How to throw a Valentine's Day party

How to throw a Valentine’s Day party

Are you ready, are you ready for love? We are and hope you are too! Invite all your single friends over to celebrate together or just everyone and anyone who holds a special place in your heart. We’ve got you covered with a variety of Valentine’s party ideas, including insights on decorations, food, and even Valentine’s-themed games. 

Or, if you’re not much of a party-thrower, we’ve also written about how to celebrate being single on Valentine’s Day and created a go-to guide for Galentine’s Day.

And if you’re really hoping to spread the love, we have a huge selection of Valentine’s cards for you to pick from. Including comical, rude, and of course plenty of romantic options, our independent creators have pulled out all the stops: 

Not exactly a wordsmith? No worries, as we’re one step ahead with our what to write in a Valentine’s Day card guide. Go on, steal all our wonderful ideas (we won’t tell). 

Valentine’s Day party decorations

There’s no party without decorations, so you’ll need to get them right. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together a few of our fave Valentine’s party decoration ideas: 

  • Heart-shaped balloons – A Valentine’s party simply wouldn’t be complete without some appropriately heart-shaped balloons to fill your living room.
  • Confetti or rose petals – Delicately scatter some pink, white, and red confetti or rose petals around the room for a more subtle touch.
  • Red cups – Not just for house parties, some classic red (or even pink and white) plastic cups are also just as fitting for your Valentine’s get-together. After all, it’s not worth risking any smashed glass or potential damage to your favourite drinkware.
  • Mini sweet bags – A nice extra gift for your guests is a little sweet bag filled with chocolate hearts, marshmallows, love hearts, or whatever else you come across.
  • Valentine’s notes– To get everyone in that loving mood, you could write out a cute ‘lil love note for each person to give them upon arrival, detailing all your favourite things about them inside.

Valentine’s Day party food ideas

From sweet treats like cookies and pink trifles to savoury options including pizza and finger sandwiches, there’s all sorts of food you can serve at your Valentine’s Day party. Get yourself busy in the kitchen or take a quick trip to your local supermarket for pre-prepared bits!

Pepperoni heart pizza

Pizza is a classic party food choice – easy to share, loved by the majority, and simple to make or get a hold of. Buy one from the shop and cut up the pepperoni into little heart shapes before cooking, or really impress your guests by doing it all yourself. Either way, you truly can’t go wrong!

Love-filled finger sandwiches

Again, this requires very little time and chef abilities and won’t leave your kitchen looking like a bomb site. Gather all your favourite fillings and make some dainty finger sandwiches that your guests can pick at throughout the party. From the typical cheese and ham to a more controversial prawn cocktail, choose as many fillings as you like! Then the final step is to use a heart-shaped cutter to make them into sweet little love-filled finger sandwiches.

Valentine’s Trifle

So, we presume you’re asking what exactly makes this a Valentine’s trifle? It’s pink, duh! This recipe from The Butter Half is exactly what we mean and is achievable in only 15 minutes. Go on, give it a go, and tell us that this dessert doesn’t look perfect for your Valentine’s Day party.

Heart-shaped cookie bites

By this point, you can likely tell we’re very much going with a strong theme here (aka any food but either pink or in the shape of a heart). Stick with the tried-and-true yummy cookie recipe that’s never let you down, or make things easier for yourself by using some shop-bought cookie dough! 

From there, it’s the standard cookie-making process, except you’ll need to cut your cookie dough into a heart shape—we recommend a proper cookie cutter for ease. 

Valentine’s Day party themes 

Any party with a fun theme is bound to be a hit. So, here are some Valentine’s Day party theme ideas which you can base your bash around!

Love is in the air 

When it comes to Valentine’s Day themes, there’s nothing quite like a ‘love is in the air’ concept. We’re thinking cupid-themed decor, candyfloss cloud cocktails, and floating heart balloons in abundance. 

And for entertainment, how about a game of romantic charades? From romantic films and characters to book titles and songs, charades is an easy way to get everyone involved in a game where you’re all going to be screaming out answers left, right, and centre.

Iconic couples

Next up, we have the idea of throwing a Valentine’s fancy dress party, encouraging guests to turn up in duos dressed as their fave iconic couple. Barbie and Ken, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, or Ariel and Prince Eric—anything goes. Tell attendees to get outfit planning with their best mate or other half for a night of light-hearted fun. 

When it’s time for games, how about the classic option of Mr & Mrs? Simply sit guests down back-to-back and start grilling them. Bound to reveal some hilarious opinions, this game is fun even if you’re not the one in the hot seat.

Hearts and crafts 

Love an arts and crafts-based get-together? If so, Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to invite your besties over to embrace their crafty sides for a ‘hearts and crafts’ themed soiree! From painting taper candles to creating DIY heart coasters and jewellery, the options are endless. 

Fill the table with sweet treats to pick at, and don’t forget the drinks: we’re thinking your very own ‘Cupid’s cocktail’ featuring raspberry or pomegranate flavouring. Finally, pop on a rom-com in the background (Bridget Jones or When Harry Met Sally will do) and enjoy an evening of fun. 

Feeling inspired by our Valentine’s Day party ideas? Well, all that’s left to do now is put them all into practice to make your party a reality! 

And if you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day inspo, the thortful blog has plenty. Featuring pieces on double date ideas, dating trends, and of course Valentine’s Day date ideas along with information on how Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world, we’ve got all you lovebirds covered.