BATCH Fam,

How are y’all doing? We hope you’re staying healthy and positive in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. This situation seriously sucks, but we’re absolutely gonna pull through!
Team BATCH’s number one priority is to always be a helpful resource for you. Usually, this is during times of carefree celebration, but we also have your back during the stressful times, too.
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Here’s our hot take: coronavirus, as you already know, is affecting just about everyone and everything. It even had the sass to go after Tom Hanks. Is nothing precious anymore?
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And bottom line, we know that coronavirus could dramatically impact your lives, including your BATCH plans. While we’d never dream of dispensing actual medical advice, we do know a thing or two about planning a fire BATCH party 🔥. So, we’re going to offer some guidance for navigating the bachelorette planning world during this crazy time.
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We’ll try to answer any questions you might have in this quick guide. If you have any thoughts or concerns we don’t cover, please give us a shout. We’re here to help!

Don’t take it personally.

Coronavirus poses a potential hurdle for folks attending your BATCH party. It’s not an excuse. It’s not a cop-out. It’s not an eleventh-hour “I have wayyy too much to do at work, sry!” text. It’s a totally valid reason, and the first step is to not take anything personally. If a friend needs to bail on your party, let them do so, without question or guilt.
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While they may be young and healthy, they could be regularly checking in on a sick grandparent or a friend with an underlying health condition -- or they may have a pregnant friend or family member they see often. You just never know...and given the situation, they honestly shouldn’t have to explain.

We know this sucks, but your friends’ safety and comfort take priority. Let them sit this one out. Text them something sweet and understanding. We have no doubt they’ll show up in a big way for your wedding!

Is your BATCH party coming up soon? Consider putting the party on ice for a few months.

You know yourself and your friends better than anyone else. If your BATCH crew is seriously not okay with traveling, then you should postpone your party, no question. The last thing you want is to be thinking about coronavirus when you should be kicking back that shot of tequila. You might even consider breaking tradition and throwing a BATCH after your wedding, but more on that in a bit.

When in doubt, trust in the unparalleled wisdom of the group thread.

Don’t take on the pressure of making big decisions alone. Use the BATCH app group chat and polls to harness the collective genius of your squad and make clear decisions together so everyone will know their thoughts and feelings were considered.

Perks of postponing your party

Call us aggressively optimistic, but just as we think every cloud has a silver lining, we think there are a few key perks to pushing back your party:

1. You’ll have “no stress, no stress, no stress.”
If you’re postponing your BATCH party, you’re doing it to avoid all the stress and uncertainty. Your BATCH party should be a worry-free zone replete with endless cans of White Claw and limitless carefree, fun with your friends. Postpone the party and save yourself all the worry.
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2. Now you have more time to plan the PERFECT BATCH party!
With more time to plan -- most likely while working from home, you can nail down all of those party details. Polish up the itinerary. Put together the perfect playlist. Pack your weekend to the brim with all of those amazing activities you’ll cherish even more in a bright, sunny, boozy, coronavirus free world!

Our recommendation: if you’re booking through BATCH, we suggest not booking activities for any parties happening before June, according to widespread restrictions and regulations happening across the country. If you book activities for parties after June 1, and coronavirus is still affecting travel plans, we will work with you to refund or reschedule your bookings.

Let your BATCH party be a beacon of fist-pumping hope during this time. You’ll go from social distancing to social butterfly again in no time. (Okay okay, eight weeks isn’t exactly “no time,” but we’re trying to be positive here.)
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3. Your wedding is likely postponed anyway...
Pretty self-explanatory. If your wedding’s postponed, that’s a perfectly good reason to delay your BATCH party. It’s also much easier -- and, yep, cheaper and way less complicated -- to change.

What’s your policy on canceling and rescheduling?
Keep up-to-date here.

Don’t be afraid to break with tradition.

Who says your bachelorette party has to come before your nuptials? Postpone your BATCH until 6 months after your wedding and make it a bridal-check-in party!
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Your friends can celebrate your first 6 months of marriage, and maybe even hear some juicy honeymoon deets.

Plus, all of the stress and logistics and how many flower bouquets do we really need? discussions from the wedding...it will all be way behind you. Ancient history.
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Now you can cut loose and have fun with your squad, without worrying about how many reception servers you need and why your wedding planner chooses to start every third sentence with: “IMHO.” 🙄
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We know this might not be your favorite choice, but your guests could appreciate not having to worry about traveling during the beginning of this outbreak when uncertainty abounds. We’ve already seen a few groups do this, so it seems like this decision is gaining popularity. This is an idea we’re following, so stay tuned.

Keep the BATCH party local (or even potentially virtual)

So, your BATCH party in Austin -- the one you spent the last 4 months planning -- got grounded because of coronavirus. That means you have to wait another half a year to celebrate, right? Absolutely not!

Get in loser, we’re having a hometown party. Here’s a super quick rundown of things to do in your hometown if your BATCH gets grounded:
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Note: Please refer to your preferred news source and safety recommendations to determine if/when any social plans are appropriate and safe.

1. Cozy up on the couch with your besties for a movie night.
Have a girls night in with your closest friends and an economy-sized Purell. Let the bride choose a couple of her favorite rom-coms, documentaries, Netflix shows, or YouTube clips (it’s still her night), and get to snacking. Let’s steer clear of the double-dipping, though. The good news is, there’s no shortage of vino on the store shelves.

2. Keep your minds buzzin’ with a bachelorette trivia night!
The bride and Maid of Honor come up with questions about the bachelorette and the group competes to see who knows the bachelorette best. This is the perfect idea for a themed group FaceTime if you want to spend a couple hours with everyone during your quarantines. Easy and completely germ-free.

3. Strike a pose (and maybe leave those N95 respirator masks at home).
Coordinate a photoshoot in a park or non-crowded area (social distancing, people). Pick a fun color scheme or theme, get dressed up with your friends, and head to a photogenic spot like you’re hitting the runway.

4. Have a themed girls’ night in!
Choose your favorite 80’s rom-com, put together a playlist of 80’s bangers (Madonna and Blondie all night!), throw on some acid wash jeans and pretend it’s a decade with no pandemics threatening your wedding day.

5. Book a cooking or cocktail class -- or host one at home!
If someone in your group is a master chef or mixologist, or even just makes the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever devoured in your life, provide a platform for them to share their skills with the group.

6. Have a coronavirus karaoke party!
Go to your friend’s house with the best acoustics, bring the karaoke system, break out the White Claws, and belt out your favorite jams of all-time with reckless (read: very drunk) abandon. This option could also be a fun group video call. Just don’t annoy your quarantine-mates too much.
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The list goes on…

We know, we know, you get the point by now. The opportunities to create a fun and special night for the bride are pretty much limitless, even if you need to keep it local. So do something in your hometown for now, and start planning for the real BATCH party down the road!

Bottomline: Stay safe out there.

It’s a very strange and uncertain time right now -- and the news keeps coming in very fast.  Be sure to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

We know that postponing your BATCH party is a drag, but in the grand scheme of life, it’s a small speed bump. And once this thing finally blows over, we’ll be right here, ready to party with you!
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Love,
Team BATCH

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