3 Ways to Celebrate Galentine's Day!
What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of year!”
If you are a fan of Parks and Rec, you know what I am talking about, you know that Galentine’s Day is a day where we “leave our husbands and boyfriends at home and just kick it breakfast style.” As soon as I watched that episode, I knew I had to start a Galentine’s Day tradition with my girlfriends. I knew this celebration had to be one that we wait all year for. I knew this fun event would last us for years to come.
Although I do not write a personalized 5,000-word essay of why I think my girlfriends are so awesome, nor have I created a mosaic portrait of each of my friends using the crushed bottles of her favorite diet soda, I have been true to the main goal of Galentine’s Day where “ladies celebrating lades.” This year I will be hosting my 10th Galentine’s Day event. In the past year’s they have been at my home or at a local restaurant. Last year due to covid, I held Galentine’s Day over zoom…which was OK... This year, Galentine’s will be held at my house, and I cannot wait!
So, if you have not created your own Galentine’s Day party I have put together some tips for you. Trust me when I saw your gal pals are going to love this tradition. Regardless of our couple status: single, in-a-relationship, married, divorced, or widowed, it is important to maintain our lady friendships. Our best girls will see us through highs as well as our lows. This is one way, if not the best way, to celebrate “hoes before bros, ovaries before broveries, uteruses before duderuses.” Ok, let us get to it!
1. Brunch is a must.
There have been a couple of years when I served food outside of brunch. In those years, the menu was very diverse and did not have the impact (for me) as brunch does. It does not hurt to find ways to make Galentine’s Day your own but, I really believe through trial and error that brunch is the best way to go. Plus, brunch pairs well with my favorite brunch drink, mimosas! More to come on that topic later.
I have dabbled with different brunch menus. Scrambled eggs, heart-shaped waffles, and a fruit bowl. This year, I am thinking of frittatas! Whatever menu you decide to plan, I recommend having a variety of brunch food. Also, do not discount your vegetarian friends…they love brunch too.
I typically have buffet style set-up for Galentine’s. This allows your friends to sit anywhere they please to chit chat and catch up. It is more causal which may provide more opportunities to re-connect. Also, if you have a gorgeous backyard your sitting can focus on being outdoors in the fresh air. However, depending on where you live, the outdoors may need to be your plan B or C.
Another idea is to hold your brunch at your dining room table. This provides an opportunity for all your guests to sit together to catch up. This is a great idea too! Your seating style should be based on how your friends typically gather and what kind of tone you want to set.
2. Galentine’s Games
After brunch, I set a side time for games! If you know me, I love games and Galentine’s Day games are the best. Now, you may not want games at your Galentine’s Brunch. Maybe you can create a slide show of photos of your best girls. Maybe you just want to chill and conversate. Maybe you have provided a massage therapist or nail technician for massages and mani-pedis! It is, again, up to you and what you know your guests would enjoy. You could also change it up every year to keep Galentine’s exciting and memorable.
Some of the games I have organized are fun and easy. Some of them are based on movie or book trivia while others are based on who knows the other guests better. My favorites are Most Likely To… , What’s on Your Phone?, and Drink If… You can either purchase these games or make your own. I have done both, and both have been well received.
I’ve shared one of my games below. Please use it as an inspiration for developing your own games. Like I said, if you are not creative, and that is ok, websites like Etsy have a variety of games to choose from.
3. Mimosas!
Ok, we have come to best part of Galentine’s Day! The one thing that is for certain is that everyone loves mimosas. Whether you like a little champagne in your orange juice or a little orange juice in your champagne, it is always a win-win situation. I typically have a mimosa bar where my guests can create her own mimosa. You can be really inventive with your mimosa bar and dress it up as much as you want to.
I recently started creating a personalized Galentine’s Drink based of a mimosa. My goal is to make the specialized drink that is yummy and a beautiful shade of pink. There are tons of recipes that you can choose from to make your Galentine’s Day special. If you put strawberries or raspberries in your specialized mimosa, then that’s bonus points. I have added a fun pink mimosa recipe below.
I hope these tips help you in your Galentine’s Day planning. This is my 10th year planning one and the ideas never seem to run dry. As Galentine’s Day become more mainstream, I am sure there will be lots more ideas circulating the interwebs to give you some help planning.
One last tip I want to share, is Galentine’s Day gifts. At the end of every party I plan, I love providing my guests with a small thank you for attending my event. My gifts have consisted of cute assorted small items. One year, I gave cute colorful metallic canister with heart-shape candy, pink fluffy socks, and small note of appreciation. A lavender smelling candle, bath bombs, or gift certificate for a mani or pedi are other amazing and thoughtful ideas.
I hope you have a wonderful Galentine’s Day. It really is the best time of the year. It is a great way to connect with girlfriends you have not seen in a while due to family and work obligations, COVID, or other important happenings in your life. It is also a great way to foster a new budding gal pal-ship. If you have any questions on how to prepare for your Galetine’s, contact me. Also, I would love to see your photos of your Galentine’s Day, so send them my way! Cheers!
