Since current events have forced many of us to switch in-person events to remote ones, we thought now would be the perfect time to share some of our favorite things to do when throwing a virtual bridal shower, wedding shower, or couple's shower. If you are preparing to host a virtual shower for a loved one, here are some ideas that will help make your party a success!
Prepare
Just because your in-person party has turned into a virtual one, doesn't mean that guests and invitees can't still send gifts before the event! To facilitate the process of gift-giving before your event, make sure that the couple's registry is set up to allow gifts to be sent directly to them. Alternatively, you can set up a drive-by where invitees can drop off their presents while also giving their well-wishes from a safe distance. These are two easy ways to ensure that your bride, groom, or couple will have their presents in time for the party!
As an added bonus, it is always fun to send something special to the person or people being celebrated to help them feel festive for the celebration. You can send some wedding-themed accessories that can be worn during the call or decorations that can be featured in the background of the call. To help guests feel festive too, gift packages can be distributed before the event or handed out at a drive-by!
Dress Up & Decorate
Virtual events are a great excuse to dress up. To make the celebration even more special, you can not only ask guests to dress up, but you can also encourage them to dress up the background that will show on their end of the video! To do this, guests can print pictures, make signs, hang streamers, and get creative while setting up a fun virtual environment.
Play Games
There are tons of great resources online for virtual shower/bachelor(ette) party ideas. TheKnot.com has a great article outlining "11 Virtual Bachelorette and Bridal Shower Games That Are Actually Fun" that you can incorporate in your event. This list includes some awesome virtual platforms that make it possible for groups to play games remotely. Some of these platforms include Houseparty (you can even host the event on this platform!), Jackbox, and Triviamaker.
A well-loved, wedding-themed game is The Shoe Game, where the couple sits back-to-back and answer "who is more likely to..." type statements without seeing the other's answer. This game is sometimes played at the actual wedding reception, but if your guest(s) of honor is/are ok with it, it can easily be made into a virtual activity. If you are only throwing a shower for one person, the game can be tailored such that all guests answer questions on their own, and the person being celebrated gives his/her answers at the end. The guest with the most questions correct can then win a prize! If you are looking for examples of questions to include in this kind of game, WeddingWire.com has curated a great list of questions here.
Another game that translates well from an in-person activity to a virtual one, is giving a prize to the person who refrains from saying a popular word on the day of the party. For example, if your keyword is "wedding", guests can tally up each time someone says the word "wedding" and the person with the least amount of tally marks at the end of the party wins a prize! If it is not feasible for you to drop a prize off at the winner's house, you can always get a virtual gift card that can be sent to an attendee via email.
Do Activities
If you want to set up a group activity, one fun option is to have a virtual wine tasting. FoodAndWine.com has some great suggestions of various virtual wine tastings you can pick from here.
Additionally, remember those gifts you helped get delivered to the couple? Have him/her/them open gifts at the virtual shower! Many people do this at in-person showers and now everyone can watch and interact from the comfort of their own home.
These are just a few of our favorite ideas, and we hope you enjoy them! Do you have any other fun virtual game or activity suggestions? Let us know!
