Ideas for Celebrating Valentine’s Day

We think love of all shapes and sizes deserves celebrating, so we’re fans of doing Valentine’s Day properly. But that doesn’t have to mean a fancy dinner out or rooms full of rose petals. We’ve racked our brains, wiggled into Cupid’s wings and come up with a few ideas for all budgets and tastes, to help you celebrate your love, your way.

Your celebrations can be simple and intimate, or they can be much more elaborate if you’re looking to push the boat out and take things up a notch. The important thing is to celebrate the spirit of St. Valentine this Valentine's Day with something beautiful that perfectly represents the love you and your partner have for each other.

Staying in Valentine's Day ideas

Let’s face it, sometimes you just want to relax and enjoy an intimate evening with your partner instead of making a huge fuss. After all, February is usually freezing – and cold weather can be a bit of a mood killer. But who says you can't be romantic from the comfort of your own home? Check out our selection of stay-at-home Valentine's Day ideas so you can create some magic without even leaving the house.

Turn your lounge into a home cinema

Lights, camera, action – it’s time to bring the cinema to you! Get some popcorn and other sweet treats in (extra points for popcorn boxes) and choose a selection of films in advance so you don’t get stuck in an endless Netflix scroll. All you’ll need to do on the night is pick the best of the bunch. If you really want to go all out, you could create movie posters to decorate the room and cue up some trailers before you watch the main event.

A movie night is also a great way to set the mood. As it's already dark, why not add a few scented candles and a beautiful flower arrangement to add a little romantic flourish to your home cinema setup?

Make cocktails

Cocktails are a sure-fire way to make an evening feel special. The key is in the preparation –

make sure you have some kit and ingredients and then set up a little cocktail area. On the night you can take turns as the cocktail maker, and maybe even get a little competition going for the best drink. Drinks taste even better when you’ve put a little work in, plus it's always nice to have a little competitive fun that spices up the romance and excitement of Valentine's Day.

Do a games night

If you like a little healthy competition mixed in with your romance, then a games night is a great choice. Gather a stash of cards and games made for two, by the time the evening is through you might both be masters of the deck – remember us when you win big in Vegas!

Ideas for going out on Valentine’s Day

Sometimes love warrants adventure and novel experiences. A great idea for Valentine’s Day is to take your special someone to a special place – whether it’s a weekend getaway or a beautiful setting nearby that holds special meaning for you both.

You could go out and enjoy something that you're both very passionate about, or have a go at something you’ve always wanted to try. Sharing new experiences is a great way to keep the bonds between you strong and can open up lots of possibilities for future fun. Here are some ideas to try out.

Take a class together

Every day is a school day – including Valentine’s Day! There are all sorts of classes you could do together, from pottery to cooking to dancing. Just take to Google and find one near you that you’d both find fun. Who knows, you might even find a brand-new hobby to do for years to come.

Be culture vultures

Great creative work can set the senses going, making it perfect for Valentine’s viewing (and if it leaves you cold, you can always enjoy an argument about whether what you’ve seen it is actually art). Pay a visit to a nearby gallery, theatre or museum, bonus points if you can find some romantic paintings or creations to enjoy.

Long-distance Valentine’s Day celebration ideas

It's always a tough challenge to be in a long-distance relationship, especially on Valentine's Day. Seeing couples together and being surrounded by all things romantic can make you miss your special someone even more. But being separated from your loved one doesn’t mean you have to let Valentine’s Day pass you by – there are still lots of ways to celebrate your love from afar.

Send a love letter

Confession: we still love so-called ‘snail mail’. An old-fashioned handwritten letter will always beat an email – it’s a keepsake to treasure, something that has real thought and heart put into it. Can you see where we’re going with this?

If the blank page is a bit scary, or the thought of writing a love letter feels a bit cringy, then we’d suggest checking out some iconic love letters for inspiration. And remember you don’t need to be Shakespeare to create something they’ll really appreciate, just setting pen to paper can be enough!

Ramp up the love and romance by packaging your card with a beautiful bouquet of flowers by Interflora that your loved one will appreciate and remember you by.

Take a virtual trip or class together

Thanks to the magic of technology you can take a trip or a class together even if you’re miles apart. There are all sorts of places offering interesting and fun online classes, from pasta making with a bona fide Italian expert, to virtual wine-tasting. Or, if you’re culture vultures, try a virtual museum or galley tour. We love doing online tours of the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery.

Express your love in audio

Building on the idea of gifting cards and personalised letters, you could also send your loved one a beautiful audio card or a recording of you expressing your love for them. Alternatively, if you're a big music buff, relive the glory days of showing your love through mixtapes by sending your loved one a music playlist that’s customised just for them.

If you’re apart or if you’re together, say it with flowers

Of course, we still think having beautiful blooms delivered is one of the best things you can do for Valentine’s Day. Nothing beats fresh flowers hand-crafted by a florist. If you’re together, you’ll both get to enjoy them. If you’re apart it’ll show them just how special they are.

Choose from a classic expression of love with a bouquet of red roses, or go for something that expresses your passion in a burst of colour with mixed seasonal romantic bouquets. Try to figure out what your partner's favourite flower is and incorporate that into your flower bouquet for a personalised touch. And finally, add a beautiful note to make them blush!

No matter where you are and what you like to do, there's something for every couple on Valentine's Day. So, pick and choose from our ideas, mix them up with your own and create the perfect date for your partner that they’ll remember for years to come.