Host a Sweethearts’ Cocktail Party!

Host a sweethearts’ Cocktail Party for your favorite couples!  It doesn’t matter that February 14th falls on a weekday.  Look toward the weekends before and after!

Invitations

• Tricky - Order special, printed invitations from terrific web sources.  Try partyinvitations.com.  On this site, I loved Design 541 which depicts “Valentine Party People” and Design 1915 , featuring a “Martini dot” design.  Or try announcingit.com for two romantic invitations, one depicting chocolate dipped strawberries with a glass of red wine (Red Wine & Berries) and the other with a glass of white wine (Red Wine & Berries)!
• Easier - Print your own invitations on attractive card stock.  For a great source, try impressinprint.com.  Check out item #FI-386, with red roses and champagne or item #GI8604 (no dash) with a border of chocolate candies.
• Easiest - When time is short, consider sending invitations from evite.com.  This is a site for quick and colorful invitations!

Decorations

Helpful Hints:  Whether you choose “tricky,” “easier,” or “easiest,” let your invitations guide your color scheme for the party.  For example, with Valentine’s Day it’s easy to go with one of two color ways - pink/white/silver or red/white/gold.  This will give your party a cohesive feeling and your choices for food, table decorations, and serveware will make sense to your guests!  They will admire the way your theme or color scheme is carried throughout your party!

• Tricky - Arrange tiny rose buds (pink or red, according to your color scheme) densely in small, clear glass vases.  Scatter the arrangements across your dinner table or buffet.   Plan to send an arrangement home with each couple as a party favor!  Try Michael’s for very nice square vases at a nice price!
• Easier - Mylar balloons in large quantities.  Let the balloons rise to the ceiling with the ribbons hanging down!  Follow the color scheme, bunches of silver and pink balloons or red and gold!  Select ribbons in coordinating colors.
• Easiest - Head to your local Dollar Store for as many clear, glass votive holders as you can carry out!  Choose either red or pink votive candles, in keeping with your color scheme.  Scatter the votives in groups everywhere!
• Crazy - Do all three!

Drinks

• Tricky - Serve Valentinis, Cabochon Cocktails or Pink Passions.  See our recipes for cocktails.
• Easier - Champagne poured into flutes and garnished with whole strawberries.
• Easiest - Serve your own favorite wines and beers.  If you like them, your guests will too!

Menu

• Tricky - Fondue bars for all courses!  Cheese, meat and chocolate!  You’ll need to borrow or buy sufficient fondue pots to accommodate your crowd.  Don’t forget bread cubes and apples for the cheese fondue, beef and chicken for the main course, and fruits, pound cake, and marshmallows for the dessert course.
• Easier - Serve a wide assortment of hors d’oeuvres, designed to appeal to all.  Shrimp cocktail, baked brie, fresh crudites, mini crab cakes, sliced French bread and various toppings like tapenade, bruschetta, fresh mozzarella cheese, and roasted red peppers.  Also consider store bought gourmet pate, assorted cheeses, olives, and hummus.  All of these items go well with breads of all sorts like flat bread, bagel chips and bread sticks.  Take a look at our appetizer recipes.  For dessert try strawberries dipped in chocolate and heart shaped cookies.
• Easiest - Get help!  Order trays of Italian food from your favorite restaurant! Or order a spiral sliced ham your local market or butcher shop.  Dress the ham up with country biscuits, sliced swiss cheese, and a wide assortment of mustards.  For dessert fill a large clear glass trifle bowl or salad bowl with hulled and cleaned fresh strawberries and raspberries.  Serve store bought pound cake or angel food cake on the side of the fruit, along with a bowl of freshly whipped cream.

Favors

• Tricky - Burn CD’s with all of your favorite romantic songs (see Burn Your Own CDs).  Personalize your CD label with your party colors and favorite romantic sentiment.  Wrap in cellophane bags tied with coordinating ribbons.  Gather the CD’s in a basket and keep them by the front door.  This way you won’t forget to give your guests their favor as they leave!
• Easier - Send guests home with splits of champagne.  Package in cellophane bags tied with coordinating ribbons.
• Easiest - Buy boxes of Red Hots, Hot Tamales, or Conversation Hearts (try candydirect.com).  Package in cellophane bags tied with coordinating ribbons.  Your guests’ children will love these favors!

Hostess Gifts

• Tricky - Two lovely gifts by Mariposa are the “Double Heart Dish,” item# MAR1322, $47 or the Cocktail Napkin Box with a beaded edge, item# MAR, $42.  The napkin box comes with adorable heart patterned napkins and a heart shaped weight to go on top, Silverimpressions.com.  These gifts are really beautiful, but a little pricey for the average hostess gift.  Consider giving a joint gift with another couple attending the party!  Your hostess will be thrilled to receive one great gift rather than two bottles of wine!
• Easier - Put together a “Morning After” gift bag or basket for your hosts.  Include waffle/pancake mix, nice maple syrup, a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, and gourmet coffee.  You can do this at your local supermarket or buy it on-line at stonewallkitchen.com, item #542185 for $21.95.  This item contains Barefoot Contessa waffle mix and amber maple syrup nicely pre-wrapped in a cellophane bag.
• Easiest - Purchase a CD of romantic music.  Amazon.com has an entire section devoted to Valentine music!  Some nice choices include: “Amore” by Andrea Boccelli, “Favorite Love Songs” by Michael Crawford, “Greatest Love Songs” by Frank Sinatra, or “Michael Buble” by Michael Buble.  If these titles don’t appeal to you or your hosts, there are many more to choose from on-line.
• Out of time - Swing by your local grocery store and pick up some potted flowers.  Don’t bring a bouquet unless it is already in a vase - It’s asking a lot of your host to arrange flowers during a party.  Nice choices are potted red tulips or pink or red Cyclamen.

For Your Valentine’s Day Cocktail Party or Any Special Gathering

Before your guests arrive:

• If your kids haven’t gone to a neighbors, send them to bed or upstairs with a babysitter.
• Turn on your outside lighting and make sure your walkway is clear of ice and snow.
• Set up coffee service with coffee, hot water, tea, tea bags, sugar, artificial sweeteners, cream, and to-go cups.
• Have bottles of water available for departing guests.
• Dim the lights, turn on the romantic music, and light your candles.
• Try to sit back, relax, and enjoy your own celebration!

Do you have an idea for a Valentine’s cocktail party you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear!

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