What’s Galentine’s Day, you may ask? Well, only the best day of the year! Grab your favorite girlfriends and celebrate February 13 without significant others. As Leslie Knope would put it, “ladies celebrating ladies.” Let’s make her proud by using these tips below.
1. Galentine’s Day brunch
Who doesn’t love a great brunch? Gather your friends and invite them to bottomless mimosas either at a serving restaurant or at a designated house. While going out to a restaurant is what Leslie Knope does, hosting the brunch yourself allows you to design it however you see fit. So, get creative!
2. Dress the part
You and your girlfriends can all meet up wearing shades of pink and red inspired by the love for this holiday. Other options include keeping it comfy casual or totally dressing to the nines. The point is that you are dressing for yourselves—not a man. That’s what Galentine’s Day is all about: gals.
3. Take Polaroids of your friends
Hang up a tapestry or create a photo booth centerpiece that you and your friends can use for the ‘gram. Good picture spots usually include a little bit of color, some plants, and/or some hanging lights. Bring along Polaroid cameras for instant memories, or just use your phone to capture the celebration.
4. Decorate
Galentine’s Day is not necessarily an anti-Valentine’s party. The point isn’t to be bitter, such as posting “I hate love” decorations may suggest, but to celebrate the strong and supportive women in your life. Reflect that gratitude by hanging up your favorite pictures of your girlfriends with string lights and other themed accessories. Use Pinterest for more creative ideas. In fact, one feature of your Galentine’s Day celebration could be to make DIY decorations for the party itself.
Related: 24 Things Couples Do That Are Annoying AF
5. Craft for your friends
Speaking of DIY, crafting friendship bracelets or wine painting can create something physical your friends will use to remember this momentous day. Buy some trendy beads and charms and channel your inner tween to make this occasion memorable. If you’re old enough to participate in wine painting, there are usually studios that allow you to make an appointment for you and your girlfriends. Once again, this is an activity you can totally make your own. Buy some cheap canvases and paint from the craft store, and some boxed wine—you should be ready to go.
6. Food, food, food!
This is probably one of the most important components to plan. The food situation depends on what kind of Galentine’s celebration you intend to have. If you’re going out to a specific restaurant, you know what to expect. However, if you’re planning an event in your own home, you have a few different options. You can make a meal yourself, cater food, or have a Galentine’s Day potluck! Again, this is up to how comfortable you and your friends are with cooking. Some meal ideas include heart-shaped mini pizzas or mozzarella sticks. Even making heart-shaped finger sandwiches is a cute and simple idea. Just buy heart shaped cookie cutters as the basic prep. Look to Pinterest for even more inspiration depending on the type of party you’re trying to have.
7. Include customized interactive games
Every girl-powered friend group is unique. Create a bingo board using inside-jokes or pin the tail on the “girl most likely to.” If you and your friends are down for a more competitive night, crack open the board and card games.
We hope these tips and tricks give you some inspiration for the perfect Galentine’s Day: a day to celebrate your most loved girlfriends. Whether you’re keeping it casual or creating a fancy event, staying true to the principle of celebrating your friendships will make it stand out from other holidays. The point is to customize your Galentine’s Day to you and your friend’s interests. Good luck from Leslie Knope and us at Her Campus (in spirit).