Although Galentine’s Day 2018 has just passed, it’s never too early to start planning your next girl gathering, or even next year’s Galentine’s festivities! Who says you can only spend time with your girls on Galentine’s Day?
“What’s Galentine’s Day?” you ask. This holiday term was coined by the iconic Leslie Knope on the hit show, Parks & Recreation. In season 2, episode 16, Leslie describes Galentine’s Day as, “Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.”
This year for Galentine’s Day, my best friend and I hosted a classy get-together for 25 of our closest girly friends. Classic Galentine’s Day is celebrated via a daytime brunch, but we decided to mix it up. Since we are college women, busy with classes and adult responsibilities during the week, we decided to have our Galentine’s on the Saturday night before February 13th. This way our celebration could serve as a pre-game for going out to parties and bars.
Taking inspiration from my recent Galentine’s Day celebrations, I am giving you the three major keys of planning a rockin’ girls night in: food, drinks and decorations. The following are some ideas/suggestions and my tips on how to have the best girls night or Galentine’s Day ever!
FOOD
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Chips and dip are an essential food group for any party. It can be salsa, queso, guac, artichoke dip, or really any other dip that you want!
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Mini pretzels dipped in pink candy melts and dusted with Valentine’s sprinkles were a hit at my party, and they are super quick and easy to make yourself.
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You can never go wrong with cupcakes. Whether they are homemade or store bought, they will definitely not go to waste!
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Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookies are truly a Godsend. Just pop a package of these pre-cut cookie dough rounds into the oven for 12 minutes. They are super cute and easy.
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Mini grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic combo that offers a savory alternative to all of the other sweets.
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Pro tip #1: Always keep in mind the presentation of your party food. Avoid serving your snacks in the original container that they come in. For example, I served my tortilla chips in a heart shaped bowl for Galentine’s Day instead of the original plastic bag.
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Pro tip #2: Remember that some of your guest might have food allergies or diet preferences, so have options for them too.
DRINKS
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Lemonade and iced tea are always good go to party drinks. Try adding lemon slices or fresh berries.
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If you and your guests are of legal drinking age… Jello shots! Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, etc.
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A fan favorite at my Galentine’s Day get together was Pink Party Punch (21+): 1 bottle of Barefoot Moscato, 1 can of frozen pink lemonade, 3 cups of Sprite, and a handful of raspberries (fresh or frozen). Serve in a punch bowl or a glass beverage dispenser. I recommend making 3 batches for approximately 25 people.
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Plastic wine glasses from the Dollar Store are a great option because they won’t shatter if someone drops them and they are easy to clean – just throw them away (in the recycle, of course)! I wrote each of my guests’ names on a cup. This was a personal touch that was easy and really made my guests feel special.
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Pro tip #3: In case of an accident, place your drink station away from your food station. This way if there are any spills, it will not ruin the food.
DECORATIONS
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When buying decorations, the Dollar Store, Target, and Party City will be your best friends.
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Plastic tablecloths from the Dollar Store are a great way to incorporate color while being practical. Tablecloths make after-party clean up so much easier.
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Pretty much any decoration that you think is cute will work!
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Candy conversation hearts work great as table confetti, and they are much easier to clean up than actual confetti. After you have laid out your party food spread, just scatter some conversation hearts on the table’s empty spaces to add some extra fun.
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A photo backdrop is a MUST for any type of girl’s night or Galentine’s Day!
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If you don’t have a large blank wall, just hang up a plastic tablecloth from the Dollar Store, but make sure it is matte, so camera flash won’t create a glare.
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For my photo backdrops, I like using a metallic (gold or silver) foil fringe door curtain as the base. You can find these at Party City and they are reusable.
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Banners or tassel garland are super cute to hang up over the base curtain.
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To make your backdrop wider to fit more people, get some crepe-paper streamers. Hang them from ceiling to floor and twist each streamer for a fun effect.
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The final element of the photo backdrop is props! I got all of my picture props from Target’s dollar section. My favorite prop was a red foil “love” balloon.
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Pro tip #4: If you are a frequent party host or if you just like having good lighting for pictures, invest in a photography soft light. I bought mine on Amazon for approximately $40, and it included everything from the lightbulb to the stand. My pictures turned out amazing, and I would highly recommend because it can be used for many other occasions.
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While planning the perfect girl gang gathering and/or Galentine’s party can get overwhelming at times, just remember that the most important thing about the event is the opportunity to spend quality time with your best gal pals. Show them how much you appreciate their friendship and how much they matter to you, no matter the time of year.