If you've watched the TV show Parks & Rec, you might've heard of Galentine's Day. The main character, Leslie Knope, makes a huge deal out of it every year by spending the day with her closest girl friends. On the show, there's usually brunch & some very intricately- made, personalized gift-giving involved. I love my friends and all, but I don't have the talent or time to make them each a pillow with their faces hand-stitched on them. Assuming you don't either, feel free to copy some of my ideas that are a bit more practical.
Here's all you need to know about throwing a great Galentine's party...
WHO
You & all your best girls. Whether work friends, school friends, neighbors, or family, gather your best gal pals for a day of celebration!
WHAT
So what is it again? A holiday for women to celebrate women! Can you think of a better excuse to party?! The true beauty of it, is that after that detail, it's really up to you on how to celebrate. How intense it becomes is totally up to your imagination (and budget). If you & your friends are super busy and all you can fit in is a meal, you still have the option of brunch, lunch, happy hour, or dinner. If your schedules are more flexible, consider having a party or better yet, a sleepover to maximize your party time!
WHERE
This can vary so much depending on the type of party you're wanting! If you're leaning towards a quick meal, consider looking for a place that does "afternoon tea" where you and your crew can wear your Sunday best and get some classy pics for the gram. (Dallasites- I'm thinking The French Room at The Adolphus.)
If you want to go more casual, pick a spot nearby most of the invitees, or somewhere that will best fit their liking. (For me & mine, that could be as simple as happy hour at Chuy's.)
If you're lucky enough to have nice weather in February, you could even grab a few blankets & pillows and celebrate picnic-style in a park or backyard. Budget & time permitting, a day at the local spa is sure to make for a relaxing experience. By far, my favorite idea is to throw a party at home, where your girls can stay for a couple hours, or the whole night. That's right, old school slumber party is, in my opinion, the best way to go! This way you have complete control of decor and no pesky guys to eavesdrop!
WHEN
If you search online, it'll say Galentine's is February 13th, but if you ask me, it can be any day in February. Lord knows it's hard enough to get all your girlfriends together on the same day, so don't feel pressured to celebrate on the day before Valentine's. Especially if you're wanting a sleepover party, it may be hard to do that during the week. So get in the group chat with your girls and figure out a day/night that works for everyone!
HOW
Now for the best part... planning the party! No matter if you're meeting for quick drinks, or throwing an all night bash, start with a cute invite! I like to use Canva, they have several templates for invites and flyers (among other things) and it's so easy to use. In fact, here's a sample one I just created in about 3 minutes. Creating a cute invite sets the tone for the party. You can include the theme through words and or colors, and let's face it, it's more likely to get your friends in the mood than a plain text or Facebook invite.
Now that you've sent out cute invites to your girl friends, it's time to think of food/drink and decorations!
If you've decided to have your celebration at a restaurant, you should ask ahead of time if it's ok to set up some decorations. Again, this totally depends on the type of establishment you're at. Even if you can't hang streamers or have balloons, most places are fine with table decor. So think flowers, confetti, candles, and if you're giving gifts, arrive early to set them up neatly. (If you chose to use confetti, or anything that's a pain to clean up, be sure to leave an extra tip for your waiter).
If you've decided on a slumber party, that's where you can get really creative! Last year I had the entire kitchen island filled with sweets, snacks, & decor. I had pink, red, and white balloons scattered across the house, and other decor in the rooms used to party.
The table cloths, champagne flutes, hearts on sticks, heart shaped cut outs, Valentine's balloons, candle holders, carafes, plates, napkins, and utensils were all bought at The Dollar Tree! I had some sugar cookies pre-frosted, as well as blank ones so guests could decorate their own. The Ferris wheel was found at Marshall's, and although the spots were too tiny to fit a cupcake, I filled them with cupcake liners. I had my guests write down dares and put one in each; we'd spin the wheel, pick one and do that dare. The party started a little later in the evening since it was an all-nighter, so I didn't have an actual meal, but plenty of savory and sweet snacks to hold everyone over. I even had a popcorn station with candy, so you could mix the two if you felt so inclined. The old school popcorn containers, as well as the picture frames used for labeling, were also Dollar Tree finds.
Along another wall of the kitchen, I had a "Treat Yo Self" spa center. The crockpot was used to warm washcloths with a little essential oil added for an extra dose of pampering. I laid out some favorite beauty products, a hand mirror, cucumber slices (for eyes), as well as gift bags for my gals. After digging in to the food for a while, we all tried out the beauty products, including makeup remover, face wash, face mask, lip scrub, lip mask, moisturizers, and serums.
Everyone changed into their onesies or pj's, including my dogs. We piled up all the blankets and pillows we could find to make a comfy spot on the floor of the living room. We binge watched chick flicks and played a variety of board games. Eventually, we all passed out like little drunk angels. (haha)
My friends awoke to the sound of a champagne cork popping as I served mimosas. I had planned to cook a whole breakfast spread, but the pillow fort was sucking me back in, so we Favored breakfast while watching more chick flicks. In fact we were so comfortable, one friend even stayed until that night!
So there you have it, all you need to know about Galentine's day! If you're curious to see how it all started, check out Parks and Recreation Season 2 Episode 16.
I would LOVE to hear how your party went! Comment below!
*Edit for Covid* I know getting together with friends can still be tricky, but between Zoom & FaceTime, you can def still throw a Galentine's party worth remembering. If you would prefer a socially distant party this year, consider sending your gals a gift or even decor for them to hang in the background of a video call so everyone can feel festive. Uber now delivers packages nearby, so even if you insist on creating one-of-a-kind care packages, getting it to your friends is easier than ever. You could even consider having a "dress code", such as everyone wear pink or red to add to the overall vibe.
Comments