I have Amazing friends. Not only do these ladies have impressive careers, homes, lifestyles – they have ALWAYS been supportive of me in good and tough times. I have a friend who stayed over my place to administer a late-night medical shot, another friend who went to court with me for moral support during a frustrating situation, and another friend who is always ready to chat when I need to vent. Do not take me as selfish; I have made sure to be there for my friends as well! But lately, I feel full of love and gratitude thanks to these lovely ladies.
This Galentine’s Brunch was planned Leslie Knope style (this is an Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation TV show reference).
Our hectic schedules have made it hard to see each other and although most of these women did not even know each other they easily vibed together, eating snacks and brunch food, sipping mimosas, and taking photos. This four-hour event turned into an EIGHT-hour event where my friends were networking and trading contact info. I was in awe and fully approve of these new connections and womanly bonding.
An indicator the event was a success is when your friends call and message after to thank-you for the experience and reminisce. I planned to reach out to everyone to say I appreciate them, but they beat me to it. It was a success based on the essentials I chose to include in the brunch. See the list below.
- Food! It is always a party when there’s delicious food. I ordered catering from a local restaurant and served everyone buffet style.
- Organized invites. I used “Evite” to text and email my guests. This also helped me manage and keep a count of who I could expect to be there.
- I have never made them before, but I bought orange juice and champagne to serve mimosas for our group toast.
- Potluck preview. My friends all offered to bring something to contribute. I did not want anyone to worry about bringing something, so I advised them to bring appetizers and snacks. They really brought amazing treats to whet our appetites before the main course.
- Party décor. I did NOT want to do dishes when the party ended so I ordered plates, utensils, and tablecloths that all matched for to create the theme.
- Fun activities. I researched fun games and a lot of them were naughty. I am sure all my girls would have loved it, but my mom attended. She is the naughtiest of them all! But instead, I had a photobooth to take silly photos. If I had the machine, I would have included karaoke.
- Swag bags. As a token of my appreciation, I gave everyone a parting gift themed for our gathering before they left for the evening.
- Good people. Good people and things breed even better people and things. It gives and gives. If you have people with positive auras and personalities close to you – you will always have positive things in your life.
Carry on!
Denise D Gibson 