It Should Be a National Holiday
Romantic love—and its official holiday, Valentine’s Day—tends to get all of the attention this time of year. Friendship, however, is just as valuable, special and worthy of recognition. Galentine’s Day is the ideal opportunity to celebrate the unbreakable bond between you and your girlfriends, whether they’re happily single, about to get hitched or in a long-lasting marriage. This special day is also a great chance to introduce the important women from different aspects of your life to each other. Think family members meeting coworkers and good friends meeting neighbors. No matter how you choose to celebrate, you’ll get to spend time with a group of women you love, respect, support and appreciate.
Galentine’s Day Brunch Ideas
The traditional Galentine’s Day meal is brunch, with mimosas, waffles and, of course, plenty of whipped cream. So fire up the waffle iron, stock up on canned or homemade whipped cream, and polish the champagne flutes because it’s time to feast. Other Galentine’s Day food ideas include frittatas, egg bites, yogurt parfaits and muffin pan quiches. If all of your friends aren’t available for a morning brunch—especially when February 13 falls on a weekday—consider the festive and fun brunch-for-dinner option. Waffles are still delicious after dark, and it’s perhaps a slightly more practical time for enjoying a glass of bubbly or two.
To make things extra special, consider creating a waffle and mimosa bar. For the former, plug in as many waffle irons as you can get your hands on (encourage your guests to bring one if they’ve got one) and line up plates and flatware, as well as butter, a non-dairy spread, maple syrup, fruit syrups, jams and compotes, nut butters, Nutella, and cinnamon sugar. Finally, use a large serving bowl full of ice to hold a variety of whipped creams. Consider including a hand-whipped unsweetened version, a coconut milk-based option and a flavored version such as maple-bourbon, cinnamon-brown sugar, or orange zest. You can make the waffle batter ahead of time so you’re ready when the festivities begin.
For the mimosa bar, start with your most celebratory glasses, whether they’re champagne flutes, coupes or an assortment of cocktail glasses. Next you’ll need plenty of bottles of bubbly, some combination of prosecco, cava, sparkling rosé and champagne, plus sparkling water for those who won’t be drinking alcohol. There’s no need to splash out on the finest vintages, as you’ll be mixing juice with your sparkling wines. As for juices? The sky’s the limit. Delicious options include grapefruit juice, apricot nectar, cranberry juice, apple cider, dragonfruit juice, ginger beer and pear nectar. To create a fun and collaborative potluck vibe—and save some money—invite all of your guests to bring a bottle of bubbly or juice to share. Everyone will get a kick out of sampling all of the options and creating fascinating (or questionable) new combinations.
Galentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Galentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to indulge in the fine art of gift giving. Show each of your pals exactly how much they mean to you with a personalized handmade present or something you know they’d love but wouldn’t treat themselves to. To keep your guests from feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of making or buying something for everyone, consider setting up a Secret Santa-type arrangement—Confidential Cupid, perhaps?—in which everyone just buys one gift, or establishing a price limit, such as $5 or $10 per gift.
Handcrafted Galentine’s Day gifts could include homemade bath bombs, petite jars of jam, champagne glasses etched with each guest’s name or a framed print of a favorite group photo. If, like Leslie Knope, you never sleep, consider crafting the quintessential Galentine’s Day gifts—“a mosaic portrait of each of you made from the crushed bottles of your favorite diet soda” or “a needlepoint pillow with your face on it and a news headline from a newspaper on the day you were born”—for each of your guests.
An on-theme store-bought gift might be a mimosa-scented candle, miniature waffle iron, bubbly-based cocktail recipe book, particularly pretty champagne flute or bottle of gourmet maple syrup. A gift certificate for a facial—or any other spa service—would also be a hit.
Galentine’s Day Decor Ideas
Decorations are by no means necessary—especially if it’s a weekday celebration—but if you want to go above and beyond, by all means do so. You can opt for a look that’s playful and casual or chic and elegant. Or embrace the season with a wall-to-wall Valentine’s Day aesthetic featuring an abundance of red, pink and hearts. Whatever party style you prefer, garlands, streamers and string lights are all effective at transforming a space without spending a lot of money or time. Or make your own garland using colorful baker’s twine and printed photos of your friend group hung with clothespins or binder clips. Paper plates and napkins help round out your theme or color scheme while making post-party cleanup a breeze. Don’t forget crowns and tiaras to make every gal feel regal.
Galentine’s Day Party Ideas
If a feast and a gift exchange aren’t quite enough festivities for your particular friends, these activities will take your “marathon bonding session with tons of whipped cream” to the next level.
Clothing and Accessories Swap: A swap is a great way to update your wardrobe with new-to-you jewelry, scarves, shoes and clothes—without spending any money. Plus you’ll have a room full of trusted fashionistas who will give their honest-but-loving opinions to help you look your best. Clear unwanted pieces out of your closet and come home with a fresh new look.
Makeover Montage: Invite your guests to bring their makeup kits, hair products and accessories. Give each other makeovers—avant garde, date night, work-appropriate or totally '80s—and document the results with fabulous photos of each person. Don’t forget the group glamour shot! Prop a smartphone set to self-time up on a table with a binder clip for the modern equivalent of a camera on a tripod.
Game Night: Ask each guest to bring a favorite game that they think everyone will enjoy. Depending on how many attendees there are, you can all play together or break up into smaller groups. Charades (or running charades, if you have sporty or rowdy friends) is a classic crowd-pleaser that requires zero materials or table space.
The Craft: Instead of making bath bombs for your friends all by yourself, turn the project into a fun group activity. Find a recipe online and gather the necessary household ingredients. If you’re feeling fancy, add dried flowers, mica glitter and natural or artificial food coloring. And there’s no need for special molds—muffin tins, candy molds and even bowls work just fine. Have wax paper on hand so your guests can wrap their bath bombs to take home to dry for another couple of days.
Dance Party: Have each guest submit a must-have dance song when they RSVP, and create a playlist out of their suggestions. To take the party up a notch, swap in a dance party light for one of your regular light bulbs.
Learn from the Best: For lower-key entertainment after all those waffles and mimosas, gather everyone to watch the three Galentine’s Day episodes of Parks and Recreation: season two episode 16, season four episode 14 and season six episode 17. Laugh, cry and raise a glass to the one and only Leslie Knope.
We’d love to see all of your Galentine’s ideas. Share your favorite Galentine’s Day party ideas, decorations, recipes and photos with the hashtag #CrateStyle.
