This Valentine’s Day is going to look a little different from any other year depending on the pandemic restrictions in your region. The good news is that there’s nothing to stop you from celebrating at home! Take these suggestions and get creative with your Valentine’s Day weekend. These ideas are perfect for couples celebrating a wedding anniversary, too.

Whether you're planning in advance or need inspiration the night before, you can whip up a fantastical Valentine’s Day plan with these tips. Always circle back to what makes your love unique. Consider gifting something traditional, incorporating your kids, or making a spontaneous gesture.

Gifts

Jot out some of the most memorable things that your partner has done for you this year. Reflect on how they make you feel proud and impressed. Write down why you love them. No detail is too small! Show your partner that you notice and appreciate them. Before you know it, you’ve written a love letter that they’ll cherish forever.

If you’re interested in creating a tradition with your partner, you can write letters to one another and save them until next Valentine’s Day. Next year, get together to exchange your love letters and write new ones to keep the tradition alive for the following year. To add an element of surprise, hide your letter somewhere you know your partner will find it on Valentine’s Day.

You or your partner may be an artistic type. Consider transforming your favorite photo together into a large print on a canvas. If you prefer to create something new from something old, explore options to commission a local artist to turn your photo into a painting.

Staycations

If you’re able to take a hyperlocal road trip, tell your partner to pack their bags without telling them about the final destination. A surprise holiday can be exhilarating, and you don't even have to go very far! For a swift trip, book a local accommodation, and tell your partner the night before to pack their bags. If they have to be at the office, tell them you’ll pick them up to whisk them off for your mysterious, romantic night together.

If you enjoy the outdoors, seek out hiking trails around your community that lead to secluded picnic areas. This is a great option if you have children or other close family members who live with you. Get together in your kitchen to make some of your favorite recipes and prepare a deluxe picnic menu.

For true homebodies, take that meal prep activity and then recreate the dinner-and-a-movie experience at home. Alternatively, you can order takeout and support your local businesses. When dinner is ready, set the table, and take your time getting dressed and ready as if you were going on an intimate date. Put on that mood-setting playlist and enjoy a romantic dinner before you watch your favorite movies together. For a bonus after your dinner and a movie, relax and unwind in the bath.

Especially if you choose to make dinner from scratch, whip out your wedding china. If your wedding dishes are really fancy, they're likely on display or even hidden away for safekeeping in a cabinet or in the back of your pantry. With good reason, you don't use your wedding china every day, but they can add a special touch for your Valentine’s Day date at home!

Alternative Options

You can celebrate your love by making something new and exciting in a house project. Whether you want to redo the paint on the dining room walls or add lights to the porch, get together to design and create something for your home. If you like to be hands-on, take a class with your partner to gain a new skill that can empower and enable you to take on your home improvement project. If you rather skip the house project but like the idea of acquiring a new skill, consider learning a language, new recipe, or a style of dance together.

You might have the option to visit the spot where you got engaged. Take a stroll holding hands, and renew your vows, or tell one another why you'd marry each other again in a heartbeat. Regenerate and get reconnected with those deep feelings where your proposal went down.

Hero photo courtesy of Jonathan Fanning Photography