So, your BATCH party in Austin -- the one you spent 4 months planning -- got postponed because of COVID-19. That means you’ll just have to wait another 4 months to celebrate with your squad, right? 

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Focus on what you can control right now -- and throw down with your squad remotely 💃

The truth is, COVID-19 is still relatively new and the future is still mostly uncertain. While we’ve all got our collective squeaky clean fingers crossed 🧼, there’s just no for sure way of knowing when things will blow over. 

Here’s our hot take: 1) you should definitely still plan on having a proper BATCH party down the road once we enter a safer, pandemic-less world. But 2) do NOT wait another second to celebrate! 

Flip this crappy situation on its head like the BATCH boss you are and throw yourself or your bestie an epic virtual bachelorette party. More than ever before, y’all deserve a big blowout party….especially the bride.

Alright. Get ready to locate that dust-sprinkled bottle of champagne, BATCH fam. We’ve put together our pro tips for throwing a virtual BATCH party during quarantine 👇

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Pick a party-friendly platform

If you’ve been working/socializing/existing these last four crazy weeks, then you’ve been logging serious hours on Zoom Meetings, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts. These three are all great options for getting your squad together and partying the night away virtually and seamlessly. And they’re all super easy to use. 

But, for this special occasion, we’d recommend something more festive and a bit more aggressive: Houseparty. 

What makes Houseparty the best option for a BATCH celly, in our humble opinion? While chatting in real time with your BATCH party, you can also play these awesome games, which happen to get much better with drinking: 

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Heads Up

How to play: Pick a category, then a word will appear on the top of your screen (which you can’t see), and you’ll have to guess the words using your friends’ clues.

Quick Draw

How to play: It’s basically a virtual version of Pictionary. You’ll see an item to draw on your screen, but all your team will see is what you're drawing. Then, they’ll have to guess what you’re doodling on your screen. 

Trivia

How to play: Choose a bride-friendly category and put your trivia knowledge on display!

Next step: lock yourself in your bedroom like you’re in an AIM fight back in 8th grade

Tell your partner you’ve got dibs on the bedroom for the night. They can cozy up on the couch with a box of baked Goldfish and a set of Beats headphones snugly hugging their ears. 

Better yet, claim the basement for the night and turn it into your own personal party palace! Your little brother can pursue his dreams of TikTok stardom in the living room for a change.

Celebrate (drink heavily to) the bride 👰

Virtual or not, this BATCH party is about one very special, deeply deserving person: the bride!

I mean, she’s practically a martyr at this point. She’s put her real BATCH party on hold. She’s probably even punted her wedding date months down the road. And her kooky aunt who no one really talks to anymore -- well, she keeps replying all to the bride’s wedding updates with way, way too personal emails that the bride feels obligated to respond to. 

Seriously, though, what an effin’ nightmare it’s been. Make this night a breath of fresh air and beat-building, heartwarming release for the bride. These ideas should help: 

I’ll ask 21 questions, and they all about that BATCH

Task the Maid of Honor with jotting down 21 (or 101) unique questions about the bachelorette and leading the group in a question and answer sesh to see who knows the bachelorette best.

This is an awesome icebreaker for those who don’t know each other all that well yet. Everyone can contribute something new from a different place, time, and mindset in the bachelorette’s life. 

You could even reach out to the fiancé to provide questions beforehand. OR, even better, send a list of 21 questions to the fiancé ahead of the call. Have the fiancé answer the questions—then, once the party’s warmed up, surprise the bride and see if she gives the same answers.

Take the squad on a stroll down memory lane

This is another good icebreaker and a natural way to introduce folks over a common bond. Ask everyone to choose their favorite pic with the bachelorette and tell the story behind the picture, one by one. 

This will preemptively answer that irksome question: so, how do you know her again?

Meme that BATCH

Meme challenge! Have each guest come to the party with a meme ready that reminds them of the bachelorette.

Or, if you’re a particularly creative crew, craft your own original, hilarious memes of the bachelorette. 

Play-doh Pecker 

Send each guest a cheap tube of (sanitized) Playdoh before the party and have everyone prepare their own customized clay penis for a turned-up video call. 

Photoshop the Fiancé 

Is your group blessed with a skilled graphic artist -- someone who’s super skilled at Photoshop? Have them photoshop the fiancé into blends with celebrities or cartoon characters, and the group can play and laugh along.

Turn it into a guessing game! Photoshop one of the bachelorette’s Hollywood crushes (Ryan Gosling’s beret cap and translucently wet button-down from The Notebook) onto the fiancé and see if the group can guess with whom he’s been blended.

Inbound Scavenger Hunt

Come up with a list of household items and see who can find one and show it on screen first. Think: an old yearbook photo of the bachelorette, a food that resembles a penis, a Harry Potter book, a hilarious note to yourself from a lifetime ago, etc.

Play drinking games like you’re still in college 

Y’all know the deal. You’ve drank in dorm rooms and down in your parents’ basements many times before.  You don’t need us to tell you what drinking games to play. You know your squad best.

But, if you are looking for some recs, these are just a few of our favorites that work well virtually:

• Power Hour: Drink every minute while listening to a list of 60 second songs...or just keep an eye on the clock and drink to one of our specially curated BATCH party playlists.
• Never Have I Ever: Enough said. 
• Download Houseparty: Play one of the party games on the app. 

Pick a theme for your party

Time periods, movies (Clueless, Mean Girls, Heathers), Netflix shows, wigs -- the list of potential themes goes on and on. 

Team BATCH’s Picks: 

80’s Party: Put together a playlist of 80’s bangers (Madonna and Blondie all night long!), throw on some acid wash jeans, and pretend it’s a decade when no pandemics were threatening your wedding day! 

‘Hey  all you cool cats and kittens’:

Need we say anything more?

Have a movie night in 🎥

Have a Netflix Party with the bride’s favorite rom-com. Make it a scavenger hunt by providing the guests with 5 things to be on the lookout for during the movie, like spotting the emerald ring in The Devil Wears Prada:

Keep each other entertained with a virtual talent show

Reach out to the guests ahead of the call to see if there are any talents or skills they’d like to share with the group. 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.

Host a paint and sip with ArtsClub’s Studio Box series 🎨

Buy a Studio Box ahead of time and get in touch with your inner artist. Each box comes with materials and paint to bring your art project to life. You can even score 5% off with coupon code BATCH.

Not exactly what one would call artistically-inclined? No sweat. At the very least, it’s an excuse to keep refilling your wine glass while playing arts and crafts. 

After party karaoke, anyone?

Download the app Smule, and belt out the bride’s favorite jams of all-time with reckless (read: very drunk) abandon. Just don’t annoy your quarantine-mates too much. 

Set the mood with Cameo

Start the call with a video greeting from a celeb that the bachelorette is obsessed with. Meredith from The Office, anyone?

Share screengrabs for a chance to win free booze

The opportunities to create a fun and special night for the bachelorette are pretty much limitless, even if you need to keep it virtual. We know it’s a crazy and scary time, but celebrating friendship has never been more important. 

Be sure to take screenshots throughout your BATCH party and tag us on Instagram. We’ll be giving out 12 packs of White Claw to some of our favorites.

Keep it safe and positive, BATCH Fam. We’ll talk to y’all soon!

Love,

Team BATCH