Here’s how parties have changed amid COVID-19, according to an expert
Professional party planner Marley Majcher tells Fox News hosts are making additional considerations due to COVID-19
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The way people host special events has changed drastically throughout the coronavirus pandemic and may very well continue with the delta variant surge.
Some experts in the event planning field even suspect the pandemic will have a lasting effect on health and safety practices, this includes Marley Majcher – the founder of The Party Goddess, full-service catering and event planning company that’s based in Los Angeles, California.
Majcher and her company have seen planning trends shift firsthand as clients continue to request services with COVID-19 in mind.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"People are just considering things that they never would have considered before," Majcher told Fox News.
Marley Majcher, the founder of The Party Goddess, told Fox News she believes some of the health and safety protocols that have been put in place for COVID-19 are here to stay. (Tiffany J Photography)
These considerations range from wanting a smaller guest list and carefully crafting seating charts to keep people safe, having face masks available or figuring out whether valets need to be nixed if guests don’t want a stranger to touch their keys or car while the pandemic is around.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other party hosts are adding virtual elements so they can still include guests who are unable to attend in person.
"If somebody is elderly or is on the other side of the country, they can still participate virtually," Majcher said. "But, what you have to do then is you have to engage both audiences because how you engage an audience virtually and how you engage an in-person person are very different."
She went on, "The attention spans are very different. You've got to really catch their attention when you're doing it virtually. So, if you're going to bring in an entertainment component, it has to really move along. We expect instant entertainment to instantly be engaged."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}‘JARCUTERIE’ FOOD TREND PUTS SPIN ON CHARCUTERIE BOARDS
In terms of food distribution, buffets have not been trendy during the pandemic.
Some solutions Majcher’s company has come up with to address this have involved sectioned off acrylic trays and glass containers, which have helped to keep food separate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For example, Majcher has used jewelry box drawers to hold individualized salads. The drawers not only kept the salads safe from the elements but also helped to keep flies away as well.
A similar tactic can be done with burger patties and a portable grill, so guests can make their own burgers in case they’re wary of someone else touching their food, Majcher said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With many families and friends having been kept apart in the last year and a half, demand for party planning has skyrocketed, according to Majcher.
Many wedding vendors and planners are already booked by couples who are having a postponed reception.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Now it's more about the party and they can kind of let loose a bit," Majcher said. "And we're definitely seeing that, and we're definitely seeing people with much more relaxed attitudes. Not so much in terms of how they're going to entertain their guests, but relaxed attitudes in terms of like, ‘Oh my gosh, we made it. We just need a party.’"