Festive Celebrations at Home with Family
From bowls of cereal to beautiful candles, event planner CHRIS WEINBERG shows us how to party at home
Even in these unprecedented times, birthdays, anniversaries and holidays happen. The question is how to celebrate them at home alone, as a couple or as an immediate family? For some, the idea of celebrating anything right now seems challenging, but others find the idea to be uplifting and a sign of hope for the future. These days, many of us have free time and are looking for meaningful ways to connect. As a professional party planner, I am always looking for ways to celebrate life, even while at home, sheltering in place with my family.
Here are a couple of easy ways to make your home celebrations fun and festive.
1. Order in a festive meal from a local restaurant and set a celebratory candlelit table. Pick your food up curbside or have it delivered, set your table with a cloth linen, fine china or dishware, nice flatware, napkins and some candles. You can also dress up your table with greenery and flowers. PRO TIP: Take out your scissors and forage for what is right in your yard. There are plenty of online floral arranging tutorials if you want to further accent and elevate your table.
2. Plan and cook a festive meal together. If you and your family enjoy cooking, plan a fun and interactive meal you can create together like make your own pizzas or taco bar. The fun is in setting up all the ingredients so that everyone is involved from start to finish. PRO TIP: Create a high energy music playlist of everyone’s favorite songs.
3. Revolve a celebration around something you love. If you love wine, set up a Wine Tasting. Open several different bottles and pair each with a snack or lite bite. You can even set up your wines in a different part of your home. Feel free to get creative with decorations and themes. Work your way from room to room and enjoy!
4. Look for creative, Instagrammable ways to celebrate. If you have children, especially teens and young adults at home, and they have a birthday, engage them in what their interests are. For example, learn a challenge dance and video a family TikTok or have a game night with your favorite games and everyone dress in their favorite pajamas!
We celebrated my daughter’s 21st birthday during this time at home. She asked us to dress up formally and sit down for a “cereal party”. There were eight different types of fun cereals like Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Puffs and different types of milk. As a family, we baked and frosted her favorite confetti cake. While not what she envisioned, it was her idea and she loved it!
Let’s also remember to use Zoom or FaceTime. It makes extended family and friends feel connected. In this unknown time, we can find new ways to celebrate milestones, as long as we are safe and together.
Chris Weinberg is a wedding and event producer who designs and produces outstanding, fun, once-in-a-lifetime, memorable events for high net worth clients. Chris Weinberg Events, is founded on three simple ideas: work with awesome clients, exceed expectations, think outside the box. As global event producers, we assist our clients in thoughtfully planning, crafting and producing their weddings and special celebrations anywhere their hearts desire! Chris Weinberg Events has produced successful celebrations for more than 16 years. Our team specializes in creating luxury, large budget, destination and complex multi-day events. We bring our clients’ visions of their important celebrations to life. Our breadth of services, industry relationships, experience and expertise enable us to combine talented creative partners, the finest event production, and latest technology, with seamless execution. We provide a superior level of service, while offering the utmost professionalism, flexibility, creativity and event management. Consultations and inquiries are welcome.
