By Leena Kim, Town and Country
The coronavirus pandemic is not slowing anytime soon, meaning the social gatherings we've put off since March (with the hope that they could resume by summer and fall) will have to be postponed again. But here's a better idea: why not instead re-imagine what these occasions look like. Weddings, galas, birthday parties, and more, have all gone digital over the last few months and as we collectively better adjust to the new normal, virtual gatherings have started to become a little less awkward and a little more—dare we say it?—natural. The crisis hasn't deterred couples from getting engaged and planning their futures (nor should it!) so with that in mind, here are T&C's top ideas for throwing a virtual wedding shower itinerary for one last hurrah before that impending Zoom wedding.
Several boutique fitness brands have finessed their virtual class offerings for a COVID world. Taking an online boxing class (we're partial to Shadowbox) with your closest friends checks all the boxes: a stress-relieving workout and quality time with loved ones, all from the safe (and germ-free) confines of your living room. Plus, a pair of sleek boxing gloves makes a great party favor.
Send a cocktail ingredient kit and an elegantly printed recipe card (we have a few recipe ideas here) ahead of time to your friends so you can all partake in a mixology session over Zoom. Or go a step further and personalize each kit depending on each guest's favorite cocktail.
Homemade pizza-making is on a long list of culinary hobbies many have adopted during pandemic quarantine. For a foolproof alternative to turning everyone into a reluctant pizza chef, send them frozen versions from ever-popular Roberta's via Goldbelly. This way, you and your guests can spend less time cooking and assembling, and more time eating delicious pizza from a Brooklyn institution.
Turn an intimate virtual gathering into a lively intellectual discussion of the latest hot summer read, like Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan's modern take on E.M. Forster's A Room With a View, or Zadie Smith's Intimations, a collection of essays she wrote during lockdown.
Choose a photo with special meaning to you as a couple or among your friends (perhaps a landscape shot from a recent holiday?), send your guests a kit of paper, watercolors, and brushes, and turn the festivities into a DIY virtual paint night. Wine highly recommended.
Purchase a tasting pack from popular Napa winery Matthiasson (which includes three reds, two whites, and a rosé, the same selection you would try if you were in their tasting room). Then go on their website to reserve a group Zoom tasting session.
Thanks to platforms like Watch2Gether (which can be used simultaneously with Zoom and other video conferencing apps), it's possible to virtually recreate a karaoke night. How about going a step further and making it a costume party?
Organizing a newlywed game night is an easy and simple way to engage all of your guests in a fun activity—and quiz them on how well they know the couple.
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The coronavirus pandemic is not slowing anytime soon, meaning the social gatherings we've put off since March (with the hope that they could resume by summer and fall) will have to be postponed again. But here's a better idea: why not instead re-imagine what these occasions look like. Weddings, galas, birthday parties, and more, have all gone digital over the last few months and as we collectively better adjust to the new normal, virtual gatherings have started to become a little less awkward and a little more—dare we say it?—natural. The crisis hasn't deterred couples from getting engaged and planning their futures (nor should it!) so with that in mind, here are T&C's top ideas for throwing a virtual wedding shower itinerary for one last hurrah before that impending Zoom wedding.
Box It Out
Several boutique fitness brands have finessed their virtual class offerings for a COVID world. Taking an online boxing class (we're partial to Shadowbox) with your closest friends checks all the boxes: a stress-relieving workout and quality time with loved ones, all from the safe (and germ-free) confines of your living room. Plus, a pair of sleek boxing gloves makes a great party favor.
Make Cocktails
Make it a Pizza Night
Host a Virtual Book Club
Do a Paint Night
Organize a Virtual Wine Tasting
Have a Karaoke Night
Play Newlywed Games
See more at Town and Country
