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Galentine’s: A Guide for the Hosts

Aleigha Shepard Student Contributor, University of Ottawa
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Ottawa chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Every group needs a host and what better time to show off your hostess skills than on Galentine’s day? Everything about this holiday screams “for the girls,” the pink, the hearts, the snacks, truly the perfect occasion for a girls night! Here are some steps to get your planning started on the right foot.

1. Save the date

Some people have Valentine’s reserved for their partners, and that’s okay, we can work around this. Who says you have to celebrate on the actual holiday? Survey your friends and find a date that works for everyone involved. Valentine’s day falls on a Friday this year which is optimal – you have the whole week before and the weekend after to celebrate. Once you have secured a day and location you are ready to start planning.

2. CHose a Vibe and activity

Having a set theme or vibe will make decorating, music and activities so much easier to research and plan for. IF you want to have an activity throughout your night, center your theme on that. You could also totally just go with a classic girly valentines theme and have no set activities. Here are some I’ve thought of or found online:

  • Pizza/Baking – Decorate heart shaped pizzas and/or cookies. Have a cute decorating table set out and you could even have everyone bring an ingredient or topping.
  • Paint and Sip – Whether it is painting wine glasses, canvases, or any other surface, a paint and sip is always a success. Grab some art supplies, wine, cocktails or mocktails and throw a playlist on and you’re set for the night!
  • Scrapbooking/Vision Boarding – For the artsy girlies, grab a mix of craft supplies and/or printed photos and create some cute spreads or inspiration boards for the year ahead.
  • Powerpoint Night – I think Valentine’s day is the perfect occasion for a comedic little powerpoint night. Have all your guest curate a personal powerpoint and present it to the group. Some ideas I would love to see are “Dating Wrapped of 2024,” “Best Songs/Movies/Tiktoks,” “Celebrities I would date and why,” “Best quotes of the year”… the possibilities here are endless.
  • Cocktail/Snack/Charcuterie Board – For the foodies this is a great way to hit all the girl dinner groups. Have everyone bring a themed drink or snack (festively on theme) and hang out surrounded by your favourite people and snacks

There are so many things to chose from it can be overwhelming from a planning standpoint so planning your night ahead of time won’t leave you in a pile of cookie dough and scrapbook paper the day of. Ultimately what you do does not matter but it’s always fun to have an activity planned. (Especially if you’re like me and keep talking about doing all of these things but never actually come around to it… no better time than the present).

3. Have a playlist on standby

Although having aux is a blast, it can also be a full time job. Have a playlist ready for those moments when you want to unplug and live in the moment of your night. Find one you love ahead of time so you aren’t under pressure the night of.

Happy planning !

At the end of the day, a good host is a welcoming host. The night is all about who you’re with not what you do! That being said, it is much less stressful as a host when you have a plan. All that’s left to do now is to enjoy your time with your girls. Wishing you all a galentines full of food, fun, and laughter.

Aleigha Shepard

U Ottawa '26

Aleigha (most often known as Lia) is a third year French and English major at UOttawa. She has goals to teach abroad once she has graduated with hopes to travel all of Europe through work. She is a passionate reader and finds herself most often writing creative non-fiction. Outside of Her Campus, Aleigha is constantly on the hunt for new music and bands and obsesses over updating her playlists daily. She loves fitness and all aspects of health and wellness, and just about any activity that can be done with friends. Although she is extremely social, she prefers to wind down alone with some tea and a good book or comfort show.