Your non-boring guide to Valentines Day as a couple

Valentine’s Day is upon us. And for the first time in many many years the day doesn’t bring with it impending doom, a drowning of one’s sorrows in red wine and ice cream and a heartbroken whine about how I’m all alone.

You see, recently, I have landed myself a man. The kind I never even imagined I was worth having. A guy that made 25 years of waiting worth it.

And so with this day looming upon us, I have prepared the go-to-guide for any couple who is dating. When I, as a new girlfriend, looked online for ideas for Valentine’s Day I was seriously disappointed. All of the ideas out there seemed either too cliche, too expensive, or too small.

So here’s my seriously non-cliche, non-boring guide to celebrating Valentine’s Day as a couple:

1. Go to a place where you and your partner can slow dance: Go to a restaurant that has live music where you can have a nice meal, a romantic evening and top off the night by slow dancing together. It’s sweet and low-key and doesn’t break the bank.

1. If you’re musical and able to sing, serenade your partner: Take them outdoors with a nice scenic view and play a song for them. If you can play an instrument, that would be even better. Maybe the song is a song that brings nostalgia for both of you, or maybe it’s a song you dedicated to your partner. Even if you aren’t the most talented singer, I’m sure your partner would feel extremely special if you sang something for them

1. Go on a picnic outdoors: Pack a basket of finger food, a bottle of champagne and some dessert and take your date outside. Its cheap, low budget, low maintenance but a super cute way to spend your Valentine’s day.

1. Have a board games night: Who says that Valentine’s Day needs to always involve hearts, roses, teddies and mushy stuff? If you and your partner are competitive, play board games together. There are even some couple’s games the two of you can play. Here’s a link of games you can try: https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/board-game/best-games/best-board-games-for-couples

But of course, you don’t necessarily have to play couples-themed games, the regular good ol’ board games will do, we’re talking things like: Bluff, Uno, Twister, Scattergories, etc.

1. Go on a road trip: Escape the busyness and routine of normal life, and take your date to the roads. Go on a nice, long, morning drive and see the sun rise or go and see the sun set in the evening.

1. Do a karaoke night: If you own a karaoke machine or know a good place nearby that does karaoke, go and have a sing-off with your partner. The loser in karaoke can buy dinner!

And there you have it, here are 6 things you can do as a dating couple. Let the pressure of this day not overwhelm you. Romance should be there the rest of the 364 days of the relationship, too, and having the perfect Valentine’s day is not a contest. It's down to you and your partner to make your time together special, and elaborate planning doesn’t make for a good Valentine’s Day - it’s about the memories you make on the day-to-day.

Nonetheless, go forth and enjoy coupling-it-up this Valentine’s Day!