Planning & Hosting an Engagement Party with Social Distancing
Getting engaged is super exciting, and it is natural to want to celebrate this monumental occasion with family and friends. It is also understandable to feel conflicted about throwing an engagement party during COVID-19. This is an uncertain, extraordinary time.
As the pandemic continues into 2021, some recently engaged couples are postponing their engagement party and wedding planning for now. Others are making the decision to move forward as conditions in their area improve, with social distancing and other safety measures included in their plans.
Although people are now receiving vaccines, it will take time for the general population to become vaccinated and we don’t know how long safety protocols will be necessary. According to health experts, even as the outbreak becomes controlled, masks and social distancing will remain a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.
While it’s not time to let your guard down, don’t let that cause you to lose the excitement you feel about your engagement and wedding. This is a special moment in your life, one you can still plan to celebrate with loved ones.
Below are ideas for how to plan an engagement party in the COVID-19 era with measures to help protect the health and safety of you and your guests. Consider them as you make your engagement and wedding plans.
Options for Engagement Parties During COVID-19
The Virtual Engagement Party
If you plan to have an engagement party during the pandemic, one option is to go virtual. Using a digital platform such as Zoom you can host a fun party online and celebrate with guests remotely.
Virtual parties were basically the only option for celebrating during quarantines last year, and many couples found creative ways to make the remote events a special experience.
If you are considering a virtual engagement party, you can find tips and ideas at WeddingWire to help with your planning.
Planning an Engagement Party with Social Distancing
While a virtual party can be fun, some couples cannot imagine celebrating without their loved ones with them, even if six feet apart. If throwing an in-person engagement party is important to you, and you can do it while following health and safety mandates, you could plan an engagement party with social distancing.
It won’t be the same as a pre-COVID-19 party. Your guest list will be kept to a minimum with your closest family and friends. Tables and guests will be spaced apart, hugs become air hugs, and toasting is done at a distance. With masks, hand sanitizing, and temperature checks, your party will look different. But with the right planning, a social distancing engagement party can still be a wonderfully memorable experience.
Plan a Hybrid Engagement Party
If you do choose to throw an in-person engagement party, consider making it a hybrid event, which includes both virtual and in-person guests. Hybrid meetings, seminars, and conferences have grown in popularity amid the pandemic, but this type of live-streamed event also offers a great solution for couples who want the intimacy of an in-person gathering without leaving others out of the joyous occasion. Many couples are also choosing to plan hybrid weddings and receptions rather than continue to postpone their nuptials.
Planning and hosting a hybrid event can be challenging. It’s not as simple as using a smartphone to go live during the party. There is a lot that goes into it. But some wedding planners and venues are quickly gaining expertise in planning and hosting hybrid events. The right vendors can handle the details for you, including social distancing and other safety measures as well as setting up and managing the technical aspects, to ensure your hybrid event is a smooth, magical moment.
Engagement Party & Wedding Reception Venue with Social Distancing
If you want to plan a social distant engagement party, or a wedding and/or reception with social distancing in Houston, Imagen Venues is here to help. We host both indoor and outdoor events with social distancing, including hybrid events, and our full-service event centers are equipped with the latest audio and multimedia equipment plus the technology for livestreaming.
Tell us your ideas and priorities and we will work to accommodate you. Committed to delivering an exceptional experience in a safe environment, our professional staff, from event planners and hospitality to technical and ICT to security and sanitation, is ready to help bring your event to life.
Get in touch with us to find out more.