How to Plan a Romantic Valentine's Day Date

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Cook for your date.

   Add a personal touch to your Valentine’s Day meal and avoid having to make a dinner reservation on this busy holiday.
   
   Make a home-cooked meal for your date and invite him or her over to eat with you for an intimate meal.
   
   Make sure you plan out the recipes you want to make so you can get all your ingredients bought and ready ahead of time.
   
   It’s always a good idea to get extra, just in case you make a mistake or miscalculate your measurements.
   
   Try out a classic heart-shaped dessert like cookies or cake, or give other dishes the same whimsical treatment by cutting or arranging them into classic heart shapes.Avoid really messy foods that could spoil the romantic atmosphere or ruin nice clothes that you and your date might be wearing.
   
   Stick to foods you both enjoy, perhaps of a slightly higher quality than you normally eat.
   
   Set the mood for your homemade meal by lighting candles, setting up flowers, playing romantic music, using your best cutlery and plates, and any other decorations—if that’s what your date is into! , Call ahead far in advance to reserve a table at a favorite restaurant, or one you’ve never tried but you know your date will love.
   
   Use dinner as an occasion to dress up, or just to enjoy some great cuisine and spend time together.
   
   You don’t need your dinner reservation to be at someplace extra fancy or expensive.
   
   Choose a burger joint where you shared your first kiss instead of a five-star restaurant with too-small portions—it’s more important that the location is meaningful or sentimental for your date.
   
   Try a lunch reservation, or a time earlier or later than a typical dinner, to avoid the busy dinner rush that most restaurants will have on the holiday.
   
   Ask if the wait staff can surprise your date with a special dessert, or have the in-house band or musician play your date’s favorite song or a love song., Get the best of both worlds of eating out and dining in by getting takeout or delivery from your date’s favorite restaurant and eating it in the comfort and privacy of home.
   
   Remember that restaurants will be busy on this holiday, even for deliveries or takeout orders.
   
   Make sure to call in your order well in advance so you can pick it up or have it delivered by the time you expect.
   
   Add your own romantic touches to a takeout meal, like personalized writing on a cake, a beverage that your date loves, etc.
   
   You can even ask a restaurant if they can personalize an order, even if it’s just arranging your pizza toppings into a heart!, Find a restaurant, grocery store, or other location that has food that will remind your date of home, favorite travels, or other happy times.
   
   Think of what your date has told you is particularly special to them.
   
   Check specialty grocery stores, international aisles, and import stores if you’re looking for food items typically found in other countries.
   
   Find a restaurant that serves your date’s favorite kind of food, look up recipes to make yourself, or even enlist the help of a family member who knows just how to make your date’s favorite dish. , Make the experience of Valentine’s Day dinner an adventure in itself by doing something unique, like joining a supper club, attending dinner theater, or doing a taste test.
   
   Be entertained while you eat by checking out dinner theater, available in many cities, at which you watch a live performance while being served a meal.
   
   Get exposed to new chefs and restaurants by joining a supper club, or create your own “food tour” by getting just one appetizer, drink, or other small item from several different restaurants in the same night.
   
   Take a picnic up to a scenic hill or mountain, or to a spot that’s special to your date or significant to a time in your relationship together.
   
   You can even make dinner a unique sensory experience by feeding bites of food to your blindfolded date and having him or her guess what the food is!
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   Step 2: Make reservations at a restaurant.

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   Step 3: Order food to eat at home.

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   Step 4: Surprise your date with their favorite cuisine.

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   Step 5: Get creative with how and where you eat.

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