Valentine’s Day is reserved for sharing a day of romance with your partner. But February 13th is all about ladies celebrating ladies! Thanks to Leslie Knope of Parks and Rec, we can leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and gather with our gal pals instead. Check out these adorable Galentine’s Day ideas!
What is Galentine’s Day?
👱🏻♀️ According to the bubbly and fiercely loyal master of friendship, Leslie Knope:
Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.
It’s truly a day to celebrate all the wonderful female friendships in your life! Take extra time this year and plan a party that creates some scrapbook-worthy memories.
1. Plan a paint n’ sip party
For a creative group of ladies, a Galentine’s Day wine and paint party is perfect. Have your guests bring their own bottles of wine and set up a fun wine bar. Provide a few tasty apps and pass out boxes of chocolate for everyone to enjoy while they paint!
🍷 Decor: Set up easels, jars of paintbrushes, and paint of course! Try passing out aprons (or at least encouraging your guests to bring an old shirt to protect their clothing). Personalized wine glasses are an adorable touch and double as party favors. Our friends at Porch have more great tips on getting set up for a perfect wine and paint party.
🍡 Menu: Since it can be a bit difficult to paint and eat (and sip), aim for finger foods. Some easy choices include mini quiches, meatballs, slider bites, and cake pops. You can get super creative and research what flavors go best with your crowd’s favorite wines!
🎨 Entertainment: A painting party host can help design a painting to match your theme and then lead the group in creating a keepsake.
🎉 You might also like: Fun Sip and Paint Ideas for Hosting a Painting Party at Home
2. Host a rom-com roast
Whether rom-coms make you swoon or sick, a Galentine’s Day movie screening is always a fabulous idea! Have a blast berating When Harry Met Sally or telling those nerds in The Notebook to get a life. Or if your group is less cynical, pass out the tissues and sob together through the end of Me Before You.
💔 Decor: Movie posters and heart-shaped decorations (ripped in half) make an excellent setting for a rom-com roast! Offer cozy blankets and encourage guests to dress comfortably for an adult slumber party vibe.
🍕 Menu: Theme your menu around whatever movie you and your gals are watching! For example, serve Greek pizza for My Big Fat Greek Wedding or chocolate-covered strawberries to honor Pretty Woman. Try this recipe straight from the source with Reese Witherspoon’s favorite apple pie, paired with a viewing of Sweet Home Alabama.
📽️ Entertainment: Book an inflatable movie screen to set up in your backyard to make the rom-com night even more fun!
3. Let the good times roll
Would you rather cut loose during your Galentine’s Day celebration? Hey, that’s why party buses exist! These rolling nightclubs combine awesome soundtracks with killer cocktails. It’s the next best thing to taking a road trip with your favorite ladies! You can make a few stops or just drive around town for a couple of hours.
✨ Decor: The bus is probably already filled with neon or black lights to create a party atmosphere, but you can add to it with creative party favors. Pass out glow-in-the-dark necklaces, martini glasses, or “night out survival” packs with lip gloss, face blotting tissues, and breath mints.
🍪 Menu: It may be a good idea to have the party bus pick you up from your favorite dinner joint before embarking on the evening. Be ready for those late-night munchies with grabbable snacks like mini bags of chips, cookies, and chocolate. Provide small bottles of water, soda, or even wine if you’d like to sip in between stops!
🎶 Activity: Create a party bus playlist filled with all the biggest divas like Whitney, Mariah, Beyonce, Kelly, and Britney. Who runs the world? Girls. Check out our Galentine’s Day Girl Power Playlist for inspiration!
4. Learn something new
For a group of gals that loves interacting and learning new skills, gather them together for some lessons in fun! Think about an activity that you would all be open to trying and start planning. Learning how to make a signature cocktail or a lesson in yin yoga can be a wonderful bonding experience.
⭐ Decor: Focus on some themed party favors instead of decorations for this Galentine’s Day event. For example, pass out cute tank tops for a yoga class or personalized aprons for a cooking lesson.
🥐 Menu: Keep it simple since you’ll be busy learning a new skill! Stick with light crowd-pleasing favorites like chicken salad croissants, fresh fruit, and iced tea.
🧘 Entertainment: Book a belly dancer to lead your group in some new dance moves, a yoga instructor to help you relax, or a personal chef to spice up your recipe books.
5. Set up a spa day at home
From taking care of kids, pets, partners, and households – women work hard! And they deserve a day to themselves. Celebrate self-care with your best pals and treat yo’ self to a spa day for Galentine’s Day.
🌿 Decor: Focus on soft, feminine colors like mint green, spa blue, or peachy pink. Use candles and vases filled with pastel flowers to set the tone for a day of luxury. The scent of essential oils or stovetop potpourri can encourage relaxation, too. Set your table with a place setting that includes a mirror, headband, towels, and anything else needed for pampering.
🍓 Menu: Nothing says bougie like a charcuterie board! Offer a variety of nice cheese, meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dips. A yogurt bar with toppings like granola, fruit, and nuts is a great alternative to lots of sugary desserts. If the sweets call to you, try color-coordinating macarons or simple shortbread cookies. Sparkling fruit-infused water, wine, and hard seltzers are festive choices for a spa day!
💆 Activity: Book a mobile massage therapist to give chair massages to each guest, or lead the group in a lesson on making natural body scrubs or masks.
💅 You might also like: How to Throw a Glamorous Kids Spa Party
6. Kick it breakfast style
To truly recreate the Parks and Rec-inspired Galentine’s Day, you must have waffles. Throw a Knope-worthy brunch complete with personalized gifts and dedicated time with each of your best gal pals!
💟 Decor: String up a heart-shaped garland and hang pictures of you and your friends from good times past. Add bunches of balloons to fill the space with a festive feeling. And while you may not have time to crochet everyone’s face on a pillow, giving each friend a special candle or bath bomb can mean just as much.
🧇 Menu: Provide all the brunch-worthy favorites like frittatas, muffins, and fresh fruit. If you’re really dedicated, add some heart-shaped waffles and whipped cream! Don’t forget a fun mimosa bar where the gals can create a festive drink.
🎹 Entertainment: Book a local female singing guitarist, pianist, or harpist to provide that Lilith Fair atmosphere – but you know, without the angst.
Megan is the Director of Customer Experience at GigSalad and has gained 9+ years of insight on what makes a great event on both sides of the booking process. Her favorite things include books, true crime podcasts, coffee, hiking, puns, and making people laugh.