Help me with my Valentine's Day party please!

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I'm throwing a party for Valentine's Day. It's going to be on Friday the 13th so couples can have the actual night alone if they want. It's going to have a Downton Abbey theme and I need to think up some good ideas for decoration and food. The series started in 1912, the Edwardian era and is getting near the Gatsby era now, fashionwise (at least that's what I hear because I haven't seen the show in a year or so). I have my dress already and I'm not doing the flapper look although some are.

I just don't know what to do for decoration. I thought of getting some doilies and construction paper and making some Victorian/Edwardian looking valentines and maybe a garland out of them. I have pretty pastel table linen that I can use, and some nice dishes and glasswear. I just don't know what food to serve and what other decorations to put up. I'm sure my daughter will find some good parlor games and we will play "Cards Against Humanity" which is always fun at a party.

So, come on. Whether you like Valentines Day or hate it, help me with the party. It's not aimed at Valentines Day and being a couple, thats just a good day to have a party.

I'm also having a Mardi Gras party the Tuesday after Valentines Day, so I can sure use some help with that as well. The V Day party is going to be more formal but the Mardi Gras party is going to be casual.

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
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How 'bout typical British fare, for the "Downton Abbey" party----like, "Beans on Toast", "Bangers and Mash", "Yorkshire Pudding", etc.----except, maybe, a "Downton Abbey" party would require food that's a little more froo-froo, than that?

I think the Victorian Valentine banner is good! Also, maybe you could make Victorian Valentine "coasters", for people to put their drinks on----you could make them in red, pink, and white; and then, you could laminate them, and use them year-after-year (just get some clear "Contac" paper, at Wal-Mart, in the kitchen supplies aisle).

The only thing I can think of, for the Mardi-Gras one, is to have plenty of beads to put around people's necks, and string-around the furniture----and, they have those, real cheap, at party-supply stores.

Bangers and Mash is too working class.

Beans on toast is evocative of the Britain of the post Second World War austerity period (1945 to 1960), and not of the earlier (very non-austere) setting of Dowton Abbey.

But roast beef and Yorkshire pudding sounds appropriate.

Those upperclass Brits probably shot a lot of pheasants for sport, and had their staff cook the pheasants. So maybe you could substitute chicken in some kind of pheasant dish.

Wish my mom were still around. She would get into brainstorming about this.

You could have mini yorkshires with little slices of roast beef in them or something. You could have scones with jam and clotted cream. And a variety of tea (earl grey, camomile, fruit), and cucumber sandwiches. Place it all on tiered cake stands. Maybe have shortbread (a crumbly buttery type of "cookie") and perhaps either make or buy your own bourbons and custard creams?

I would suggest having Pimms and lemonade too, but that's more of a summer drink. We love it here. Or perhaps iced tea? That's summery too, I suppose.

You could make a biscuit (cookie) bunting.

I agree about the beans on toast and bangers & mash things...not really upper-class British.

Bear in mind the links above are just ideas, I've never tried any of those recipes. But you have to have scones with clotted cream and jam!

Too bad I'm not getting in on all that great food!

How about some cheep glass candle holders that hold three candles each for each setting?