How to throw a Galentine's party

Now that the day of love is behind us, it’s time to look ahead to celebrating next year! But celebrations of love should be about more than just your significant other; you should also celebrate your friends. Enter Galentine’s Day. A portmanteau of “gal” and “Valentine’s Day,” this holiday was invented and popularized fourteen years ago by the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation. Celebrated annually on Feb. 13, the day takes the focus away from romance for 24 hours and is meant to honor the platonic relationships in your life. If you didn’t go all out for the day this year, no worries! This guide can help you start brainstorming early, so you can make the most of it next year.

Obviously, the most important part of celebrating your gals is the gals in question, so start off strong with your guest list. This day is about friendship, not romance, so leave the significant others for the 14th, and stick to your beloved friends. Make an invitation, whether handwritten (a paper Victorian love token works great for a letter and is super cute) or over text (Canva has adorable love-related flyer themes). Once you have your invitees, you can craft the perfect day around their tastes. 

Next, decide on the theme and level of formality. A red and pink color scheme is certainly a classic, but also consider if your guests should wear cocktail attire, sundresses or even pajamas. Do you want your event to be chill and laid back or do you want it to be more of a rager? You could throw anything from a casual slumber party to a cocktail party, depending on what your guests enjoy. The day is about them!

You’ll then want to set the mood by getting some decor. Heart garlands, red and pink balloons, red and pink streamers, cutesy napkins and plates and heart-shaped glasses are some great places to start. In general, anything red or pink with hearts makes perfect accessories to put around the room. You could also set up cozy lighting for ambiance, or tape red or pink tissue paper over your lightbulbs to create a lovey-dovey glow. Further set the mood by creating a playlist full of you and your friends’s favorite songs, whether chosen by you as a surprise or shared collaboratively among yourselves.

The stomach is the way to the heart, so consider curating a menu for your friends, both for food and for drinks. Some options for snacks include a heart-shaped charcuterie board, pizza roses, red velvet cupcakes, heart-shaped cookies or chocolate-covered strawberries. Again, anything related to hearts or the color red works great. If you don’t want to gather all the food yourself, throwing a potluck-style event allows everyone to contribute something. When it comes to beverages, a fruit punch or pink lemonade is a delicious and refreshing drink for Galentine’s Day. Tea is another option, particularly if you’re going for a classier theme. If you’re 21+, a rosé or a pink moscato will fit the vibe, or you could make a sweet strawberry crush cocktail. Adding some edible glitter for sparkles or red heart-shaped ice cubes will definitely help make the drinks stand out.

One amazing way to truly get into the spirit of Galentine’s Day and show your love for your gals is to write them each a personalized note. Express your love and gratitude for your friendship, share your favorite memories and write about the qualities of theirs you value most. In a similar vein, you could have everyone go around the room and say what they love about each other to cultivate bonds, not just with you, but with all. You could also add a little gift bag for everyone to take home after or a small memento handpicked for each friend. This can help take the day from a simple party to a deeper celebration of your lives. Hosting a Galentine's party is a wonderful way to honor the ladies in your life. With this inspo, you can create long-lasting memories and a night of love and joy with each other, ending the day closer than ever. Have fun and raise a toast to your gals next Galentine’s Day!