By Casa de Suna
Published Feb 08
First comes cuffing season, then comes Valentine’s Day.
While we’re all for the love that this holiday brings each year, it’s also a time that can feel exclusionary. (Can’t we bring back the days of dropping Valentine’s cards in everyone’s cubby in class?) This season, we’re aiming for a fresh take on the holiday to celebrate all kinds of love: romantic love, friend love, family love—and like, the love you have for your barista who actually remembered your order.
We’re turning a party for two into a party for all. Read on.
Step One: Build Your Guest List
This is Valentine’s Day, after all, so why not take the opportunity to play Cupid? Maybe, just maybe, now’s the time to invite your single co-worker and your single cousin who you think just might hit it off. Expand your reach to all the loves in your life. It doesn’t need to be an intimate dinner with your nearest and dearest, it could be time to reinvent the holiday. Go big. Go bold.
Step Two: Set Your Tabletop
Here at Casa de Suna, we’re all about understated elegance, but that’s not to say we’re above cheeky nods to a theme. When we think of Valentine’s Day, we immediately think of pink and red. We see no reason to abandon that color scheme just because the guest list is growing. Lay the groundwork with a dreamy and romantic pink tablecloth paired with some of Italian legend Gaetano Pesce’s cheeky red and pink placemats, and use this as an opportunity to mix and match some of the Estelle wine glasses in pale pink, red, and hot pink?
Step Three: Gather Your Floral Arrangement
Since we’re setting out to subvert the Valentine’s Day narrative, it’s only fair that we find an alternative flower to the eternally played out rose (which, by the way, is also eternally increasing in price). This year, it’s time to get creative. We’re planning to put together an on-theme arrangement that feels fresh and unique. A soft pink ranunculus is always a good idea, and is, in our opinion, even prettier than a classic rose. Those into symbolism can opt for pink and red anemones, which are a symbol of undying love. If you’re in search of something similar but not quite the same as a rose, why not opt for tulips as a reminder of the (sort of) impending spring.
Step Four: Create Your Menu
Continue the tongue-in-cheek nods to Valentine’s Day by kicking things off with a classic: a flute of champagne. From there, keep things simple by serving a meal that’s the ultimate nod to the more casual Valentine’s Day parties we might have enjoyed in our youth: pizza (just add some natural red wine for an adult flair without the hangover). It’ll limit the time everyone spends fussing over food and keep the evening social and lighthearted. For dessert? Chocolate truffles, of course.
Step Five: Plan Some Games
This Valentine’s Day party is all about striking the right balance between turning the concept of the holiday on its head and nodding to some of the more special traditions that surround it. When it comes to games, we’re going to avoid the more overtly flirty “truth-or-dare” and “spin the bottle” concepts in favor of something more fun: board games. There may not be anything Valentine’s-themed about a game of Scattegories or Taboo, but Scattegories doesn’t have a cap on participants and most of it is conducted in silence (until the contentious reviews at the end of each round), meaning you can play no matter how big your party gets or how late it goes. Taboo, on the other hand, is the perfect opportunity to pair a would-be couple together as a team to see if there’s a spark–maybe it is on theme, after all.
And there you have it. Whether you’ve been married for years, are in pursuit of romance, or happily single, you’re guaranteed to enjoy Valentine’s Day by subverting the narrative and celebrating like this.
If you do, tag us by using #casadesuna on social media. Cheers to love in all its forms.
