Ok, I change my recommendation. Definitely reach out, early and often. (Apparently that is what you want to do, so just own it and go for it.)
My family has never met my daughter’s boyfriend, but he is coming here for a week before Christmas this year. My mother, DD’s grandmother has talked to him. I know his address and phone number because my DD prefers to get her packages at his apartment as it is a lot faster than the campus mail system and she’s called me from his phone when hers runs out of power.
I’ll send him some drink coupons for his flight because they are expiring soon. We’ll ask what he likes to eat or what he wants to do while visiting, just to make him feel comfortable.
Bake some cookies and send them to D and BF. Not that hard to mail something like that and a nice surprise!
My mom would not know how to whatsapp, but she sends me candy from Germany which I enjoy!