Are you wondering what the holidays will be like this year? We want all the holiday traditions, but 2020 is definitely a different kind of year. How do you make it extra special and safe for the family?
We have tips from the exceptional event planners featured in Festively’s Holiday Events & Gift Guide. The planners answer 5 top questions on how to have a safe 2020 Holiday celebration that’s fun and memorable.
A great way to find all you need for your holiday celebration is with Festively’s Holiday Events & Gift Guide! The guide lets you shop for beautiful holiday decor, tasty treats and more, all from local minority and women owned businesses throughout Southern California and all on our new marketplace for events, Festively.
And for all of your food and wine needs this holiday, stop by Burbank Pavilions! They have one of the best wine departments in town and the most helpful staff to help you pick something extra delish for your celebrations. They’ve even given Festively fans a $5 off coupon for a bottle of wine. And when you stop by, be sure to ask for Paula or Gerald! They are proud sponsors of Festively’s Holiday Events and Gift Guide featuring minority and women owned businesses and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them as a partner.
The wonderful planners behind each scene know you want to celebrate and do it safely. Here is what they had to say on the topic.
- How should you set up your space? Karla Solórzano, the owner of Kiss & Say I Do Events, and event planner for the “Holiday Party at a Restaurant” scene says you should try to have your celebration outside. That way you have more space to spread out the tables. If you do it in the evening, you can add some market or twinkle lights and make it look like stars in the sky. And don’t forget to have extra blankets for folks to use.
- Who should you invite? Tina Li is the owner of In the Clouds Events and was the core event planner for the guide as well as a co-planner for the “Lunar New Year” scene. Tina says, it’s all about minimizing the risk. As the host of the gathering, limit the number of people in attendance to ensure the guests can maintain social distancing and feel safe. It can be nice to have a small guest list, since you can focus on spending quality time with attendees. Communicate the ground rules before the event so everyone is aware and feels more comfortable following the safety protocols once they arrive.
- How can I make safety look cute? Dee Lee of Dee Lee Designs, who coordinated the “Las Posadas” scene, says it’s important that guests know that you put safety first. Over communication before an event is key. On the day of make sure you have someone checking everyone in and are following through with safety protocols. Posting fun signage like “Spread love and not germs” and add sanitization stations with scented hand wash, sanitizers and candles to make things festive and functional. You can also ‘pre-plate’ some items like slices of cake or make individual charcuterie plates.
- What are some fun ways to incorporate safety? Anais Catalina, owner of Anais Catalina Designs, who planned the “Dia De Los Muertos” scene suggests setting up a welcome table or unique display. Add things like mini sanitizers, individual plastic tongs for picking up food, or individually packaged goody bags that contain treats and mini hand sanitizers. As your guests walk into the event, it will be an easy “No Contact” way to distribute for safety and fun!
- Where can I get inspiration? Melissa Harvey with The Goldwing Group who planned the “Winter Wonderland” scene shares that when planning an event, use social media to find reference pictures and discover new vendors…and now she uses Festively! Pulling reference pictures for a vision board will help you to plan what elements you want to add, ideas for fun and safety elements. Searching with hashtags can help you find vendors and fun ideas within any budget.
Bonus tips from Karla: To replace the dancing, you can have some fun entertainment, such as a magician or trivia with prizes! You can even have a dance competition by table. Or what about an ugly mask contest?
The holidays are a time when we can come together with all the family, eat, drink and be merry. Our celebrations this year may be smaller and have fewer people, but you can still go big. Safety should be top of mind and with the tips shared above by professional event planners, you can go big, stay safe and make wonderful memories for 2020.
To see all the scenes and gifts ideas be sure to check out the Festively Holiday Events & Gift Guide. It features 100 women and minority owned businesses all over Southern California and they are ready to help you make 2020 holiday celebrations safe, fun and memorable.
