How To Host & Plan The Perfect Virtual Graduation
Class of 2020 will go down in history!
getty The coronavirus pandemic has taken a lot from us, and graduation is just one of the many casualties. We can all agree that when it comes to our health versus celebrating with our classmates, protecting ourselves by staying indoors is obviously the priority.
But that doesn’t mean being robbed of the chance to celebrate one of the biggest moments in your life doesn’t suck! You’ve studied hard for years, and put your blood, sweat, and tears into your education. And now, the moment that it all boils down to has been canceled.
You still deserve to have your moment because not even this pandemic can stop us from celebrating life’s greatest achievements. Your friends and family have been on a journey to this moment with you, and you all need a party to mark the occasion.
Think of this year’s graduation as your final test. Use your creativity and intellect to whip out graduation party ideas that will blow everyone away.
Here's how to plan a virtual graduation that all your friends, family, and classmates can enjoy.
1. Choose an app to stream the ceremony.
There are a variety of platforms you can use to stream your virtual graduation, depending on your desired outcome. Zoom has become a social distancing staple for everything from online classes to weekend hangouts. It’s perfect if you have a long invite list.
With any ordinary Zoom account, you can have up to 100 attendees or as many as 500 guests if you purchase an upgrade. You can password protect your event and control who is muted on the call.
FaceTime is great for smaller groups, so long as they all own a Mac or an iPhone. You can have up to 32 people in a group chat and don’t need to bother creating a whole new app account because Apple devices already have FaceTime set up.
If you want to really go full virtual simulation, take a leaf out of UC Berkely’s book and host a Minecraft graduation through your Microsoft account (that’s if all of your guests are willing to pay $19.99 to download the game!).
2. Perfect your guestlist.
Your virtual graduation can be whatever you want it to be. You won’t even have to deal with limited tickets, and you don’t have to choose between family members when it comes to who can attend the actual ceremony.
Your guestlist all depends on what graduation means to you. If it’s all about gathering your family members and the people who supported you the most along the way, keep it intimate with your close loved ones who watched you from your first steps to your steps across your graduation stage.
But if you had been counting down the days to be able to celebrate with all your classmates who struggled through with you, dive deep into your group chats and let all your friends know the plan. If your school isn’t already planning a virtual ceremony, take matters into your own hands and send the details in an email or e-invite to your class.
3. Set up your decor.
Even though you’re not able to walk the graduation stage as you might have envisioned, it won’t hurt to try and replicate the real thing at home.
This is your chance to get creative, so consider buying some garlands, a banner, and maybe some 2020 balloons — basically whatever you can fit in the frame for your video chat. Zoom calls even let you use custom backgrounds, so you could just skip out on decor and download an image of your school’s stage for the event.
Remember that no graduation is complete without a cap and gown. If your school isn’t providing these, you can easily buy them online. Or, you can even design your own.
You could even buy in bulk and prep some custom packages to post to the whole graduating class with their gowns and scrolls.
Let your guests know what the dress code is in your invite so they know how to prepare themselves, too.
4. Say a few words of your own.
Whether you’re celebrating with close friends and family, your entire class, or all of the above, having all graduates prepare a little speech brings a more personal touch to the ceremony. This is a great way to thank your loved ones and teachers who supported you along the way.
Another idea would be to arrange a guest speaker to make an insightful speech for your class. Lots of schools invite past students or famous people to speak to their graduating classes, so this will make the event seem much more like the real deal.
Given the uniqueness of this year’s graduations, celebrities might be more willing to give their wisdom than you would expect.
However you choose to celebrate your graduation, it will be a moment you remember for the rest of your life. Make sure you mark this amazing milestone and give yourself a very deserved pat on the back.
Alice Kelly is a writer with a passion for lifestyle, entertainment, and trending topics.
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