Seven Valentine’s Day ideas you’ve never thought of

Remember why you fell in love (before they spent the evenings snoring in front of the telly and stopped emptying the dishwasher)? Recreate those memorable first dates in all their glory, or re-live your wonderful wedding day or your first holiday. Take them to the restaurant where you first ate, the park where you wandered and nattered for hours… anywhere that brings back memories of that first flush of romance.  To commemorate the occasion beautifully, dig out your favourite romantic photos and create a bespoke, limited edition Valentine’s canvas – specially formulated to help you express your love.  Choose a 12 x 16 canvas to add one of these special templates and personalise the wording. You’ll score ten out of ten in the romance stakes and save money at the same time!

Book an adventure you’ve never tried before – something that will leave your significant other with a big grin on their face for the rest of the day. Adrenaline junkies will love a go at sky diving, zip-lining, horse riding, racing car driving, jumping out of a plane together… anything that gets your hearts racing and the adrenaline flowing. If daring activities aren’t their style, you can still be adventurous by trying something new. More sedate activities can still be great fun: a pottery class, wine-tasting experience, couple’s spa, archery lesson. Or, for something really romantic and different, you could do some scrapbooking together. Gather all your keepsakes and photos and take a trip down memory lane. No one can say you’re boring!

Take your Valentine somewhere you’ve never been before. It could be a neighbourhood you’ve not explored, a part of your city you’ve never visited, a town or village you’ve never stopped at, or somewhere you’ve driven through a thousand times but not spent any time in. Forget the sat nav – get lost and keep things spontaneous. You’re bound to find something you love: a new café, a great new shop or pub, a killer kebab takeaway you never would’ve spotted otherwise. While you’re exploring and shopping, give them an extra surprise by presenting them with a beautiful personalised photo gift – a shoulder bag with your lovely faces on it!

Inject a little mystery and fun by organising a treasure hunt at home. Write little notes expressing your love, and place them around the house, along with photo prints of your favourite moments or a treat you know they’ll love: a book by their favourite author, a personalised photo card expressing your love, a bar of their favourite chocolate. You could add a riddle at the end of each note about where to find the next one. At the last note, have something special waiting there. The more personalised, the better: anything from a cake you’ve made yourself to a beautiful photo book telling your love story, or a giant canvas print of your favourite photo of the two of you together, complete with a bottle of fizz…

Okay, so we can’t all afford to book a holiday for Valentine’s Day. But you could do the next best thing: reinvent it at home instead. Recreate your favourite couple destination with a feast of treats from that place – whether it’s Parisian pâtisserie, a perfect paella, a spicy curry, or a Cornish pasty. For added effect, decorate your home with printed photos of holidays you’ve had together. And the perfect surprise accessory for your romantic holiday at home? Present them with a special Valentine’s heart-shaped cushion adorned with your favourite romantic photo, and present it to them on your special day. Cute or what?!

Escape reality, and all those other loved-up couples, and build your own blanket fort at home for your Valentine’s date night. Complete with TV, books, magazines, snacks, cushions and Netflix, it’s the perfect retreat. A night relaxing at home is the perfect opportunity to present your loved one with a personalised Valentine’s photo blanket  to cuddle up under, printed with a loved-up photo of the two of you. It’s soft, it’s cuddly, it’s unique, it’s romantic – what more could you ask for?

If you both lead busy lives and struggle to find time to spend together, here’s a suggestion: just clear your diary, say no to all plans, reservations and commitments, take your partner by the hand, and go out and have some fun together. Lunch at a nice restaurant, a long walk in the park, a museum, followed by your favourite meal at home… time together is the most precious gift of all.