6 date ideas to prepare for V-Day
Ah, Valentine's Day. The one day of the year where every restaurant is overbooked, flower prices skyrocket, and suddenly, every couple on Earth decides they absolutely must be seen in public. If you, like me, are allergic to crowds and the performative romance of it all, then this list is for you.
Let's talk about date ideas that actually feel special, minus the stress, overpriced menus, and questionable public displays of affection. Because, darling, romance should be about the two of you—not about competing for the last decent table in town.
by cottonbro studio
1. Stay-at-Home Pizza Night (Heart-Shaped Edition)
Nothing says love like carbs and cheese. My boyfriend is a pizza fanatic, and since my pancreas decided to betray me, we’ve taken matters into our own hands—literally. We started making our own pizzas at home, and let me tell you, it's become one of our all-time favorite dates.
For Valentine's Day, why not up the ante and make a heart-shaped pizza together? It’s cute, it’s interactive, and let’s be real—it's a bit of a challenge, which makes it even more fun. Each of you picks a movie for the other to watch (a fair trade-off: one rom-com for one action thriller), and you pair your culinary masterpiece with wine, mocktails, or whatever your heart desires. Bonus points if you get creative with toppings. Trust me, this beats a cramped restaurant any day.
(And yes, we still do these pizza nights from time to time. 10/10 recommended.)
2. Canvas Date with Wine and a Book Swap
Picture this: a secluded park, the soft hum of nature around you, and a blank canvas in front of you just waiting to be turned into something—well, something. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece; it just has to be fun. Add a bottle of wine, and suddenly, you’re a tortured artist in love.
If you’re a bookworm (or even if you’re not), take it up a notch by swapping books to read together. There’s something ridiculously intimate about handing someone a book that changed you and seeing them experience it for the first time.
It’s like saying, "Here, take a little piece of my brain and marinate in it for a while."
3. Getaway Weekend—Playing House for a While
If you don’t live together, a weekend getaway is the perfect excuse to pretend you do—without the commitment of signing a lease. Grocery shopping suddenly feels romantic. Cooking together becomes an event. And if you’re feeling particularly competitive, why not make it a cooking challenge? Pick a viral TikTok recipe, set a timer, and see who can recreate it best.
Winner gets breakfast in bed. Loser still gets breakfast in bed, because we’re not monsters.
4. Horseback Riding at Sunset
I’ve always wanted to go horseback riding, and in my city, you can do it on the beach. Imagine it: the sun melting into the ocean, a salty breeze in your hair, and you and your person riding side by side like you’re in a Nicholas Sparks movie—minus the tragic twist at the end.
If that’s not romance, I don’t know what is. Just make sure your horse isn’t the rebellious type unless you’re prepared for an unexpected adventure—or an unplanned trip to the ER.
Either way, it’ll be a date to remember.
5. Escape Room Challenge (With a Twist)
I once did an escape room when I first met my boyfriend’s friends, and it was chaotic in the best way. So naturally, I wanted to try one with just the two of us—to test our skills, our patience, and, let’s be honest, our relationship. We fought. We laughed. We surprised each other. And in the end, we made it out… barely.
If you’re looking for a private alternative, try "Exit: The Game." It took us almost four hours, and we loved every second of it. To make it even more fun, add a drinking element—every time you get something wrong, take a sip of your chosen beverage. Could be vodka, could be whisky, could be… something risky. Just be careful, or you might end up solving puzzles with one eye closed.
Spoiler: that does not help.
6. Time Capsule Chronicles: Letters to Our Future Selves
Okay, let's talk about one of my absolute favorite date ideas that's both ridiculously romantic and slightly terrifying—writing letters to your future selves together. As someone who's been scribbling notes to future-me since forever, I can tell you my past self would be shocked (and probably a bit confused) about who I'm dating right now.
Picture this: you, your person, a beautiful box, and the kind of honesty that only comes after a glass of wine or two. Write about everything—the way they scrunch their nose when they laugh, that weird dance they do while cooking, the moment you realized they were something special.
Add in those movie tickets you've been hoarding, that coffee sleeve with their lipstick mark, maybe even that ridiculous selfie where you both look absolutely terrible but can't stop laughing about it. And then—here's where it gets good—write down some secrets. Things you've never told each other. Like how you actually practiced their favorite video game at 3 AM just to beat their high score, or how you still get butterflies when they text.
Seal it up, set a date (maybe 5 years?), and try not to think about it. Although, let's be real—you'll both be dying to open it after a month. But that's part of the fun, isn't it?
So there you have it—six ways to celebrate love in your own beautiful, intimate way. Real romance isn't found in crowded restaurants or overpriced flower bouquets; it lives in those quiet moments when your eyes meet across the room and you both can't help but smile. It's in the way they still reach for your hand during movies, how they remember exactly how you take your coffee, and those little notes they leave just to make you laugh. These dates aren't just activities—they're opportunities to fall in love all over again, creating those tender moments that make your heart skip a beat. And maybe that's what Valentine's Day should really be about: not the grand gestures, but those precious moments when time seems to stop and you realize that out of all the hearts in the world, yours found exactly where it belongs.
