Virtual New Years Party
Stunning faux gold accents, watercolor champagne glass, and festive laptop. It’s hard to imagine New Year’s Eve without glitter confetti falling over a packed, champagne-soaked party, but like the rest of 2020, this December 31 will be a little different. If you can't get together in person, invite guests to celebrate virtually with a video party. All you need to do is ensure that everyone has access to the internet, a camera or microphone for the event.
While we may not get to spend the holidays physically together, we can at least share the moment virtually. A virtual party may not seem like the best option for connection, there are plenty of ways to personalize the experience and make this New Year’s Eve one for the ages. Set up a Zoom, Skype or FaceTime call, invite those you’re missing and get set to celebrate.
Choose your party time: As you plan the timing for your virtual New Year’s Eve party, consider your family members and your friends’ schedules. While it’s typical to spend the whole evening out at an in-person NYE party, a virtual soirée is better kept short and sweet. Plan your party at a time that works well for everyone in the group, whether you need to wait for people to get off work or allow time to put the kids to bed. Then, structure your virtual event with an activity on the ideal platform to keep everyone entertained.
Decide your budget: With a bigger budget, you can send guests goodie bags with crowns and noise-makers ahead of time, send a meal, dessert, or a bottle of champagne to everyone, or hire someone to teach a class (mixology, perhaps?).
Pick a theme: For New Year’s, there are plenty of fun themes to try. You can go for classic black and white, disco, glitter, or even have a pajama party. Even more niche themes — based on TV characters, puns, or celebrities — are always welcome, too. If you want to up the stakes, give a prize to the best dressed: For example, a gift card to a local small business. Perhaps it’s a familial inside joke, a color, or decade theme, or costumes; pick something you know all of your guests will gladly embrace and something everyone can have fun with. Want to take it a step further? Create a fun custom background for your streaming space. You can do this digitally (there are tutorials online about how to accomplish this) or decorate your physical space to match your theme and help make the night feel like something special. You may not be able to leave home, but you can at least make home feel like somewhere new and fun for an evening.
Share a playlist: Let everyone share the evening and feel connected by creating a shared playlist. You can create collaborative playlists using Spotify, where every household can access the same playlist. Or create a playlist on YouTube, if having a video in the background is your thing, where everyone can have similar musical experience and create a lasting memento of the night that can be played again in the future.
Send your invitations: Just because the party is going virtual, it doesn’t mean beautiful invitations are out of the question. Make your guests feel extra special. Send out something glitzy in the mail for a personalized touch. Paper invitations also give you a chance to include some special extras for your invited guests, like photos, game cards, raffle tickets and whatever other extras that will help guests feel included in your big event. They also serve as a great keepsake!
If you are sending paper invites, then you will need to adjust the invitation wording so that guests know that it is a virtual party.
Pick an activity: No matter how big or how small your invite list, you need to plan a group activity. Your options for said activity are wide, and the best one will depend on the sort of crowd you’re hosting. You can do trivia, karaoke, tarot readings, bingo, or even hire an entertainer to virtually join your party: a DJ, comedian, magician, singer, etc.
Set up a space for the computer: If you want to make it seem like you’re all together, set a place for the computer, so you can all video chat during the night. Depending on your group, you may also want to consider designating a “tech captain.” That person can teach your less-tech-savvy relatives how to use Zoom in advance and help sort out any technical issues that arise day-of, so they don’t derail the entire event.
Share New Years resolutions: Go around the virtual circle and tell each other what you want to do differently in 2021. It may seem cheesy to some, but it's a great way to break the ice and reconnect with your loved ones. You might be surprised at what you learn about one another!
Pros of hosting a Virtual New Year:
No need to book a venue, just make sure that you're somewhere with a good internet connection
Anyone can join from anywhere meaning no one gets cut from the guest list
No intensive set-up or breakdown of the event
No need to provide food and drinks for guests
Guests can "attend" in their pajamas
Guests do not need to travel far!
Understandably, many are disappointed this year at how New Years is bound to play out. While a holiday celebration done virtually may not be the most optimal or the most traditional, there’s no denying that they can still offer a ton of fun and excitement for everyone involved. Plus, it will be an experience that you’ll likely remember for a lifetime! A virtual holiday party presents an opportunity to make lasting memories you can only create online.
Note: Before committing to a virtual option, please check to make sure the platform you are using offers the features that you need to make your party a success. If you are unfamiliar with a platform that you are considering, then jump online and test it out. The more comfortable you are with the technology, then the better chances you will have of making it all work out.