Growing up, Valentine’s day was always one of my favourite holidays. I remember in primary school, we used to have a party every year in the afternoon, swap treats, and hand out little cards in everyone’s personalized mailboxes (decorated tissue boxes lol). The memory of this joyous feeling I used to get on this day has never left me. These school traditions taught me that Valentine’s day is so much more than having a special day with you s/o, but rather a fun day to spend with those in your life you care about most, and letting them know you value them. That’s why about four years ago, I began planning an annual Galentine’s day party for all my BFF’s, to celebrate our friendship. And partly it was just an excuse to stuff our faces with tasty treats, drink yummy drinks, sit and watch movies for hours, and of course for the cute instagram pictures as well! After planning quite a few of these parties, I feel as if I have become quite the expert on how to throw the most successful and enjoyable Galentine’s day party as possible. So here is my list of everything that is required to have the ultimate Galentine’s day:
- Step One: Decorations
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Valentine’s day is such a cute holiday for one main reason… the aesthetic. In my opinion, there is nothing cuter than a pink/red colour combo. So when I say you better have some pink and red decoration at your party, I mean it (or how else are your guests supposed to differentiate your Galentine’s party from any other celebration).
For decor I usually like to get some balloons, but because balloons are not the greatest for the environment I have scaled back on my balloon obsession. Instead, I opt for a “balloon feature”, my favourite is this little chain of red metallic XO balloons. This cute decoration can be purchased less than a five-minute walk from Carleton, at the Dollar It (on the corner of Sunnyside and Bank street). While there, I recommended you also pick up some pink and red cups, plates, and napkins to continue your valentine’s day theme (but once again make sure they are all recyclable!).
- Step Two: Bubbles
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Galentine’s day is a celebration, so having some type of bubbles at your party is key! Whether you are legal or not, some type of bubbly drink is mandatory on Galentine’s day. For a non-Alcoholic option, my absolute favourite bubbly drink is “Bottle Green, Sparkling Elderflower”, which can be found at Whole Foods. However, if you are legal, I highly recommend the “Bottega Rose Gold Brut Sparkling wine”, which you can pick up at the LCBO. I will definitely admit this rosé is definitely a little splurge, but it’s so good. And isn’t it worth spoiling yourself and your besties on Galentine’s day?
- Step Three: Movie
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Movies are such an important part of any Galentine’s day celebration. There are so many amazing mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey, heart-filled movies out there. I recommend you pick at least two of them for your party, as it is a super easy activity to plan. Plus, watching movies with my friends totally throws me back to slumber parties in elementary school! This is a list of some of my favourites, by category:
“Pass Me The Tissue Box” Category:
The Notebook, Love Rosie, Call Me By Your Name, The Age of Adaline, A Star Is Born, and Forever My Girl
The “RomCom” Category:
When Harry Met Sally, He’s Just Not That Into You, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Notting Hill, Crazy Stupid Love, You’ve Got Mail, Valentine’s Day the movie, The Duff, Mama Mia, Crazy Rich Asians, Little Italy
The “Fairy Tale” Category:
Pretty Woman, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Pride and Prejudice, La La Land, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
- Step Four: Snacks
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SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS!!! This is the make or break of your Galentine’s day celebration. When choosing snacks, it’s once again important to keep with the pink and red colour theme. A great treat that is also a party activity, is decorating some type of sugar cookie or cupcake. Some of my other favourite snacks that are perfect for your party include, a couple bags of Boom Chicka Pop popcorn (comes in a variety of flavours, but my favourite is the light kettle corn), which is a perfect treat for your movie watching. In addition, chocolate covered strawberries are not only a classic valentine’s day treat, but a simple and delicious one as well. A pint of ice cream is also definitely a must-have for your Galentine’s day celebration. Lastly, some type of candy is always a good little snack to offer your guest, my new favourite is called “Smart Sweets”. Smart sweets are a game-changer to the candy game, and definitely a healthier option to the average gummy candy, with only three grams of sugar per bag!
Following these four simple steps, I hope you have the best Galentine’s day this year!