Celebrate The Holidays Safely With These Protective Party Tips
Bella Breakdown
The holidays are right around the corner everyone is excited about getting together with your loved ones but the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way we host social gatherings. We provide a guide on healthy hosting practices for parties to spread the holiday cheer safely.
Invitations
Every party starts with the invitation and gives you the chance to let your guests know about the recommended health guidelines including what will be requesting or providing guests such as personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer. This can also give you the chance to request guests to get tested before the party.
Request Testing On Invitation
One of the common hosting practices recommended are requesting guests get tested before attending. It’s recommended to send out invitations in advance to give guests enough time to get tested and will add some reassurance to other guests attending.
Sanitizing Stations
Providing hand sanitizer and wipes encourages guests to sanitize without having to take trips to the bathroom. Another option is welcoming guests with a welcome goodie bag with hand sanitizer that they can use throughout the party.
Individually Wrapped Utensils
Parties of the past would feature unwrapped utensils and straws but having everyone’s hands all over the utensils isn’t the safest option. A simple solution is individually wrapped utensils and straws that are easy to keep clean for all serving stations.
Personal Protective Equipment Station
Wearing a face mask at a party is highly recommended and you can requests guests to being their own face masks on the invitation. It’s also recommended to provide face masks and gloves for guests with the sanitizing stations.
Arrange Furniture To Encourage Social Distancing
One of the easiest ways to promote social distancing is to separate the furniture so all guests maintain the recommended six-foot distance from others. Hosts are encouraged to disinfect furniture before and after the event or can utilize furniture covers.
Multiple Trash Stations
Place multiple touchless trash cans or pails in several locations throughout the venue including one for each sanitizing station and one near the food/bar area. Check the trash cans occasionally throughout the party to make sure none of them are spilling over.
Custom Multi-Color Cocktail Bar
A common party faux-pas is people getting their drinks mixed up but a colorful custom cocktail bar can fix this problem. Instead of getting a ton of cups in one color, get a multi-color pack so people can easily identify their drink. You can also feature different multi-color straws and permanent markers for guests to write their names.
Hosting In A Large Open Space
Hosting a party in a large open space is highly recommended and an outdoor venue is even better to encourage guests to practice social distancing. If your backyard isn’t big enough to host outdoors, consider co-hosting with a close friend with a large yard or at a local community park (contact your local park services in advance).
