Very good news: it’s not too late to throw the Galentine’s Day party of your dreams. Yes, technically, Galentine’s Day — the fictional holiday created by Leslie Knope in a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation — is February 13th, but as far as we’re concerned Galentine’s Day season is all of February. Plus, there’s never really a bad time to get your friends in one room to celebrate one another over a boozy brunch. Hoboken resident and all-around #girlboss Danielle Tullo, Deputy Editor of Her Campus, gave us a peek at what her epic Galentine’s Day party was like and some of her top tips to throwing a Galentine’s Day party of your own locally {with the help of local vendors, Etsy, and, yes, Amazon}. Keep reading to see what her party was like + get some tips.
All photos by Krista Stucchio
^ Danielle Tullo at her party!
Find Heart-Shaped Food
^ Some extra snacks!
As far as we’re concerned, it’s not a Galentine’s Day party without heart-shaped eats. Mike Hauke from Hoboken’s iconic pizzeria, Tony Boloneys, dreamt up Pink Magic, a heart-shaped pie made with pink homemade mozzarella, and Empathy Wine rosé-infused crust for this big event.
And, if that doesn’t have you drooling, their garlic knot heart pie probably will. Officially called Russ Stover is a Boomer {serious #LOLZ}, this box of assorted garlic knots makes every box of chocolates look pretty sad. If you also want a pink heart pizza and a pie made entirely of garlic knots, both are available for pre-order for Valentine’s Day at $30 each.
For sweets, local shop Baking Mama is a go-to. Owner Tina Rivera can make just about anything that comes to mind {or that you’ve seen on Pinterest if we’re being honest}. This year, Tina made white heart-shaped cookies with pink and gold brush strokes designed on them. Not heart-shaped but equally as delicious are her pink macarons — definitely pick up a box for your party {or just for yourself, no judgment here}.
Decorate With a Balloon Wall and Flowers
As are many of us, Danielle is a self-proclaimed “total sucker for a photo opp, especially when it involves balloons.” Enter her balloon heart wall, flawlessly installed by a local vendor Popseri Events.
“When it comes to creating a photo booth or photo wall moment, I love to integrate it into the existing space so it feels natural and less forced. In this instance, I took down a painting and the Popseri team installed the heart balloon wall.” They also did a balloon garland install above the chairs in her living room, again for a natural and fun photo moment.
For florals, Danielle stopped into Bloomie Flower Studio — a hidden gem and her new favorite flower shop in town. “I showed them pictures of my space. From there, they created three pieces I walked out with that completely elevated my tablescapes.” And the rest was floral history.
Serve a Signature Cocktail
Or, in this case, two signature cocktails. First up was Galentine’s Juice, served in boozy pouches with a “babe” crazy straw, both of which Danielle got on Etsy from The Dirty Bar Cart. It was equal parts pink lemonade and vodka, plus a splash of 7UP.
Likely the easier option for last-minute parties was the second cocktail, pink cotton candy prosecco. Yes, that’s correct, cotton candy + prosecco.
“I ordered these pink coupe glasses off of Amazon {four for $4 and Prime next-day delivery, thank you very much}, and filled them with a pouf of cotton candy {also from Amazon},” Danielle said. “When my friends arrived, I filled them with La Mara prosecco and served — it looks very fun and fancy, but is so incredibly easy.”
Make a Different Kind of Charcuterie Board
Cheese is important as always, but on G-Day, it’s time for a twist. “I love cheese as much as the next person, but for Galentine’s Day, I felt the need to change things up from my typical charcuterie board. Instead, I made a candy version filled with Kit Kats, M&M’s, Skittles, Conversation Hearts, and cookies from Baking Mama,” Danielle explained. And the results speak for themselves.
And, since the 90s are back, it was only appropriate for there to be a friendship bracelet station. Instead of putting the beads out in their packaging, I made a friendship bracelet charcuterie board.
Send Your Friends Off with Fun Party Favors
Party favors are a *must.* “If there’s one thing me and my friends have in common, it is our love of wine and prosecco,” Danielle explained. For that reason, it only made sense that her party favors were tie-dye wine totes from local shop BFFS & BABES {which you can shop here}. “I filled them with mini bottles of La Marca prosecco, a more economical choice than full-size bottles.” And perfect for an Instagram photo, of course.
See more images from Danielle’s party by following her on Instagram, and trust us when we say you can and should throw a Galentine’s Day party. {Oh, and catch Danielle on a recent episode of Tea on the Hudson, too}.
