
With 48 hours to spare and no concrete birthday plans, I decided to pull together a virtual trivia night. The theme was now set, the invites were sent out, and the date and time were set.
All I had to do was figure out a way to make our video chat fun and engaging. Throwing a Zoom party can be just as fun as an in-person party you just have to play your card right.
Below you’ll find tips on how to host the most memorable virtual party.
1. Select a virtual location
The first step in planning a virtual party is selecting a location. There are so many virtual platforms out there right now to choose from. Selecting the right location is key. When planning my party, I did some research on the various platforms out there that are available that you might want to check out.
HouseParty: This app is perfect for a virtual game night with friends. Houseparty has built-in gamification tools that allow you to play games like Uno, Pictionary, Heads Up, and more. The app just added a Karaoke feature. It also has a desktop feature as well that allows you to chat with friends. There aren’t any games on the desktop app. The only downside about this app, is you are limited to the number of people you can invite to join in one chat room. The app allows 8 people to chat for 45 minutes.
Zoom: If you want to host a larger party Zoom is the best platform because it lets up to 100 people join at a time. This video chat application is perfect for chatting because you can view everyone at one time on the screen. The premium zoom account is what I have because it lets you chat longer than 45 minutes.
Google Hangouts: If you have a Gmail account, Google Hangouts is a great option for chatting with friends and family. It’s free for all Gmail users.
Skype: Skype is still around and is a great option for chatting with friends and family. The only downside about Skype is you have a login to access some of the features.
Facebook Messenger: Last year Facebook added a group video chat feature to its messenger platform. You can now chat with your Facebook friends on a video call.
2. Decide on a theme
If you're planning a virtual party you need to have a theme for my party. A theme makes the party fun and easy to plan. I chose a 1980s theme because that was the decade that I was born. I asked my guests to come to the party dressed up in their favorite style from the decade.
3. Select an activity
Give your guests something to do for the night. Since my party was 80s themed, me and my guests enjoyed a game of 80s themed trivia that I found on Etsy. We played two rounds of pop culture trivia about the decade. It was so much fun because we had a chance to share memories and reminisce about the past.
3. Select the guest list
Decide on who to invite. Depending on which platform you choose your guest list may be limited. For example, HouseParty only lets you have 8 people in a room at a time.
4. Design the invitations
Invitations can be formal or informal. You can send a quick text or design an e-vite that ties into your theme. I did both. I texted people but also sent e-invitations using a Paperless Post 80s theme invitation.
5. Create a playlist
Music is a fun way to break the ice in a virtual event setting. I found an 80s playlist on Spotify with some of my favorite jams.
5. Design customized backgrounds
Every virtual party needs to have a customized background for attendees to use. I used Canva to create several 80s themed backgrounds for my guests to use. These were a hit and a nice surprise to everyone.
6. Provide theme-appropriate recipes
I asked each guest to come with their favorite drink and snack in hand. If you want to get creative, you could create a theme-appropriate menu filled with recipes that everyone can prepare for the party in advance.
7. Give away prizes
Gifts really make a party special. If I had more time, I would have shipped party boxes to everyone in advance with items they could use during the virtual event. Because we were playing trivia, we had two winners that will be receiving prizes this week.
If you’ve had a birthday during the pandemic, how did you celebrate?