Because my virtual happy hour was fancy AF…
Not gonna lie, happy hours with friends is something that I really miss, and that’s why I decided to throw a Formal Friday party earlier this month. Social distancing is REALLY HARD when you live alone like I do ,and since it’s really crucial for my mental health to stay in touch with my friends, I knew a virtual happy hour would be a great thing to look forward to, on top of just being fun.
I invited about 10 friends and told them this is a FANCY AF party and they had to be fully dressed and formal from the waist up, haha. Hosting a virtual cocktail party definitely isn’t a new idea. But I did a few things that really made my party extra special. All I know is that I am so grateful for the fact that technology in 2020 allows us to even do this…can you imagine what this would’ve been like 20 or 30 years ago?! I can’t even.
Oh, and if you’re looking to throw a birthday party, Dena over at The Planning Society has some perfect birthday-specific Zoom party ideas!
How To Host A Virtual Happy Hour
Decide on your video chat platform options.
Zoom is the obvious choice here but, that said, if you have a free account they give you a 40 minutes time limit. You can also definitely use Google Hangout or the HouseParty app, which is great if part of your party plan is to play games!
Games To Play During Virtual Happy Hour:
- Heads Up (my personal fave, and avail on HouseParty)
- BINGO
- Charades
- Pictionary
- Trivia
Send a formal invite.
Once you decide on how many people to invite, send out an email. Since I wanted my happy hour to be extra fancy, I sent out a formal invitation (above) that I designed on Paperless Post. I just felt like it made the party that much fancier, you know?
Get the lighting just right.
I actually bought this ring light with a stand awhile ago so that I could film a few new IGTV videos (on my to-do list, ha). Turns out it’s also great for virtual happy hour; getting the lighting just right really helps set the tone for your video chat and it’s also great for any work from home video chats.
Leopard iPhone case // Eklexic Double Interlinking Circle Drop earrings // Dress (old, from Express)
Dress up (like really. Cocktail attire is preferable).
In my invite I said pants weren’t required but I decided to go full out and wear a cocktail dress (sans heels, of course). I also did my hair and makeup as if I were really going to a cocktail party. And, gotta say, it felt pretty amazing to get all dressed up after a few weeks of slumming it.
Suggest a signature drink.
A virtual cocktail is a must. This one can be a little tricky since signature cocktails are really dependent on what kind of booze each person has at home. I definitely don’t want to encourage anyone to go out unnecessarily, so stick with something simple using common ingredients. Think vodka, tequila, apple juice, orange juice, etc.
If you need some inspiration, my favorite apple cider vodka cocktail is always a good idea.
What are some of your virtual happy hour ideas?! Tell me in the comments below 🙂
Pingback: How to Throw a Virtual Rosé Tasting Party - Honestly Jamie