How To Plan A Romantic Valentine's Day /date

This article is aimed at assisting you with how to set about making a romantic date for the one you love. It is especially appropriate for the less romantically inclined who just can't think of these ideas without prompting!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Make a list of what you will need before you begin

For example, roses, chocolates, candles, stuffed animals (plushies), food, and romantic music.

Select something for dinner you know you'll both like, so you can enjoy the meal together.

If you haven't time to cook, order ahead at a good food store that specializes in take-home dinners (not just fast food). Order a special cake from a bakery (pâtisserie) and get some special wine or alcohol substitute that both of you love to share.

Shop for the roses, candles and stuffed animal(s).

Choose them in pink, red, or white; or try a combination of all three colors if you like. Include a card in which you can write a personal, heartfelt message. Make the card yourself if you have the time, for that extra personal touch.

Arrange the roses, candles and stuffed animals in strategic places in your home.

Make them appear in unexpected places to delight your loved one. Leave a sweet post-it note message stuck behind the bathroom door, next to the soap dispenser or on the coat rack. It's also a nice touch to scatter some rose petals around your home, perhaps on a staircase or on the welcome mat at the front door. Write a love note in the steam on the bathroom mirror so they see it when they get out the shower.

Start cooking your specially planned meal (if you're doing it)

or put the purchased quality meals into warming-up containers ready to heat. Make sure that you have something sweet and romantic to finish the meal with.

Think of some heartfelt ways of presenting the food -

arrange the salad in the shape of a heart; use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out bread pieces, pour a berry coulis for a cake in a heart shape.

Set the table with your favorite things,

a candle, some flowers and put on softly playing music in the background. Leave a sweet message in the place that your loved one will be sitting.

After the meal is over, have chocolates & out-of-the-ordinary warm drinks planned

( for example, hot chocolate with a dash of liqueur or fruit syrup; latte coffee etc). Dim the lights and tell your loved one all the reasons why they are so special to you. Go beyond ordinary and think deeply about why this person really matters to you - stretch that word "love" into something with real meaning.

• Gingerbread Latte Recipe •

• Spirited Coffee Recipes •

TIPS

A nice gift for your loved one could be a teddy bear with

chocolates, a live miniature rose plant that will remind them of

you long after cut roses have gone, a longed-for novel with red

ribbon around it, a poem written by yourself, a photo collage of

the two of you, prepared by yourself etc. Think of really personal

gifts that reflect how you feel about your love.

• Do not buy a gift that is overly cheesy. Remember that some

women or girls may not like teddy bears; and some men or boys

do not like to receive after shave, so try to find out before the date

what kind of gifts she or he has a yearning for.

• Be creative. Great gifts might be activities rather than a bunch

of items. Consider a balloon ride over your city; a weekend's hike

with a stay in a cute bed and breakfast; a ticket to a concert; a

gift certificate for horse-riding lessons. These sorts of gifts last

beyond the day of giving and are rarely, if ever, forgotten.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Warning

If you are ordering food, a cake or any other special item, do it at least 5 days before Valentine's Day to avoid disappointment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How-To Articles

• How to pair wine with chocolate

Food Related:

• Traditional Holiday Food

• Party Food

• Recipe Categories

• Finger Food

• Recipe List

Party Related:

• Party Planning

• Types of Parties

• Theme Party

Resources & Citations: