Top 10 Ideas for Pre-Wedding Virtual Celebrations

A wedding isn’t just a wedding. Not only is it a day where you celebrate your love for your partner, but it’s also an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family leading up to your wedding. From bachelor and bachelorette parties to bridal showers and engagement parties, there are a lot of fun things to do!

Pre-Boxed Lunch: Ashley Brooke Designs, Table Decorated for a Bridal Shower: Wedding Chicks, Woman Drinking Wine and Painting: Style Me Pretty, Staged Area for Bride to Open Presents: Popsugar

In the age of COVID, these pre-wedding celebrations look a little different. Gathering in large groups isn’t recommended, so brides and grooms are getting creative with virtual celebrations. Not only do they enable us to celebrate with family and friends during COVID, but this trend may prove to be popular after the virus is no longer a threat because it enables friends and family to attend who otherwise may not be able to make it.

The question is, exactly what do you do at a pre-wedding virtual celebration, and how do you make it your own? The tips on this list work for any pre-wedding celebration including the:

• Engagement party
• Bridal shower
• Bachelorette party
• Bachelor party
• Rehearsal dinner

Don’t Skip a Theme or Decorations

Just because your celebration is virtual doesn’t mean you have to skip having a fun theme or decorating! If you like the boho look, decorate your engagement party with driftwood and pampas grass. If you like the geometric look, hang air planters filled with air plants and use geometric candle holders. Because you’re gathering in your own home on the computer, you need less décor, which means you can splurge on a look you really love.

Go for a Dress Code

Just because you aren’t meeting up in person doesn’t mean you can’t ask guests to abide by a dress code. Let them know if your engagement party is a formal affair or you want your bridesmaids to dress down for a spa bachelorette party. Guests will love having an excuse to dress up—or down—even if they don’t leave the house.

Schedule Smaller Groups During Your Celebration

If you have a lot of friends or family, guest counts can get out of hand fast. Interacting with so many guests can be extremely difficult, especially if you’re trying to do it over the computer. Make things easier for everyone and schedule smaller groups during your celebration.

For example, celebrate your bridal shower with the bride’s family for an hour, then host a second hour with the groom’s family.

Get Creative With the Time of Day

Just because bridal showers are traditionally celebrated in the afternoon and bachelorette parties typically happen at night doesn’t mean you have to stick with these traditions when you host a virtual celebration. When everyone gathers in their own home in front of the computer, you can consider hosting a morning breakfast or planning a bachelorette party for a Sunday afternoon.

Send Food and Drinks Ahead of Your Party

Food and drinks are one of the things guests miss most about in-person events, but this is something you can fix. Plan ahead and have food items sent to each guest ahead of your event. From cookies to cupcakes, catered lunches, and custom drink mixes, you can enjoy the same delicacies together, even if everyone is miles apart.

Find Ways To Get Guests Involved

Virtual events aren’t always very exciting, mostly because guests have to take turns talking. Instead of relying on conversation to keep the party going, find ways to get your guests involved.

Ideas include:

• Ask guests to have an item ready to share that reminds them of you
• Host a movie night
• Workout together
• Have a game night
• Do a wine and paint party
• Host a cooking competition

Open Gifts

Events like the engagement and bachelorette parties often include opening presents. With a little planning ahead, you can still open presents at your virtual party.

When sending out invitations, include an address where guests can send presents ahead of the party. Organize gifts ahead of the event to see who sent what so you know who to invite to the present opening portion of the party.

Create a Custom Snapchat Filter

Did you know you can create your own Snapchat filter? At an event that relies on technology, it’s fun to find ways to integrate it throughout the event. Create a custom hashtag for your party and guests can post funny pictures using your custom filter to their social media accounts.

Let Some Guests Attend in Person

As restrictions ease up and people are able to get a COVID-19 vaccination, more and more people are going to be willing to gather in groups. If you have friends and family who are part of your pod or who have been vaccinated, don’t feel like they have to attend virtually for the sake of everyone else. Consider inviting a few people to attend your celebration in person and have everyone else attend virtually.

Consider Renting or Buying Professional Equipment

If you want to make your pre-wedding virtual celebration special, because let’s face it—most of us would rather get together in person—consider renting or buying professional equipment.

That might mean something as simple as buying a tripod or something as elaborate as renting special lighting. If you decorate your space and want to make your event one that everyone remembers, the quality of your livestream matters. Professional equipment can help.