Virtual Vibes: How Online Events Are Changing the Game

I attended a German wedding without leaving my home. In 2020, a childhood friend was set to get married to a German man in her new Munich home. Our friends were going to make the trip overseas to celebrate until…. You know what happened.

Later that year, they decided to at least get legally married in Germany but none of us could be present. At 2 ‘o clock in the morning in Colorado, I signed on to Zoom with lots of other family and friends spread throughout the US to watch them marry in a courthouse. My friend still wore a white dress and the justice of the peace wore a mask. They only spoke German but we still understood the love they were declaring for the literal world to hear. I was ecstatic to still be part of their important day.

My pandemic office was literally a storage closet under the stairs. I'd never felt so connected to Harry Potter.

Another friend, living in California, was pregnant with her first son in 2020 and spent her entire pregnancy sequestered away from all the people who love her. She had moved around a lot in her 20’s so she had a fair number of friends and family throughout the country. Pre-Pandemic times, I probably wouldn’t have traveled to California for a baby shower but since none of us could travel, a virtual event was planned. My friend’s sister put together a slideshow with normal baby shower games- trivia about the mom-to-be, how well do you know babies? (I won the game, nbd) Luckily, she had extra time to put together an online game because we were all stuck at home. But what if her sister had been too busy or wasn’t a very creative person?

That’s where Virtually Good Trivia comes in. 

If your family can’t travel to you for your big day, then virtually go to them! Bridal showers come to mind for me because Aunts have other obligations and airplanes might be too much for Grandma. Instead, connect online through a game all about the bride! Personalize trivia for the bride and groom during a virtual engagement party. The one good thing that came out of 2020 was people being much more receptive to an online party. 

You probably know more people who regularly use video calls than the people who abstain. And you were already on your phone anyway, right? Instead of mindlessly scrolling, let’s celebrate the people we love.