MAKE IT CUTE

Your love languge? Planning an absolutely adorable bash!Because your crew is absolutely worthy of a national holiday, Pressley Hosbach and her friends showed us how to do Galentine's right in our latest February/March issue.

From the dreamy boho aesthetic to the mouth-watering mountain of doughnuts on the menu, every element of this brunch bash was pure Pressley perfection. Read on for these easy Galentine's bash how-to's!

Set the scene

@solarpowered_blonde

The invites: To kick off your fête on a (very chic) foot, craft adorable bow-shaped invites (a dab of hot glue keeps the silky ribbon in place), then slip them into your besties' lockers between classes. Not only will you be inviting them to a fancy brunch, but they'll also get a delightful pick-me-up in the middle of the school day. Win-win!

The ambience: To create the perfect cozy hang, set a low table with flowers, candles and place cards. Next, scatter the floor with pillows and poufs (swipe from the living room!). Keep food and drinks within easy reach, along with a speaker to debut Pressley's girlpower playlist (find it here)—and sprinkle candy hearts liberally.

All the nosh

@solarpowered_blonde

It's brunch, bb: Keep the food element easy (and stress-free) by setting out a smattering of low-key options you can assemble in advance. Think beet and yogurt toasts, strawberry-watermelon skewers (put that heart cutter to good use), ombré cookies and, of course, a towering stack of pretty pink doughnuts. For cheersing? Keep the sparkling pink lemonade plentiful—and set out a water carafe stocked with sliced lemons, oranges, apples and strawberries. Sweet!

Fab favors

@ali.knutson

Let's be real: Your friends are the ones who make your heart melt. Set out the sweetest s'mores kits for your pals to take home, complete with cute heart-shaped marshmallows. (Find our favorites from CandiceCards on Etsy, $5 each.)

Bonding seshes

@pressley

Yes, there's an agenda! Be sure to build itn time for these bonding seshes:

Sealed with a kiss: What better way to say ILYSM than by surrounding your girls with quick confidence boosters? Stock up on pink Post-it notes and Sharpies, then write out empowering affirmations and sweet reminders. 

Cover a wall mirror (leaving space for selfies, natch) so your true blues can take home the stickies that make them feel seen.

Praise posters: Tape a poster to the wall and have a bestie sit in front of it. The rest of your squad can take turns writing compliments above her head. Snap a photo of the finished result, then have her turn around to see the sweet messages. Repeat for each gal in your group (and cue an "aww" moment).

Flex the deck: Have each of your besties prep a slideshow on a swoon-worthy topic of their chooosing. Is it a deep-dive into all their childhood crushes? Or recasting your BFFs as main characters in classic rom-coms? Hook up your deck to AirPlay and present away.

Picture perfect

@pressley

So many photo opps, so little time!

Not your basic backdrop: Cover an old white sheet with spray-painted hearts in varying shades of pink and red (best created outside!), then tape it up on a wall or in front of your garage door. Come party time, rope in a parent or older sibling to help direct your photo shoot.

Post-fête, print copies of the best shots to deliver each guest (wrapped with a bow, of course).

Hearts on fire: Show your love—with sweetly shaped face stickers ($9, Xo, Fetti).

Capture candids: Set out an Instax camera and film (we love this heart-themed pack, $16, amazon.com) for your friends to take impromptu pics. These memories are just begging to become mementos—and make perfect party favours, too.

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our February/March 2025 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

Slider & top image: @pressley
Digital formatting by Felicia Bono.

by Jessica D'Argenio Waller | 2/13/2025