We would never judge you for sitting on the couch through four 90-minute episodes of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life with a pot of coffee and a colossal pile of junk food. But you know what could be even more fun? Calling up your Lanes and your Sookies to have a viewing party!

Start planning now. November 25 is days away and according to Katherine Parris, the founder of Toronto-based event planning and management company Events by Parris, preparation is key. “Planning in advance also gives you time to source and hunt down your must-have items. The last thing you want is to be stressed at your own event. It’s important to have fun at your own party.” Fun, in this case, is not tearing your eyes from the screen to witness if Rory and Jess will finally get together.

Here are the fundamental components for an epic Gilmore Girls soirée. 

 

HAVE A DRESS CODE

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“Dressing up for a theme party ups the fun factor and makes the event feel more special,” says Parris. If you want an upscale vibe, take a cue from Friday night dinner attire at Emily’s. That means a wrap dress, cardigan, sparkly barrettes, and a skinny scarf. If your crew is more weekend-in-Stars Hollow low-key, think bellbottoms, a graphic tee, corduroy jacket, and a bandana.

 

DÉCOR

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Make your guests feel like they could be chilling with Paul Anka in Rory and Lorelai’s cozy living room by filling up yours with all the pillows and throws you can find. Flowers are also a nice touch – although a thousand yellow daisies (like when Max Medina proposed to Lorelai) might be a bit much? Your call.

 

MUSIC

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“Music sets the tone for the evening and sets people at ease,” says Parris. For pre-viewing background music, create a playlist with songs from your favourite Gilmore Girls episodes or pay tribute to their favourite musicians. The ladies love PJ Harvey, Metallica, The Bangles, Björk, The Go-Go’s, and XTC to name a few. Lane also has some incredible taste. The rock ‘n’ roll enthusiast would approve of a playlist with the Dead Kennedys, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, The Sonics, and Kick Out the Jams.

 

JUNK FOOD. Lots of it.

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Set up a food station because you’ll need room for several boxes of pizza, mac and cheese, burgers, and fries. Let’s not forget about snacks, both sugary and savoury. Load up on Pop-Tarts, Red Vines, Mallomars, Twinkies, marshmallows, popcorn, chips, donuts, and ice cream. Basically, the GG diet is anything and everything that could, in vast amounts, induce heart disease and diabetes.  But don’t put everything out all at once, Parris suggests. Have a plan and fill up the station between episodes. “This will keep the food fresh longer and it also paces the evening.”

 

COFFEE. Bottomless, please.

 

BOOZE

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Because what’s a grown-up party without it? Stock up on bottles of coffee-flavoured liqueurs, like Baileys and Kahlúa. For a personalized touch, treat your guests to a version of “The Rory” – a pink cocktail made with vodka and pineapple juice that Emily dreamed up for Rory’s 21st birthday.

 

STASH THE CELL PHONES

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Insert loudly crying face emoji. We totally feel you on this one, but the whole point of the night is to get lost in a marathon of pure, witty entertainment. Make Luke proud by kindly asking your guests to give their undivided attention to their dates, Rory and Lorelai. (Parris suggests going as far as putting a gentle reminder in the invitation that it will be an “unplugged party” of sorts.)  Stalking bae and checking how many likes your pre-party selfie is racking up can wait.

 

GIFT BAGS

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Want to impress your friends even more? Cap off the night by handing them a bag of freebies. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, people always like getting a gift. It’s like a loot bag for adults,” says Parris. If money isn’t an issue, you can include some sick GG merch that we’ve taken the liberty to round up for you. Otherwise, no one would argue with more of the Gilmore women’s beloved treats.