Happy Valentine’s Day from JOWY Productions!

Valentine's Day is made for lovers, isn't that what we are made to believe? Well, we beg to differ. Whether you are in a committed relationship or single, Valentine’s Day should be celebrated with the one or ones you love. 

While we are in the business of giving people the weddings of their dreams we are also in the business of making people's dreams come true. So, when Valentine's Day rolls around we like to think of all the single ones out there and figure out how to play Cupid. After all, Valentine's Day could be the day someone meets the person of their dreams which, in turn, leads them to us.  

The possibilities for in person Valentine’s Day parties this year are limited for obvious reasons (we’re looking at you, Corona!), but fortunately there are other ways you can celebrate love and friendship. 

If you’re single or just want to play Cupid for the day, why not invite your closest friends to a “Single Awareness Party” on Zoom and tell them to bring another single friend that they would not date. The idea is that every fantastically interesting, single person you know knows a similarly fantastic single someone that you may not know. Why not get all of those amazing singles together on Zoom and see what happens? 

We suggest you send your guests a proper invitation to Happy Hour with instructions about the dress code (“wear red”), background (either share the link to a red template or customize one for this particular occasion), and - most importantly - the ingredients to make a “Valentini” for each guest to sip on when the party starts (recipe below). We love a signature drink and having one available as guests enter the Zoom party could help loosen up everyone's nerves and give them something to do with their hands. We see nothing wrong with a little liquid courage right from the get go! 

Under “normal circumstances” the food would be a natural component of throwing a successful party, but since you’ll be mingling online we strongly suggest you skip the awkwardness of listening to the sound of chewing and worrying about food getting stuck between your teeth. For everyone’s pleasure - just stick to the cocktails on Zoom!

In order to achieve a fun vibe (before the Valentinis start to kick in) the host (you) can prepare a playlist of modern love tunes to play in the background. We suggest you keep the music loungey, but high energy. 

Once you’ve welcomed all the guests to the Zoom party, the people that you invited should introduce their guests to others they know in the room. This allows people to feel instantly more comfortable. If you do think a game or two couldn't hurt, we suggest the "Honey, I Love You" game. This is a great icebreaker and fun to play. 

One person starts by asking another person: "Honey I love you, won't you give me a smile?" The person who was asked the question has to answer back "Honey I love you, but I just can't smile" (without smiling.) The person asking the question can do anything to make the other person smile. If the person being asked the question doesn't smile they must ask the question back to the original asker. If the person being asked does smile they must introduce themselves and ask the person that made them smile a question. It's a great, silly way to initiate conversation and a good, immediate test to see if there is chemistry. To take this game a step further you can set up a couple of breakout (not makeout!) rooms where the conversations can continue! 

There you have it, a Zoom Party is a fun way to spend your Valentine's Day with your single friends or family members. We hope you enjoy the day and have fun with it. Happy Valentine’s Day from JOWY Productions!

Valentinis

Ingredients:

·  2 ¼ c. Currant Vodka

·  1 ¼ c.     Champagne

·  ¾ c.    Raspberry Schnapps

·  ¼ c.    Lime juice

Directions:

·  Add the currant flavored vodka, raspberry schnapps, and lime juice to a pitcher half-filled with cracked ice.  Stir briskly to combine and to chill.

·  Add 1 1/4 cups of Champagne, and stir lightly to preserve the bubbles.

·  Strain into chilled cocktail glasses and garnish with a slice of lime or a twist.