Welcome friends!! Today you are in for a treat! If you are following along in order thanks for hopping over fromSo Much Better with Age!
Valentine's Day will be here before we know it and I'm so excited to be part of inspiring your celebration this year as part of the Valentine's Day Styled + Set Holiday Entertaining blog tour! I know we are in for some absolutely spectacular inspiration as some of your favoritebloggers get together.
I want to say a special Thank You to Lory fromDesignthusiasmfor all of her dedication and hard work in hosting. Please be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for links to all the fantastic features.
Today, I'm sharingHow to Host a Fantastic Galentine's Day Party this year!
Are you familiar with Galentine's Day? It's a super-fun celebration geared especially for all your favorite gal pals. Since I'm not currently in a romantic relationship I'm particularly delighted with this concept.
Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a cringe-worthy holiday anymore!
Even if you do have a special someone in your life, let's face it, they usually aren't alwaysthat excited about Valentine's Day – so this is a wonderful way to channel that energy into a sweet celebration that blesses one and all!
In addition to loads of eye-candy, I want to also share11 tips to make your Galentine's Day/Valentine's Day party your best party this year!
[dropcaps]1[/dropcaps] MAKE A PLAN
You know why you're hosting this party: To celebrate the women in your life who bless, encourage, and inspire you OR for those whom you want to bless, encourage, or inspire.
But there are a few more decisions we need to make before moving forward…
- Will this be a meal or a snacking party?
- Will it be a high-tea, sit-down formal meal, potluck, or picnic? There are loads of options.
- Where will the party take place?
- Who do you want to invite? Just your BFFs or a slightly wider range of friends and neighbors?
[dropcaps]2[/dropcaps]SET A BUDGET
Now that you know why you’re having a party, you need to set your budget. How much do you want to spend overall? Then you can break it down by category.
Determine your budget for:
- food
- alcohol
- entertainment
- rentals
- location (if not at your home)
- staff (if needed)
- flowers
- decorations
- and other categories specific to your event.
Proper budgeting is a key element in achieving low-stress planning because few things cause more stress than money.
Know how much you have to spend and find ways to stick to it. It is so easy to get swept up by the party spirit and begin overspending in the heat of the moment when you see all the beautiful possibilities—your budget will help you stay focused and not get in hot water.
[dropcaps]3[/dropcaps] MAKE A CHECKLIST
There’s an old saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is true for so many parts of our lives, andentertaining is certainly one. Use my handy FREE party planning checklist which you can download here.
Once you have your lists made, don’t forget to keep checking them. Follow-through is a key to staying on track and lowering your stress levels.
[dropcaps]4[/dropcaps] PICK A THEME
You know you're hosting a Valentine/Galentine party but what style of decor or theme will it be?
- Glam
- Shabby Chic
- Rustic
- Garden
- Winter Wonderland
- Frilly + Feminine
- Fiesta
- there are loads of options….
[dropcaps]5[/dropcaps] SELECT ONE MEMORABLE-MOMENT ACTIVITY
After choosing your theme, pick one fun and fabulous element to make your party stand out.
It could be as elaborate as:
- Hiring a live mariachi band
- Projecting a movie following your theme onto the wall
- Setting up a photo booth
- Hiring a food truck
- Bringing in an entertainer like a belly dancer to give lessons
- Renting a bounce house for grown-ups
- the possibilities are limitless BUT be sure to pick just ONE activity to help avoid overwhelm.
Simpler ideas can include Arts+ Craft stations like the one here where we are panting our own mugs.
Additional DIY Craft Station ideas for Valentine's Day/Galentine's Day parties include:
- Ornament making
- Knitting
- Floral Arranging
- Watercolor painting mini canvases
- Macrame
- Crepe paper floral crafts
- Painting/decorating birdhouses
- Candy making
- Customizing hearts as seen on the plates in this post (tutorial coming soon!)
- and so much more!
Don't forget to add the gathering of supplies and familiarizing yourself with the project to your party-planning checklist.
[dropcaps]6[/dropcaps] INVITE YOUR GUESTS
Depending on the degree of your party’s formality, you have options for e-vite vs. invite.
For a casual party or for a group of close friends, e-vites are totally fine, just know that typically guests will expect a more casual environment because of this.
If you are wanting guests to dress up, but still want to go the e-vite route be sure to make note of the dress code on the invitation.
But, since this may be a smaller party – going with beautifully printed invitations can make your party feel even more special to your guests and go a long way to enhance their excitement for it!
Obviously, they don’t have to be engraved, but they should be something you can hold. I am including a link to a printable party pack that you can use to style your whole party. You can get it here!
[dropcaps]7[/dropcaps] AUTOMATE
During the party, wherever possible, incorporate as many self-serve options as you can to keep your running around time to a minimum. Of course, it’s great to hire staff to help if it’s a big party, but even a couple of teenage helpers can make a big impact on a medium to large size at-home gathering.
Easy ways to “automate” include DIY options such as food-and-drink stations and your activity/craft station can be set up in advance – with directions printed and an example of the finished project on display to get guests going – and doesn’t require you to manage it at every moment.
[dropcaps]8[/dropcaps] CREATE ZONES
If you are hosting a mix of kids and grown-ups, create designated spaces for EACH where they can feel comfortable.
They can be in the same room—think kids’ table/grown-ups table. The point is to create areas that will engage and interest all of your guests. Happy kids equal happy parents, which always means a better party!
Create drop zones for trash and dirty dishes (sub-divide into categories like flatware,glasses, and plates, if necessary). Folks who purchased my Holiday Survival Guide know that it is LOADED with lists, buffet tips, clean-up tips, and SO much more to help you celebrate with style and ease no matter the season!
[dropcaps]9[/dropcaps] ASSIGN DUTIES
Especially when entertaining at home, it is so easy for one person to get “stuck” with all the cleanup at the end of a party.
The old saying “many hands makes light work” is never truer than at the end of a wonderful evening when you are tired and ready to rest but looking at a space that has literally been partied in!
Discuss “end of party” roles with all members of the family to help minimize misunderstandings and help cleanup be a breeze.
[dropcaps]10[/dropcaps] SET UP AHEAD
Do everything you can ahead of time. Prepare food in advance, set the tables the night before, etc. On party day, you want to be as fresh as possible so that you aren’t exhausted before it even begins.
Purposefully give yourself about an hour before guests are due to arrive to have a moment to catch your breath, calm down, and prepare to enjoy your hard work!
[dropcaps]11[/dropcaps] BON VOYAGE
Good food is the key to any great party. Guests can forgive a lot when the food and drinks are delish.
Plan a sweet send-off by packing up a delectable treat for them to take home as a thank-you for coming. They will remember your thoughtfulness and it will leave a sweet taste in their mouth!
You can check out the printables shown in this post in my shop here for the Place Cards, You are Loved cards, and more here. The “xoxo” Love Arrow gift tags are available here.
I will be sharing recipes for the foods you see featured in this post very soon so please plan to come back soon to read those!
I'm completely obsessed with these gold hearts you see on the table. Stay tuned for a DIY tutorial coming up soon for these – they are SO easy. I've now made almost a dozen of them. LOVE these!!
I hope these tips will help you withHow to Host a Fantastic Galentine’s Day Party!
Below are links for the entire tour but I'm heading over to Maison de Pax for a delicious heart French Toast Valentine breakfast and hope you'll join me!!
Please click below to visit the posts:
Monday’s Posts
Shabbyfufu | Town and Country Living| My Soulful Home| So Much Better With Age
Celebrating Everyday Life | Maison de Pax| Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Tuesday’s Posts
Designthusiasm| Maison de Cinq| French Garden House
Life on Virginia Street | Julie Blanner | Setting for Four| Decor Gold Designs
Wednesday’s Posts
Bless’er House | CitrineLiving| StoneGable| On Sutton Place
Taryn Whiteaker | Zevy Joy| French Country Cottage
