7 Retirement Party Ideas To Be Inspired From During Covid

The 7 fun retirement party ideas that you can act on during Covid.

1. Virtual surprise party

2. Virtual movie party

3. Virtual board game party

4. Virtual happy hour

5. Virtual fancy dinner party

6. Virtual wine tasting party

7. Virtual themed dance party

The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge hit in many different aspects and it led to crises of all kinds, including the retirement crisis. For many, retirement plans were delayed and retirement party ideas were put on the back burner. Luckily, there are people who are still able to reach this major milestone and it’s more important than ever to celebrate it.
That’s why we want to discuss the top 7 retirement party ideas during Covid so you can enjoy this incredible moment in spite of the situation. The focus of today’s article is to provide great virtual retirement party ideas during Covid so people can celebrate, have a good time and stay safe. Even though virtual parties are new, they are well worth your time, especially on such an important occasion. 
If you’re a manager who wants to give a valued employee a retirement party and a final good memory of the company, you will find that this retirement party themes list will help you put together a lovely party. World Financial Review offers ideas on how to make retirement parties memorable, which can be applied to virtual retirement party ideas during Covid.
These ideas will make the event feel more special even if you can’t be physically close to your loved ones. Without further ado, let’s take a look at all the fun retirement party ideas we’ve compiled for you!

1. Virtual Surprise Party

Sometimes parties are better when people don’t see them coming, so hosting a virtual surprise party is a good idea to consider. It will be a nice surprise for the retiree and you can work together with their spouse or family to make sure things go well. It’s easy to get the retiree to show up, you just have to tell them there’s one more thing to discuss before they retire.
Get all the colleagues invited to wear party hats so you can surprise your retiree. Of course, it’s not a real party if you don’t have some fun and games. That’s why it’s so important you prepare games that can be played via video call. If you want to add a nice touch, make the games retirement-themed. There are many ideas out there to help you come up with a good list of games, so do your research. 
The reason why you want to work with the retiree’s spouse or family for this is that they will help you make sure they get a cake and some champagne so you can cheer together and the retiree can have a nice treat. Also, make the party special by taking a moment to give a nice speech and allow everyone the opportunity to share stories or memories. 
Congratulate the retiree on their accomplishments, look back on how they helped shape the company over the years, and shine a light on the role they had. If you want to go above and beyond, consider making a video montage with photos and videos from close colleagues, friends, and family talking about the retiree. This way, even the people who can’t make the video call will have a chance to show appreciation. 
Plus, a video montage is something the retiree can keep and look back on whenever they want. We recommend you make the video fun, creative and heartfelt because it’s something they will remember. You can also bring a special guest to it. Let’s say your retiree has a couple of favorite celebrities they are known to love. You can go to Cameo and check out if any of the celebrities are there so you can purchase a personalized video message from them. It will be the cherry on top!

2. Virtual Movie Party

Next on our retirement party themes list, we have a virtual movie party, which is a great idea if your retiree is a film buff. The idea is simple; you get a few people together to watch a movie online and make sure everyone has snacks. You can get your retiree to provide a list of films they would like to watch so everyone can vote and enjoy a nice film.
There are platforms out there, such as Teleparty, that allow people to watch a movie together in the distance. With Teleparty in particular, you’ll be able to synchronize the watching experience and there’s a chat function where people can share their thoughts and opinions as they watch. If your retiree loves to give movie commentary, this will be great. 
After the movie is over, you can move the party to another platform, like Zoom, so you can discuss the movie via video call and have a moment to say congrats, celebrate the retiree together, and share memories. You can also have a gift delivered to your retiree or cake and champagne as we mentioned above to make it more special. 

3. Virtual Board Game Party

A board game party is never a bad idea, especially if this is something your retiree particularly enjoys doing. Board games are a lot of fun, so you really can’t go wrong with this idea. Luckily, there are platforms such as Board Game Arena, where you can play board games together online and enjoy some healthy competition. You’ll find a varied selection of games available on the platform, so it won’t be difficult to choose one. 
Try to find your retiree’s favorite board game and play a few rounds before you move the party to Zoom or any other video call platform to have a heartwarming moment. It’s always important that you allow everyone to say a few words. A retirement party can be very special even if it’s online, you just have to make it so! Say a few nice words and allow everyone else to do the same.
Your retirees are like family at this point, so let them know they will be missed. 

4. Virtual Happy Hour

This is another idea that you can organize with the help of a spouse or family members. First, you want to let all the guests know that they should prepare their favorite drink or cocktail at home. Then, talk to the family so they can surprise your retiree with their favorite drink or cocktail after the virtual retirement party starts.
This is a nice way to have a drink, allow everyone to just relax, and wind down while you go down memory lane together. This is one of the more relaxed retirement party ideas but it’s so intimate and it will be such a lovely time. Once again, we urge you to give everyone a chance to express gratitude and wish your retiree well, talk about their favorite moments together, and show appreciation. 

5. Virtual Fancy Dinner Party

A fancy dinner party is another great retirement party idea. Of course, you have to plan this well and give the guests time to prepare, but it will be worth the effort. This is a more intimate idea but that’s what makes it so great. Make a guest list and keep it short; invite the colleagues who are close to the retiree and let them know what the idea is. Everyone should dress up and either order their favorite food or make it themselves. 
The retiree needs to do the same, so let them know in advance. You could have their food of choice delivered to them as a gift along with some champagne to celebrate. If you can also have food delivered to the other guests, that would be nice as well. A fancy dinner party is a good opportunity to sit down and talk about your memories together, let the retiree know how much they mean to everyone and the company, and congratulate them on this new stage in their lives. 

6. Virtual Wine Tasting Party

Ah, who doesn’t love good wine! This is one of the classiest retirement party ideas and it’s another way to organize a special, intimate gathering and out of the ordinary. If your retiree is a wine connoisseur or they just really enjoy it, this will be perfect. A virtual wine tasting party is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is that each guest should bring their favorite bottle of wine to the party.
Once you’re all together via video call, you can have the wine, compare tasting notes, and make recommendations. Once the wine tasting is done, you can give each guest the floor to talk about their favorite moments with the retiree and express their good wishes. As a manager, it’s important that you make a speech and you express just how important the retiree has been to the company.
If you know what the retiree’s favorite wine is, you can have it delivered to them as a gift on the day of the party. You can also get a small charcuterie board delivered to them so they can enjoy it with their wine. 

7. Virtual Themed Dance Party

A themed party is one of the best retirement party ideas for people who love to move on the dancefloor and have some nostalgia over a certain period, such as the 70s, 80s, or 90s. Having a themed dance party is a good opportunity to dress up and dance to the greatest hits. Throwback parties are always great because we get in touch with a past version of ourselves and relieve some stress through dancing.
You can create a playlist that goes with the theme of the party and ask the guests to prepare their favorite or signature dance moves. The playlist can be collaborative and you can also give guests a few days to submit their requests so when the day comes, everyone can listen to their favorite tunes. Once the dancing has winded down, take a moment to say a few words and allow everyone else to do the same.
You can go above and beyond and send your retiree a themed gift or a themed cake so they can have a little something special, and share the playlist with them so they can always access it whenever they want to remember their retirement party. 

Retirement Party Tips for Success

There’s a lot that goes into planning a retirement party so it’s not something you should throw together at the last meaning. People know when thought and love were put into something, so you want to give yourself at least a week to get everything in place. The first thing you should do is choose the right time for the party.
We recommend you schedule it during work hours. During the Covid pandemic, people have been working long hours and you must respect their personal time. Just because the party is virtual doesn’t mean people are willing to sacrifice their free time or dinner with their family, for example. Plus, having the party during work hours also gives guests a break from work and a great opportunity to relax and just have some fun. 
You should send invites, which can be e-vites or emails. The invites should provide the date and time and a little introduction to what the dynamic will be like. It should also inform the guests if they need to bring anything or dress in a certain way. It’s also important that you keep the guest list small so everyone has a chance to speak but the party is not dragged out.
It’s not realistic to invite the entire office, so invite those closest to the retiree. If it’s not a surprise party, ask them to help you with the list. 

Final Words

As you can see, retirement party ideas during Covid don’t have to be lame or boring; they can be special and a lot of fun. Just pick a theme that will suit your retiree the best and start planning the event. If you are inspired to start planning your retirement, PayStubs.net can help. We don’t only offer a great tool for accountants, we also provide great resources that will help you reach certain goals. 
Learn to plan for your retirement properly with this how to plan for retirement guide and you’ll have your own retirement party soon enough. If you need to create a paystub for proof of income when making side hustles, be sure to check out our paystub creator.