By Trish Berrong on January 30, 2017
We pretty much all know Galentine’s Day is about celebrating the bonds between girlfriends. But not every group of pals parties the same way. Even if you manage to agree that your Galentine’s gathering will be around a brunch buffet, there’s a significant difference between mimosa drinkers and women who seek out Bloody Marys and biscuits and gravy.
To get you inspired to plan your own celebration of female friendship, we took a quick, unofficial survey of a bunch of our favorite ladies—married and single, fresh-faced and wise, gay and straight—to see what they’re planning this year.
Their answers naturally fell into categories. So check out our list of four party ideas for celebrating Galentine’s Day.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.
- Girl It Up Party
- Be a Badass Party
- Get Crafty Party
- Escape with your Mom-friends Party
Girl It Up Party
“It feels like the guys I know don’t get that it’s supposed to be fun and silly,” Anne C. says with a sniff. “Not so with your girlfriends. Here’s a day that is shiny, pink, covered in frosting, dipped in chocolate, with sparkles on top.”
Lauren H. agrees—wholeheartedly: “Even if you’re receiving oodles of Valentine’s Day stuff from a significant other, it might not be the true deep dive into girly hearts and pink frosting you desire. If you’re the type that is delighted by sugar-coated, glittery heart-shaped things, then you can fully indulge at a Galentine’s Day party.
PARTY ACTIVITY OR THEME:
Slumber Party
Mani/Pedis
Dance Party
MOVIE WATCH LIST:
Clueless
Mean Girls
Romi & Michelle’s High School Reunion
Legally Blonde
MUSIC PLAYLIST:
Beyonce
Cindy Lauper
Katy Perry
Meghan Trainor
Demi Lovato
Madonna
DRINKS:
Champagne
Rosé
Cosmos
Strawberry Margaritas
PARTY SNACKS:
Chocolate
Heart-shaped cookies
Cupcakes with pink frosting
DRESS CODE:
Fabulous
PARTY FAVORS:
Nail polish
Cute wine glasses
Handwritten notes
Be a Badass Party
“There are few influences in a woman’s life as valuable as other women who lift them up and encourage them,” Kelly R. tells us. “Galentine’s Day is a special way to celebrate the special bonds between us.”
“They [my girl friends] love me,” Melvina Y. agrees. “The whole of me. Good bits and jerky parts, too.
“Also, an all-ladies affair is way more fun than some co-ed couples co*cktail-hour B.S.,” adds Megan H.
PARTY ACTIVITY OR THEME:
Couch drinking and loud girl talk
Rowdy games, like Catch Phrase or Cards Against Humanity
Beer or whiskey tasting
MOVIE WATCH LIST:
The Heat
Aliens
Jackie Brown
Kill Bill
Ghostbusters
MUSIC PLAYLIST:
Aretha Franklin
The Chicks
Tina Turner
Pat Benatar
Mary K. Blige
Melissa Ethridge
DRINKS:
Craft beer
Whiskey
Red wine
PARTY SNACKS:
Pizza
Wings
Charcuterie platter
DRESS CODE:
T-shirts
Yoga pants or sweats
Note: This is a bra-free zone
PARTY FAVORS:
You Are A Badass: The Many Reasons You’re My She-ro book
Glassware with funny and/or sarcastic sayings
Spotify playlist
Get Crafty Party
“I’ve got artsy, crafty friends,” Lindsay T. says—and that means she throws “a crafter-noon” Galentine’s Day party. “It’s a reason to gather. Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday if you keep it lighthearted and about chocolate and exchanging handmade gifts.”
Stephanie A. echoes the idea of an afternoon spent making stuff. “You don’t have to dress up or prepare really—you can just be yourself and visit and relax.”
PARTY ACTIVITY OR THEME:
Make Valentines or decorate shoeboxes
Sketch, doodle or color
Decorate heart-shaped cookies
MUSIC PLAYLIST:
Jazzy, romantic music
Spotify Valentine’s Day playlist
Note: Our crafty friends were way more focused on the activity than the music.
DRINKS:
Mimosa bar
Craft co*cktails
Sangria
PARTY SNACKS:
Things on sticks or toothpicks (so your hands don’t get messy)
Fancy chocolates
DRESS CODE:
Pajamas
PARTY FAVORS:
Whatever you made!
Escape with your Mom-friends Party
“They are my closest confidantes, my partners in crime, my support system when things get tough,” JJ S. says of her fellow moms. “They love me no matter what. I can complain about my husband, my kid, my mom, and they have my back.”
“We’ve gone through so many milestones together, we aren’t shy about expressing how we feel,” Tina N. concurs. “Plus, I’ll take any excuse to vent about kids, husbands, in-laws or work.”
PARTY ACTIVITY OR THEME:
Is “wine and queso” an activity or a theme?
MOVIE WATCH LIST:
Maybe have a cheesy chick-flick on…but, honestly no one is watching it.
MUSIC PLAYLIST:
Justin Timberlake, very soon to be replaced by Michael Bublé, because we are stereotypical suburban moms and it’s required of us, dammit.
And Britney. There is always Britney.
DRINKS:
Wine
Beer
Whatever’s in the fridge
PARTY SNACKS:
Cheese and crackers
Chips and guacamole
Chocolate
Something that says “exquisite and delicious, yet store-bought”
DRESS CODE:
Stretched-out casual
Or “dress up” mom—that one outfit you have without kid stains
PARTY FAVORS:
A hug and a plan for when to get together next
- Tags:
- Celebrate
- Connect
Shop Valentine's Day
See allYou may also like
See more-
Calendar Flip Woo-Hoo—summer’s here! June 2024 holidays and celebrations
Summer is here in all her glory and we are ready. Warm days and cool drinks lay ahead. So it’s time to flip the ca...
-
Calendar Flip Yay for May! May 2024 holidays and celebrations
Flowers are blooming, students are graduating and moms are getting some well-deserved appreciation. What a fabulou...
-
Calendar Flip Welcome back, spring! April 2024 holidays and celebrations
Oh, spring, we’ve missed you most of all. We don’t even care that you bring showers—we’re just excited to be outsi...
-
Easter Easter basket ideas for all ages: DIY decorations, gifts and more
Excited to get hopping on those Easter baskets? We love to see it. And we love to inspire it, too! So we’ve put toget...
-
Graduation The College Survival Guide: Make the perfect graduation gift even better
The College Survival Guide was created to turn the most-requested high school graduation present (money) into a de...
-
Easter 25+ ways to make Easter extra fun for kids
When it comes to Easter, we love leaning in to joy, faith and the beauty in creating core memories for the whole fami...
-
Planning together: End-of-life memory-making and memory-keeping
In 2019, I lost my father to cancer. When his tumor was discovered, we were bombarded by hospitals, tests and then, u...
-
Birthday 25+ ideas for creative, personal birthday care packages
When a friend’s birthday rolls around and you can’t be together to celebrate, the next best thing is to bring the cel...
-
Valentine's Day 200+ Valentine’s Day gift ideas for everyone in your heart
In junior high, I made a giant Valentine’s Day collage for my first girlfriend. She loved it. Was it amazing or dorky...
-
Valentine's Day Ways to find comfort and hope when you’re grieving on Valentine’s Day(or support someone who is)
Grief is always hard, but especially on Valentine’s Day. From social media to stores to kids’ classrooms, it can feel...
-
Valentine's Day How to survive Valentine’s Day after a divorce or breakup
We know that ending a relationship can be extremely heartbreaking. It’s a very significant loss, and when Valentine’s...
-
Valentine's Day DIY Valentine's Day treat bags for kids
One of the best things about kids valentine treat bags is the surprise element—there could be anything in there! But ...
-
Calendar Flip Hello, Love: February 2024 Holidays and Observances
Let’s warm up this cold month with love and connections. From valentine cards to dressing up your pet, this month has...
-
Calendar Flip Spring Forward: March 2024 Holidays and Observances
Color us excited! From the wearin’ of the green and more sunny fun to colorful Holi festivals and celebrating crayons...
-
Calendar Flip Welcome a New Year: January 2024 Holidays and Observances
HAPPY NEW YEAR! If that hurt your head, you might have celebrated a little too much. When you’re feeling better, we h...
-
Christmas Christmas wishes: What to write in a Christmas card
Get sample messages, tips and watch our new video guide to write the perfect Christmas card.
-
Winter What is Lunar New Year?: Shining a light on a celebration shared by billions
Lunar New Year is celebrated by an estimated 2 billion people around the world. It’s a holiday that marks the arrival...
-
Winter Find your Chinese zodiac sign just in time for Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is the longest, most celebrated event for billions of people in Asian communities around the world. Ea...
-
Kids Free Black History Month coloring pages to celebrate with the family or in the classroom
There are so many way to celebrate Black History Month. And we absolutely love the ones that can be done as a family ...
-
Birthday 60+ winter birthday party ideas for kids and adults
Having a winter birthday can be pretty bittersweet. On one hand, there’s literally magic in the air around your big d...
