Pandemic or not, life moves on, and we want to be able to celebrate milestones with our family and friends. While we have had to be more mindful of how we celebrate, people are still finding ways to get together. From virtual bridal parties to birthday videos and socially distant gatherings - we are making the best of our situation.
I actually had gone to my first socially distant event recently, a baby shower for some long time friends of mine. While I was excited to see people in real life, there were also a lot of questions of what it would be like, and what everyone’s individual comfort levels would be. Luckily, the party was designed with this in mind - and a lot of the small, little things that were thought of not only made sense but made the experience enjoyable, and for a few hours, we were able to feel normal again.
To help inspire you for your next get together, here are the touches that made all the difference.
Outdoor Space
We received evites that had stated the shower would be outside with social distancing
protocols being observed. This was a welcoming invite to receive since the question didn’t have to be asked and the expectation was set from the beginning. The shower was held at a house where there was plenty of space so that seating and tables could be far enough apart from each other. Knowing we wouldn’t be close together indoors, especially since some of us haven’t seen each other since the pandemic started was comforting.
Small In Person Guest List
While we all wish we could come together in person to celebrate, it just might not be possible at this time, especially where some states are mandating quarantine or negative test results to visit them. The total number of people who attended were local to the state, anyone out of state was invited to a virtual baby shower, and the total was about 15. This is why, it made sense that in addition to an in-person event, they also held a virtual baby shower for those who lived out of state. Gifts on the registry could be shipped directly to their home and they still got to share their news with all of their friends and family near and far.
Hand Sanitizer & Masks Were Available
There was a basket of masks available for guests and hand sanitizer on each table. People were free to take a mask if they didn’t have one already, and hand sanitizer was a good reminder for people to frequently sanitize, especially while we were eating using our hands and then touching other surfaces - you don’t realize how often you touch surfaces and then your face. There were also Clorox wipes in case anyone needed to use them.
Pre-Packaged Individual Portions of Food
The hostess went all out on making sure everything served was individually pre-packaged. By having everything in individual portions, it cut down on multiple people touching the same serving utensils. She even went as far as to individually put together cutlery & napkins in these bags for people to grab, so you weren’t touching cutlery that wasn’t yours or standing in line waiting to pull some from a basket.
All Drinks Were Served In Cans
While this isn’t a new idea, I thought it was a great one in these times of socially distancing yourself. Luckily, this baby shower wasn’t dry - so there were beer and wine options, in cans, as well as other non-alcoholic beverages. It was easy for people to grab and go. This way, we weren’t all touching wine bottles and glasses - you were only touching your own drink.
Have you attended a socially distant party or event? Share with us what worked well on Facebook or Instagram.
