Plan a Victorious Office Party for Valentine's Day

Posted By: Heather Fairchild In: Business Professional

Planning a platonic Valentine’s party for coworkers or friends on a tight budget can give you heartburn. Especially if you’re trying to wow them with your out-of-the-chocolate-box thinking but you find yourself short on funds. Try these red hot ideas that haven’t been overdone yet.


A Red Carpet Rendezvous – Invite your colleagues to attend a formal affair in the conference room. As everyone arrives snap several shots of them as if they’re being greeted by paparazzi. Pop lots of microwave popcorn and plan to play a few rounds of Scene It or another movie trivia game. Finish the fun by having a Hollywood style awards show. You can spray paint office supplies with a gold finish and present them for office achievements. Make sure everyone is recognized for something they do well.


Go Back to Grade School – Supply the staff with glue sticks, scissors, a pack of construction paper and a chance to get creative by making cards like kids. A pack of doilies and a roll of ribbon will add some extra flair too. Have everyone bring homemade cookies and juice boxes to snack on and ask them to provide a grade school picture ahead of time. Post all of the photos on a poster board and try to guess who is who.


Seeing Red – You don’t have to plan a rave to have a red party. Send out a memo about the strict dress code, red only. Make sure all of your decorations are red. Plan a red menu with stuff like strawberries, Twizzlers and fruit punch out of a red solo cup. Set up a scavenger hunt and send teams out to search for red rewards. Have a raffle complete with red tickets that offers affordable luxuries like an afternoon off, a free office vacuuming, or first crack at the snack table.


Strike Out – If you prefer an anti-Valentine’s party instead take the team to Taco Bell. There’s nothing less romantic than eating bean burritos under fluorescent lighting. Afterwards hit the lanes at the local bowling alley, Dutch treat of course. Everyone can toss their frustrations down the lanes and bond over gutter balls.


Whether you plan a big party or simply exchange 20 cent cards it’s important to let the people in your life know that you appreciate them.


What’s a Valentine’s Day tradition you’ve enjoyed at work?


By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for Beyond.com, she is co-founder of a design and promotion company. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.