Celebration Ideas During COVID

At the beginning of quarantine we thought there would be a few “lucky” ones with quarantine birthdays, but almost 1 year later it seems most of the world will have a birthday or major milestone to celebrate during this global pandemic. For some it was weddings (which we wrote about in detail here), for some it was a birthday, the birth of a new born baby, and for others still it was a job promotion, a new home, and other major life transitions that would normally call for large gatherings of friends or family. 

The new normal is finding safe ways to celebrate at a distance or online, but just because we’re practicing social distancing or quarantining ourselves at home doesn’t mean we can’t also have a little fun, right? In fact, celebrating a milestone can be a bright spot in these unprecedented and uncertain times.. We’re here to tell you it’s still possible to celebrate! And, if you’re looking for a little hands-on help beyond this blog post, Danielle Gibson Events is here to help with that too.

Whether you live alone, with a partner, with roommates, or family, below are some ways to celebrate someone’s big day while still being safe during this time. 

This blog contains photos of a joint 50/80 milestone birthday celebration that Danielle Gibson Events designed in Napa Valley to help inspire you to plan your next social event. To see more photos of this Amalfi Coast inspired party and vendor credits, visit us on Party Slate.

Throw A Virtual Party

Have you been using a video chat service for most of 2020? Office meetings are now standard practice on Zoom, Google Meets, and Slack, while friend and family time takes place on Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp, Houseparty, the list goes on… Read more of our breakdown on the best ways to host virtually here. So why not use the same type of service for a party? 

Take advantage of the fact that no one has to travel to your celebration and use a virtual platform to gather a larger than normal group! Set the mood with lighting, make your mocktail or cocktail drink of choice (La Croix has some fun mocktail recipes) and encourage attendees to do the same, create a Spotify playlist that everyone can listen to (share it via a link in the video platform’s chat), play trivia (Houseparty will set this up for you for free!), stream a movie together (checkout Netflix Party for this!), or make it a themed party in which everyone dresses up. #WigginOut is a common party theme in which everyone shows up wearing a crazy wig!

Want to take the party to the beach? The Las Vegas strip? The beautiful Napa Valley vineyards? Don’t we all. Now’s your chance! Canva has customizable Zoom backgrounds and videos so you can take your virtual party anywhere you want to go.

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Party In A Box

The next best thing to eating cake on your birthday is eating cake on your birthday, in bed! Send your guest of honor a birthday-in-a-box complete with cake and decorations to make their day extra special. 

Here are some businesses we love:

• For Birthdays – Celebration Station’s Birthday-in-a-Box ($99.95) It includes a colorful, four-layer confetti cake, the famous Celebration Stadium candle holder, 100 gold and silver candles, personalized birthday card, gold foil paper crown, and a “Happy Birthday” gold cake topper.
• For Any Celebration – Confete Party Box ($35-$199) Their boxes cover any celebration you can think of from a Drunken Debate Party to a Bachelorette Party and come with perfectly curated decor and accessories to make your party all that you’ve ever wished. 
• Consider reaching out to a local business to put together a custom box of goodies for all your virtual friends. If you’re in the Napa Valley or San Francisco Bay Area we recommend:  Foxtail Catering, Teeny Cake and La Saison.

Take Advantage of Precious Real Estate

While it’s always nice to receive a handwritten card in the mail, it’s even more fun to wake up and see a custom celebratory message on your front lawn. It’s like showing up with a boombox blasting your favorite song, but less disturbing to the neighbors. Choose your custom message with prices starting around $100. They’ll even cover the setup and takedown. Here’s an example of a company in the North Bay – this service is very specific to your location so we recommend googling “Front Yard Signs in My Area” to find the best option for you!

If you’re in the Orange County/Los Angeles area consider reaching out to our friends over at Wild Child Party. Throughout quarantine they’ve been hands-on making birthdays come to life in the cutest of ways. 

Send Some Love In The Mail

• Piñatagram – Piñatas have always been a staple at kids birthday parties, but why should kids have all the fun? Enter Piñatagrams. This company will ship a small, colorful piñata ($19.99) filled with sweets and a custom message to whoever you’re celebrating.
• Milk Bar – Famous for their classic “Birthday Cake”. The Birthday Cake is a vanilla cake packed with cake crumbs and funfetti. The cakes and desserts are available for delivery nationwide with a flat shipping fee of $15, or for same-day delivery through Postmates, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Caviar if you live close enough to one of their brick-and-mortar locations. 
• We Drink Bubbles – A San Diego business, woman run and founded, that includes a subscription to bubbles and also offers specially curated gifts. Perfect for the champagne lover in your life.
• Farmgirl Flowers – Send a bouquet of flowers to your special person no matter the celebration! Got a promotion at work? Celebrating a milestone birthday? Farmgirl Flowers now ships nationwide!

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Send A Celebrity Cameo

There is now a service for everything. This one allows you to pay actors, musicians, reality TV stars, athletes and other public figures for personalized shout-outs whether you’re in Los Angeles, the Napa Valley, or anywhere! Ranging from $2 to $2,500, you can request a birthday video message through Cameo from celebrities like Mandy Moore, Tony Hawk, Debra Messing,Ice Cube, or your favorite Bachelor/Bachelorette contestant.

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Create Your Own Parade!

If you live close enough, consider organizing your friends to drive their own cars over to the home of whoever needs celebrating! This parade of honks (be mindful of neighbors), signs, and balloons out the window is a memorable way to make someone feel special during a time when leaving the house is frowned upon. It’s a great feeling to see your friends outside of your laptop screen while still being safe. 

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Need Help Creating A Memorable Milestone Celebration When Celebrating Is Safe Again?

We offer a range of services you can see here for clients in the Napa Valley and beyond.

Reach out to DG Events via email at danielle@daniellegibsonevents.com to find out how we can help! 

Find out how we can help you find the best venues for your event for FREE! Our venue scouting services are free when you book through us.

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