Galentines Day has become just as popular, and arguably more beloved, than actual Valentines Day. To celebrate the special day, I invited some of my close Galveston girlfriends to Girlie Grounds, one of the newest and most unique luxury Airbnb's on the island. We had an evening full of food, mocktails, music, laughter, and of course photos! Now I invite you to peek into the evening + add my tips to throwing an easy yet adorable Galentines Day party.
Location
Girlie Grounds is the newest luxury Airbnb in Galveston, and is the only place that offers an all inclusive package for groups, which includes charcuterie boards, permanent jewelry, personal grocery shopping, complimentary polaroid photos, and more! With my busy schedule, I didn't have a lot of time to prep decorations and because I'm ballin on a budget I didn't have a lot of extra cash to order any either. This space is already so glammed up, it was a hassle free set-up and minimal tear down.
In addition to it's aesthetic indoor space, it also has a spacious yard with a pool and fire-pit! While it was too cold to swim (however, I did debate jumping in at the end of the night). we did sit around the fire enjoying our drinks!
Overall the entire look of the house felt like an Instagram content creator's dream as it's mixed with glitter furniture, neons galore, with a dash of disco cowgirl + Limited Too throwback. I knew this space was perfect for a Galentines Party!
TIP: When throwing a party, pick a place that is already naturally beautiful or already has great interior design. Even if you have to pay a little more for the venue, it may be cheaper in the long run than buying a lot of decorations or hiring a vendor. Compare prices and see what works best for your style and budget!
Food + Drinks
One thing I always want to be sure of when throwing any type of party is that everyone has something to eat. With so many different guests, you never know who may have specific dietary needs. So one way to help with this is ask everyone to make a plate to share. That is why I set up a shared Google Doc and had everyone sign up to bring a dish. And while I could easily eat plates and plates of cookies, I did want a mix of sweets and filling foods since most people would be coming to the party right after work and may not have time to eat dinner. The shared Google Doc ensured we had a variety of food and we didn't have multiple people bringing the same kind of food.
As for drinks, I asked each guest to bring a mocktail along with their plate. I think this was a great move because so many people were coming off dry January and we wanted to keep the momentum going. Also, we had a few guests that were pregnant, so it ensured they were able to partake in all the yummy beverages! I think a fan favorite was the Strawberry Guava Mojito from Tortuga Mexican Kitchen!
TIP: One thing I didn't do, that I wish I would have done, was bring reusable to go containers. We had so much food leftover and everyone wanted to take an extra plate home but since we were using dishes from the Airbnb, it made it tough for people to bring anything back. While we were able to make the best use of what we had, I think it would be smart to think ahead next time and plan better for leftovers.
Music
One of my local friends, Lyda, is a musician and she offered to create a custom playlist for the party! It was so special to have live music and allow such a sweet friend to showcase her talent. When her set was over, I brought a portable Bluetooth speaker to connect to the indoor projector to play music videos and help fill the background noise.
TIP: If any of your friends have talents that they are willing to share, see if they would like to perform at your party! Be sure to let them know you also want them to be a guest too, so schedule out the time they "work" so they know when they can wrap up and join the group.
Photography + Videography
When you're hosting it can be tough to fully be in the moment, and when you add in guests wanting you to play photographer you can find yourself missing out on the fun. That is why I chose to add a local photographer and videographer to help capture the night! They did a far better job of grabbing quality photos, unique shots, and candid moments than I would have been able to with my phone. So huge thank you to Tall Pines Texas Photography + Zeal Media for being down to cover my Galentines Day party!
TIP: Private photographers and videographers can be pricey, and not often in your budget. Do some research and see if you can find a new budding photographer looking to add to their personal portfolio! Sometimes they may be willing to capture your event for a discounted price in exchange for the new experience. Just be sure you treat them with respect when it comes to creativity, editing turn around time, and fair wages as they are doing you a huge favor by reducing their cost.
Outfits
What's a party without a fun outfit?! For my Galentines Party, I encouraged my guests to wear bold colors, sparkles, and funky accessories. They definitely delivered and their unique style individually shined through! This made grabbing photos and videos even more fun because each girl's "fit" seemed to match one of the rooms' vibe.
Lately, I've really been digging Fashion Pass, a clothes rental company that allows you to trade out unlimited pieces per month! If you're a big shopper like me, it's easy to want to get a new outfit for every occasion; but with my budget, that's not the most economical decision. Plus it's terrible for the environment. Fashion Pass allows me to save money + recycle clothes by swapping them out whenever I want! If you're interested in Fashion Pass, use code BROOKERSM to save on your first order.
TIP: If you have a specific theme or vibe in mind for your party, put a sentence or two on your invites about what colors, patterns, etc. you'd like your guests to wear. Better yet, create a vision board on Pinterest and link it to a QR code (there are free QR generators online) to add to the invite! Most guests want to know what attire they should plan for, so help them out by thinking ahead.
Activities
While most of the evening was filled with mingling and eating, I did along some activities incase we wanted to do them. In my stash was card games (like What Do You Meme and New Phone Who Dis?), bracelet making kits, and polaroid cameras. Even though we only used the Polaroids, they made for cute coffee table decorations. The only thing I didn't do and wish in hindsight I had planned for was s'mores over the firepit. But hey, there is always next year!
TIP: While you may not anticipate time for activities, having something that people can do other than talk is always important. Guests who show up alone or are more introverted in nature may feel more comfortable doing something with their hands vs. being forced to chit chat. It's a great option to help everyone feel included in the party, and can sometimes provide a more natural way for conversations to be started.
