Valentine’s Day isn’t all about treating a romantic partner to a good time. It’s also a chance to celebrate with your friends. Galentine’s Day has been very popular in recent years as a way to enjoy the occasion without the pressure of having to be in a relationship.
If you’re thinking of holding a Galentine’s Day event, we’ve created this guide on how to host the perfect Galentine’s party for your friends. From choosing a fun theme to planning activities and everything else in between, we’ve got you covered.
Choose a Theme
While themes aren’t totally necessary, having one can make the preparation and planning of the party easier. Plus, they can be extra fun too - especially if you want people to dress up to go with the theme. You could choose to have an anti-Valentine's Day theme where, instead of celebrating being in love, people celebrate being single. Or, you could throw a brunch or a 90s themed party or even have a sleepover with your closest friends.
If you’re unsure on a theme, put it to your guests and ask them what they’d like to do or if they’d want to dress up. You could easily set up a poll and have guests vote on which theme idea they like best, this way everyone is then happy and willing to take part.
Send Invitations
With the theme set, it’s time to send out the official invitations. These don’t have to be formal, paper invites (unless you want them to be), they can be as casual as an E-vite. But, we’d suggest designing them so they are in keeping with the theme to get people excited and to remind those forgetful friends.
Make sure to include the date, time and location of the event. Traditionally, Galentine’s Day is celebrated on the 13th of February. But, if this falls on a weekday, you can move it to the weekend before or after.
Decorate for the Party
Decorate your home for the party according to the theme. If you’re going for an anti-Valentine’s Day party, you could get some black heart balloons, black roses and a ‘Galentine’s Day’ banner. Or, if you still want to stick to the classic Valentine’s colours, choose decorations in red, white, pink and gold for a cute, on-trend aesthetic. These colours are also perfect for spring as they’re so bright and colourful and may make people feel happy as they think of the warmer days to come.
The right decorations will bring a lot of joy to the party, and guests will definitely be impressed by the effort made. If you’re planning on having a sit-down meal too, don’t forget to dress the table with a tablecloth, flowers, candles and a stunning dinnerware set.
Create the Ultimate Drink’s Menu
No party is complete without a selection of delicious cocktails on offer - and Galentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in some extra-special, themed drinks. Take a look at our red cocktail recipe ideas for Valentine’s Day, which features sweet, sour and bitter drinks for everyone to enjoy.
We also have a number of exclusive gift boxes that make serving cocktails a fun and hassle-free experience, such as the Aperitivo in Terrazza Luxury Cocktail Box, which pairs the exquisite Italian citrus spice-based candle by Acqua di Parma with two best-selling Cocktails, the Negroni and the Cosmopolitan. Our special edition Bitter-Sweet Love Cocktail Box also includes 6 cocktails, 3 sweet and 3 bitter, for a flavour harmony.
Serve Delicious Food and Snacks
If you’re having cocktails, then it’s only right to serve some food and snacks alongside them too. Pairing the right food with your cocktails will help to enhance the dining experience and create a memorable meal. If you're serving predominantly sweet cocktails, then try pairing with savoury, salty foods. such as pumpkin bruschetta, roast corn, classic salted crisps or nuts.
The best food pairings for bitter drinks, like a Negroni or a Whiskey Sour, will include cured meats, hard cheeses and desserts that feature dark chocolate as they will complement the flavours perfectly.
Plan Games and Activities
If your party will be going late into the evening, or if you’re throwing a sleepover, you’ll need to plan some games and activities to keep everyone entertained.
If you want a love-themed activity, a great game is to get everyone to write down their worst first date and put it in a hat. Then, others will read the story out loud, while everyone tries to guess who’s date it was. The classic game of truth or dare can also be very entertaining. Or, if you want a crafty activity, cookie decorating, Galentine’s card making or an at-home pottery kit will get the creative juices flowing.
Curate a Playlist
Don’t forget to create the perfect Galentine’s Day playlist to help set the mood. Classic girl power songs will no doubt have your friends up dancing and singing along while feeling empowered. Choose songs by inspiring, successful women that help to encourage everyone to love themselves and feel happy and confident.
If you don’t have time to curate your own playlist, check out this extensive Galentine’s Day playlist on Spotify which features over 400 songs from amazing female artists!
If you’re ready to share the love, check out our all-new gift sets and cocktail bundles for Valentine's Day.
Wanting to give your Galentine’s Day girls a special gift but unsure of what? You can’t go wrong with a NIO Cocktails gift card they can use to treat themselves to some delicious drinks.