Cameron Diaz's Wedding Planner Takes on Valentine's Night

Valentine's Day is for the singles and the matched up, which means if you're looking to host, you can either opt for a romantic night in or a full-on girls night. Stefanie Cove, events planner for the likes of Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon, specializes in luxe events in far-off lands, which simply means she has an at-home affair on lock. Cove recently partnered with Kim Crawford wines to think up some romantic pairings. Below, see her ideas for celebrating come February 14.
Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert

For a Romantic Night:

How should you plan for a night for two?
I think you should start by thinking what you want to do and making it original—like having a friend or a friend of a friend who is a chef come to your home and put together a really amazing dinner that specializes in all the things your significant other loves. And if you can cook, and it won't take up the whole night, go for it. Do something special like oysters and sparkling wine for one of the courses. I would pay attention to things they said they'd said they would love to try. It's about remembering things the other person loves that they wouldn't expect you to pay attention to.

What would you recommend for décor?
I would stay away from the typical roses, but I do think it would be really beautiful to do some kind of arrangement with dark purple and ivory lilies. It's a little more sophisticated take on Valentine's Day. Also, always use a lot of candles—they're so beautiful and romantic and they never go out of style.

How would you soundtrack it?
I think again, it goes back to paying attention to the little things. It would be cool to have a music list put together of all your lover's favorites. You could have someone serenade you or have an acoustic guitarist come by your home. But don't go over the top, it's about being together.

Courtesy Kim Crawford Wines

For a Single Girls' Night

If you're hosting for your best single ladies?
Have a fun party or have a pajama night. For the former, have a long table with a plated dinner for your friends where you really enjoy fine wine. When they arrive have servers passing around Sauvignon Blanc gelees (they're similar to shots but more sophisticated) and have a specialty cocktail with tequila, this way everybody can mingle before you sit down.

What décor would you recommend? 

Flowers can get expensive. For something like this I'd rather spend money on having the food be really great.  I would do candles down the tables at different heights with intricate designs like gold lining. It will look rich without actually being so. I'd avoid the typical Valentine's Day red and pinks as it shouldn't feel like "it's Valentines day, we have nothing else to do, we're going to feel sorry for ourselves," and more, "we're going to have a night out with our girlfriends!" You can create a festive photo wall where the girls can take pic in front of it and use metallic color to make it shiny and bright. Everyone loves an Instagram moment now.

Any other favorite tricks? 
I love the idea of a sparkling wine tower when they walk in, it makes everything a little more glamorous.

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