Make a festive toast 

A toast is something you can do together without physically being together, and a  signature drink can add to the celebratory spirit, according to the author.

‘You can all mix a drink together, there are fun recipes for cocktails in my book, Celebrate Everything.’

Darcy recommends describing your drinks and sharing recipes with your loved ones on the call.

For a speakeasy-approved beverage, don’t forget the garnish! 

‘Freeze cranberries and mint leaves in ice cubes for festive (and flavorful) mix-ins.’

‘Download our printable <a style="font-weight: bold;" class="class" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" website stirrers and tape them to skewers to swizzle in your drink. Or, throw in one of the gold paper straws you have left over from making the stars. 

‘Print and cut out our holiday wreath wine <a style="font-weight: bold;" class="class" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" website to accessorize the stem of your wine glass. 

Cheers! 

Josh Wood and Mimi Eayrs, the dynamic duo behind one of the world’s leading forces in event production, <a style="font-weight: bold;" class="class" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" website reveal how to keep a Zoom call under control.

Assign roles

‘Designate a host who will take care of sending out invites and setting up the Zoom room,’ said Josh and Mimi.

Is someone in the family particularly tech-savvy? 

The duo behind the Highline Festival with David Bowie suggest having them on standby to assist relatives that will inevitably experience complications.

To prevent Zoom call madness, they recommend appointing an emcee.

‘By sorting out roles and responsibilities ahead of time, you’ll set the family up for a stress-free holiday,’ shared the experts.

Have a plan and set expectations

‘Wherever possible, consider topics of conversation and organizational strategies (hand-raising, host control of participant volume, etc.)’ to avoid total chaos where everyone is shouting over one another,’ revealed the business partners who produced virtual events such as City Harvest’s New York Foodathon hosted by Seth Meyers. 

They believe that this will ensure even shy relatives have the opportunity to catch up with everyone.

Mimi recommends keeping virtual events under an hour or so.

Don’t abandon tradition

‘Every family has its own intricacies, including holiday traditions. Does yours always sing a certain song before dinner, pose for family portraits throughout the day, or enjoy a certain dish?

‘While things cannot and will not be exactly the same this year, many of these things can be translated to a virtual setting,’ they declared.

‘Go ahead and sing that song before dinner, choppy Zoom lag and all; snap that screenshot at the end of the day, and be sure to ask Aunt Mabel for her famous pumpkin pie recipe ASAP. 

‘The only downside there, and it’s a big one, is that you’ll have to bake it yourself.’