May this be the best and hopefully last Zoom Galentine’s Party you will ever plan!
Creating an unforgettable online event needs some extra prep work. You need to know your why before you can plan this event because it is untraditional. Let the purpose of your event decide what goes into your gathering and what stays out. If this Galentine’s is about connecting with long-distant friends—awesome, your guest list and conversation pieces now have an agenda. If it is about just laughing with your besties who you connect with regularly then maybe you focus on rom com trivia and sharing cocktail recipes. You get the idea!
The second thing that really matters here is you as the host. You need to take ownership of the Zoom time. Zoom can be uncomfortable for most or can feel detached so this is not the time where you want to play it “chill.” People have agreed to come into “your kingdom” and they want to be governed! This means you are leading the games, helping people converse, making connections and taking control of the flow of the event.
Now to the party itself—every detail counts! I am going to go through each step of a good party and will try to include things that are low budget and high budget for this event.
The Invitation – build excitement
Zoom parties need a nice and clear invite. Get your guests excited by making a fun invitation—create a video all dressed up or use a virtual invite with all the bells and whistles. Stay true to the purpose of your event and make sure it includes all the details like time, structure of event and what they can expect to bring to their Zoom party.
Note on time: I wouldn’t go over 1.5hr and would try to stick to 1 hour for the Zoom gathering.
The Prep – give everyone a job
One way to stay on budget is to either ask for a $10 fee to pull off the event OR give everyone a job. If you want everyone to have a special box of cookies while the event is going on, have someone deliver cookies to each guest’s doorstep. Have another guest drop off a flower or a fun party hat to get everyone in the festive mood. Or perhaps, there is no cost at all but you just want help with the games—lean on your most PowerPoint savvy guest to help plan and lead the trivia or name that song game.
The Galentine Games – begin the zoom by letting loose
Here are just a few ideas you can try for games:
- Use PowerPoint to create rom com trivia, celebrity relationships would you rather or fill in the blanks to this popular love songs (you can easily google/Pinterest these so you don’t have to create them from scratch).
- Ask everyone to prepare a one-minute toast to friendship and let everyone’s creative spirit lead them however they choose.
- Learn something new like making mini flower arrangements or have someone teach a lesson (like making a cocktail). This one requires more $$ and prep to make sure everyone has their materials but worth it!
- Craft valentines together –this is a bit more risky because there will be more awkward silence and pauses over Zoom so you may need to be a smaller or real tight-knit group to pull this one off.
- Dress up for a virtual tea party and have a tea exchange (super affordable but requires some driving/planning)
The Conversation – go deep
Prepare one meaningful question that gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on their friendships. Galentine’s Day is all about women celebrating women so perhaps you have everyone go around and say what they are thankful for in the friend group or you can ask a prompt like: share a time a friend really blessed you or what do you think makes friendship so important for your season of life?
This is your opportunity to make the time thoughtful! Don’t rush through it.
The Closing – finish well
All good things must come to an end and as a fantastic host, you need to help lead your guests there. Subtly recall your purpose by reminding your guests why the Galentine’s gathering was initiated in the first place. Thank your guests for coming and end the way you began –with lots of energy and authenticity. Think of this like a yoga class ending with an “om” or a church service ending with a “peace be with you.” How can you close the time together that connects with the event and makes sense for your guests?
It could be as simple as “I pronounce this 2021 Galentine’s officially celebrated.” Or as intentional as reciting your highlights from what your guests shared and encourage them to carry those good tidings on into the rest of the year. You’ll know the right thing based off your friend group.
May you all feel encouraged, refreshed and perfectly sugared-up!
