Invite your girlfriends over for a GALentine’s Day tea party. A good excuse to pull out your pretty vintage tea cups and enjoy some delicious Valentine treats with your besties.
Being a lover of vintage decor, it’s probably no surprise to you that I look for any (and every) opportunity to put my collections to use. When I started thinking about Valentine’s Day a few weeks ago, I was inspired by my vintage tea cup collection to do something a little different this year and host a GALentine’s Day tea party. Sounds pretty fun, right?
Although I try to meet up with friends for coffee or lunch every other week or so, quite often time slips away on me, and a month or more can pass by. Most of us lead busy lives, but I guess you could say I’m working on shifting my priorities to better align with my values. I mean, who fully understands our struggles better than our closest girlfriends?
So, at the beginning of this year, I decided to create more meaningful moments like these by planning and hosting small get-togethers. Nothing big that causes additional stress in my life. Just a handful of us gals gathering together to uplift, support and, most importantly, laugh. It’s the best therapy!
Are you with me?
Hosting a GALentine’s Day tea party doesn’t have to be time-consuming, complicated or expensive. I pulled together the decor, drinks and food in about an afternoon’s time. Make it work for you…
GALentine’s Day Tea Party Ideas
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Decide on Your Theme
My grandmother’s tea cups were my jumping off point, so the rest of the decor (style and colours) stemmed from there. Find something that inspires you, whether it’s a vintage style party or not, and run with it.
For a budget-wise party, base your theme around what you already have on hand. For instance, I only bought fresh flowers and a pattered pillow cover (that I planned on buying anyway). I “shopped” my house for the rest of the decorations.
Be sure to look in cupboards and closets first before you purchase anything new. Then, start gathering items in one area to see how it’s all coming together and where you may need to fill in. Be creative!
Make Lists
When it comes to planning parties, lists are your best friend.
Create a:
- Guest List- “Who to Invite” and “Confirmed Y or N” columns
- Decor List- “What You Have” and “What You Need” columns
- Food and Drinks List- “What You Have” and “What You Need” and “What You’re Making” columns
- Shopping List- This is where you transfer the “What You Need” items from your other lists.
Send Invites
At least a week or two ahead, decide on a time and date that works best for you, as well as most of your friends. (Galentine’s Day is “officially” celebrated on February 13th as started by Amy Poehler’s character on Parks and Recreation). Remember, it’s often difficult to accommodate everyone, so don’t stress if one or two can’t make it. Simply plan a coffee or lunch date to catch up at a later time.
Paper invitations are always beautiful if you plan many weeks ahead, but for small parties like these, I often use online invitations such as Paperless Post. Set an RSVP deadline you’re comfortable with (I prefer to have confirmations at least 5 days before the party).
Shop for Supplies
I pick up as many supplies as I can while doing my regular shopping and errands the week(s) leading up to the party. That way, I’m not rushed and can usually find budget-friendly items at thrift shops (my favourite), dollar stores or Michaels (with a coupon) depending on my theme.
For the flowers and baked goods, I set aside time the day before to run out so I know it’s all as fresh as possible. (If I have time, I bake the day before, but honestly, we have an amazing bakery in town that makes delicious cupcakes. For larger groups, I place my order ahead of time.)
Decorate
Depending on the decor, you should be able to set everything up the night before (or early morning). For my tea party, I arranged the pink spray roses in vintage milk glass vases and placed the dishes in a way that looked pretty and made sense. There are many options when it comes to tea party decorating ideas.
I even set out the serving dishes and trays I planned on using for the food.
Prepare the Food and Drinks
My advice is to keep this part as simple as possible. Since my party was planned for mid-afternoon, tea (and coffee) were the focus with a few Valentine’s Day sweet treats. All I had to do was put together the yogurt parfaits in the morning and chill the pink lemonade.
Right before my guests arrived, I filled the sugar and cream dishes and transferred the baked goods. I also made sure I had my tea kettle ready to go along with an assortment of teas. Then, I made a pot of fresh coffee for my non-tea-drinking-friends.
Enjoy Your Guests!
One of the best parts about hosting a GALentine’s tea party is its easy, relaxed vibe. The food and drinks are basically taken care of and you’re able to sit down and focus on catching up. I’m not sure about you and your friends, but we run out of time before we run out of stuff to chat about. It usually starts with the food…
It’s also fun to put together some Valentine’s Day Party Favours to hand out to your gals as they go.
For these, I printed some cute little hearts on canvas bags using iron-on transfer paper. Then, I filled them with sugar scrub, nail polish, heart-shaped truffles and lip gloss. Cute, right? What would you want in yours?
Have any other Galentine’s party ideas?
Shop the Look
Looking for other Valentine’s or GALentine’s Day Ideas?
Some of my Canadian friends are sharing their creative projects, too. A big thank you to Jo-Anna from A Pretty Life for bringing us all together! XOXO
Valentine’s Day Cherry Pie by Jo-Anna of A Pretty Life
Triple Berry Breakfast Parfait for Valentine’s Day by Joanna at Lazy Moms Blog
Valentine’s Day Mini Bouquet with Printable Wrap by Lucy of Craftberry Bush
DIY Iron-On Mini Tote Bags for Galentine’s Day by Joann of Woman in Real Life
DIY Clay Valentine Heart Wall Hanging by Jen of Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Valentine’s Day Smoothie Bowl by Kristeena of Motherhood in Stilettos
Chunky Crochet Heart Banner by Christina of The DIY Mommy
‘I’m Stuck On You Valentine’ Free Printable by Chandra of HashtagBlessed Blog
DIY Love Tees by Colleen of Lemon Thistle
Red Velvet Cheesecake by Kim of Kim Power Style
Custom Floral Dishware DIY with Temporary Tattoos by Christine of Amidst the Chaos
Valentine’s Day Keto Cheesecake by Thalita of The Learner Observer
How to Host a Mother/Daughter Galentine’s by Kelsey of Kelsey Diane Blog
Free Printable Farmhouse Style Valentine’s Day Cards by Shannon of AKA Design
GALentine’s Day Tea Party by Shauna of Satori Design for Living (you’re here)
Valentine Heart Necklace by Christine of The DIY Dreamer
Simple Valentine’s Day Decor by Alicia of A Burst of Beautiful
Valentine’s Sushi Recipe by Stefania of From the Playpen
Valentine’s Day Decor by Dannyelle of Life is a Party
Valentine Countdown for Kids by Heather of Raising Memories
Love Sign by Meagan of Row House Nest
Valentine’s Day Kindness Countdown Calendar by Jen of Rambling Renovators
Rustic Valentine’s Day Decor by Sarah of The Project Pile
Peach Raspberry Crisp by Brittany of My Daily Randomness
How to Make Pine Cone Roses by Jane & Sonja of Sustain My Craft Habit
Handmade Paper Gift Boxes by Jessica of The Vanderveen House
DIY Valentine’s Day Pouch by Lidia of Design Inside the Box
Valentine Oreo Cookies by Kendra of Joy In Our Home
Valentine’s Day Lunch Idea by Adriana of Chaos and Caffeine
Chocolate Cherries Baileys Cookies by Emily of daydreaming of elsewhere
xo,
