So, we’re halfway through 2020 and Covid-19 does not appear to be leaving us anytime soon. Weddings have been canceled, families have been separated and parties have come to a stand-still. However, this does not mean that celebrations must be canceled altogether. Thanks to the wonderful world of social media and the internet, we’re now able to host virtual gatherings, and as such, we can all celebrate our birthdays with our loved ones – online, and that’s including your virtual birthday party!
Got a birthday coming up and no idea where to start? Look no further! We’ve got you covered with our two-part guide to hosting your very own virtual birthday party. All the thinking has been done for you, so all you’ve gotta do is follow these simple steps and you’ll be partying at home before you can sing “Happy Birthday to Me!”…
Pre-Planning Your Virtual Birthday Party:
Send Out Invitations
First off on the list of hosting the best virtual birthday party is, of course, the invitations! No one can attend a party they’re not invited to, right? Right! So hop online, decide on the e-vite vs paper invitation options, and set the date! Compile your list of attendees and send out those invites a good couple of weeks before to make sure you reach 100% attendance (or closest to!).
Choose A Theme
When hosting a virtual birthday party (or any for that matter!), a theme is a fail-proof way to get your party guests excited for the event. You could go for gold with a Great Gatsby theme, or reign in the 60s with some flower power, maybe? Choose a theme that represents you or the birthday girl well, and branch out from there. Be sure to include this on your invitations – you don’t want someone to miss out on the memo!
Decorate Your Streaming Station
What’s a virtual birthday party without decorations? Every party needs lights, camera, action – or fairy lights, a webcam and some tassels! Be sure to have some balloons floating around and some good, old fashioned bunting never goes amiss… Whatever you decide, it’s important to decorate the space you’ll be hosting to build excitement for the celebrations. We all need a little festivities in our lives right now, so why not go a little wild?!
Bake A Cake
Now, this one’s just for you – or for the person celebrating their birthday. No virtual birthday party is complete without a cake! There are traditional cakes such as chocolate or Victoria sponge, but why not branch out into a more spontaneous realm? Check out Tasty’s baking section – there’s everything from red velvet cupcakes to ice cream cake, and we’re here for it!
Create A Dress Code
Once you’ve decided on your theme, you need to tell your guests what the dress code will be. If your theme is famous people (for example!), you might want to go for a ‘red carpet’ dress code, where everyone dresses to the nines as their favorite actresses and actors. If you’ve gone for a generational theme, be sure to let everyone know so they’ve got time to order a couple things online to add to their look before the virtual birthday party begins!
Mail Some Party Favors
What’s a party without some party favors? A boring one! Our advice would be to send out a little care package to each of your guests; think face masks, nail polish, and some melt-in-the-mouth chocolatey treats. You can include this with your invitations, or send them out separately in time for the big day. It’s a way of thanking your guests for being a part of your virtual birthday party and prepping them before they get ready to go out (or online, should we say!).
Wear a Party Crown
As the hostess with the ‘mostest’ – or the virtual birthday party, you’ve got to make it known how special you are, girl! Don that party crown with pride, and be sure to flaunt it in your virtual group selfies on Zoom! Opt for some other accessories such as some elegant, evening gloves or treat yourself to a couple of well-deserved new jewelry pieces. Go on, you deserve it! Check out Festive Gal’s Etsy Shop for some serious crown inspiration – she’s a babe!
Pour The Drinks
No party is complete without some bubbly (alcoholic or not!), right? Make sure you’ve got some bubbles chilling on ice in time for your virtual birthday party – and ask your guests to do the same! Once you’re all ready to go live, ask everyone to pour their first drink so you can all toast the birthday queen! Keep the drinks flowing (at a responsible speed, of course!) and make a toast to each guest as a thank you for their attendance. It’ll go down a treat!
Prep Your Zoom
Now we’re into the final swing of the pre-party: prepping the Zoom room! Most of us are familiar-ish with Zoom as it’s one of the main video-calling software we’ve all come to love during the global pandemic of Covid-19. Of course, there are other alternatives – which of course, you’re more than welcome to go for! However, we just wanted to mention Zoom for its fast-streaming service and a large amount of people capacity- which is required for hosting a virtual birthday party! PS. No, this is not an ad.
Hosting Your Virtual Birthday Party:
We’ve come a long way through our pre-plan for your virtual birthday party and we’d like to think you’re all ready to go, but what about the party itself? Yes, you’ve got the theme, the decorations, and that gorgeous party crown at the ready, but what are you going to do once the party’s started?
Out in the real world, we’re used to pumping up the music, pouring endless cocktails and dancing until our heels come off, but hey? This isn’t the ‘real world’ right now. We’re living in the middle of a global pandemic and our world is looking a little different, at present. Not to fear, however, Cotier is here – for you, and your girls! We’ve gathered a few, unique ideas to get your virtual birthday party started, exactly the way you want it…
Virtual Games Night
Nothing says it’s a birthday like a virtual games night! Thanks to the online world, we now have online party games in abundance, including some of the following:
…amongst MANY others! Click the links to find out more on their ‘how-to-play’’s and learn the rules. As hostess of this virtual birthday party games night, you’ll have to play mediator too – we all know game nights can get a little heated at times!
Virtual Arts and Crafts
A more light-hearted alternative for hosting your virtual birthday party would be an arts n’ crafts day. Think old overalls, colorful paints, and a blank canvas, with all of your best people doing the same! This would, of course, require some additional pre-planning to ensure everyone has their materials at the ready before the party begins, but other than that, it’s a great way to spend the day bonding with your loved ones.
You can either ask each of your guests to draw you for some humor or create a list they can choose from to get their creative juices flowing!
Virtual Boozy Brunch
This one is for the ladies who brunch! Did we hear half-price mimosas until 3pm? In our heads, yes definitely… With the global pandemic kinda raining on our boozy brunch parade, there’s absolutely nothing stopping us from re-creating our very own virtual brunch, right ladies? Grab that bubbly with some OJ and get the girls ready for an awesome, brunch-inspired virtual birthday party – just for you!
(Virtual) Family Traditions
When it comes to keeping up with traditions, Cotier’s Founder, Amber, had a recent problem due to the pandemic, in the form of her husband’s 30th birthday party:
“My husband was turning 30 and I had been planning an epic 30th birthday party for him for the past 6 months. Everything was lined up. His friends were going to fly in, the Airbnb was chosen, the games pre-planned, hotels booked and I had just put the final touches on our way of surprising him.
Then the Coronavirus had officially become a global health concern and we had to cancel everything out of safety. I was devastated! So much so that I completely gave up on celebrating his birthday all together!
Three weeks later, just 6 days before his birthday, I decided to instead host a surprise virtual birthday party for him… It ended up being a HUGE SUCCESS!”
It just goes to show that if there’s a will, there’s a way to host a really special event for your loved ones, no matter where you are in the world!
Virtual Self-Care Day
Now, we all know this lockdown induces anxiety in many of us, and perhaps the thought of hosting a virtual birthday party feels a little too intense right now. We totally get it. If you’re feeling this way, why not consider doing a self-care day for yourself, and some close friends or family members – only if you feel like it.
Treat yourself to some special spa products, light some scented candles, and unwind to some soothing music and the sweet smells of serenity. Whatever you consider self-care; you do you, boo!
Whatever you decide is the way to go for your virtual birthday party, just know, we got you, girl.
For more virtual event ideas and inspiration, follow us on Instagram at @cotierbrand
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