Planning a socially distant party is the need of the hour and the world we live in these days. As the restrictions have relaxed in Canada, we are allowed to have small gatherings preferably in the outdoors while maintaining social distancing.
This June it was my turn to host our book club meeting. After many months of online meets, I was super excited to host an in-person one in my backyard. The fact that we were discussing Emma written by my most favourite Jane Austen, gave me the perfect excuse to have a ‘Jane Austen Garden Party’ theme for the meet.
Yes, how could I miss the opportunity to dress regency style!
There are many factors to consider in planning a socially distant party. Let’s discuss them all in detail.
Planning a Socially Distant Party
1. Be Outdoors
It’s easier to be socially distant in the outdoors. So plan the party either in your backyard or in a park. Weather is always a challenge when planning for the outdoors. For my bookclub meet we had a forecast of rain, and there was really no backup plan since we could not move indoors. Thankfully after a million prayers it did not rain, but it was definitely stressful.
2. Set up a Sanitization Station
Look at the picture above. What you see on the bottom right is a stool on which we had a hand sanitizer and wipes. Make sure you have this available readily for your guests to sanitize their hands regularly. Have a bin nearby to toss the discarded wipes.
3. Space out the Seating
Make sure you space out the seating so that guests can be comfortable and physically distant. This also sets the tone when planning a physically distant party.
4. Food and drinks
With our current COVID-19 restrictions, it’s recommended not to share food and drinks. I served individually packed snacks such as cookies, chips and nuts. I also kept the pakoras in individual appetizer dishes so that they can picked up without touching the rest.
For tea, I made mixed chai in a pot. For sugar I kept disposable spoons and stir sticks. Serve drinks and food in disposables.
5. Remember not to hug
That’s a big one especially for emotional folks like me who love to hug! Do remember all public health guidelines.
6. Remember to Have Fun
While it’s important to remember all that we can’t do, do remember that we can still have fun, meet (while staying socially distant), dress up and have a fun theme. All of us dressed up in the regency era style to enjoy a Jane Austen theme garden party. It was truly a great break after the many days of staying at home.
Hope all these tips of planning a socially distant party help you stay safe and have fun! Remember to follow all current public health rules!
Such an adorable party! And as always, you are the trend setter.
Thank you so much!