Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and we have some bad news for you; if you haven’t booked a table at that chic new restaurant, snagged some tickets to the hottest show in town or reserved a room at some cozy little hotel getaway, you may already be out of luck. With a little bit of work and a few pointers from us, you can give your significant other a Valentine’s Day she or he will never forget, without ever leaving your front door. Fine dining, amazing entertainment and all the romance you could ever want are available right in your very own apartment.
Step 1: The Invitation
As soon as you can, let your loved one know that you want to spend Valentine’s Day at home. It’s important that no one thinks this is just some last-ditch effort you threw together because you forgot to make reservations. This is a chance for you two to spend some quality time together away from the rest of the world and a chance to show how much you really care. This is going to be the most romantic night, and it’s going to be all the sweeter since you’ll be the one putting in all the hard work and effort.
Step 2: The Meal Prep
A meal can feel way more romantic when your sweetheart is savoring all the hard work you put into it. That’s why a good home-cooked dinner will always trump a dish served at some four-star restaurant. Fortunately, you don’t need to have attended culinary school to cook up a dinner that will get someone’s heart beating. There are plenty of simple yet delicious meals out there that you prepare with only a little extra effort. These include:
-Burnt Tomato Pasta
-Roast Pork With a Raspberry Gastrique
-Spiced Sirloin Roast
-Truffle Oil Salmon
Or if you’re more of a nervous novice around the kitchen, you can always look into a meal box service like Blue Apron. Blue Apron will send all the ingredients you need to prepare an amazing meal right to your doorstep, along with a set of easy-to-follow instructions. Either way, your best bet is to get everything you need a few days in advance. We even recommend trying to do a practice run so when the big day comes, you’ll know how to bypass any little mishaps like overheating or undercooking. You’ll also want to prepare a few appetizers, a yummy dessert and a nice bottle of wine.
Step 3: Mood Lighting
Now you want to get to work setting the mood, and nothing sets the mood better than a little romantic lighting. Candles are the classic go-to in this situation. You can easily and cheaply acquire candles in an array of arousing aromas, but there are other options if your property manager is afraid of fire or you have an overactive smoke detector. You can break out some white string lights left over from the holidays and hang them up to simulate a little starlight. Or just pick up some sheer gauze from your local fabric store and drape it over your lamps. The diffused light will give your whole apartment a soft and sultry feel.
Step 4: The Arrival
On Valentine’s Day, start cooking your meal so it’ll be ready a half an hour after your sweetheart’s arrival. That way he or she can enter your apartment and immediately be intrigued by the amazing aroma. Have the wine and appetizers prepped and out on the table, make sure the lighting is set and have some romantic music playing softly in the background. If you’ve done your job right, it’ll feel like stepping into a scene from some classic romance story. And once you’re both inside, switch off your phone; this night is for the two of you; put the outside world on hold.
Step 5: The Meal
A great meal can lose points with sloppy presentation, so make sure you put a little panache into your table setting. That means actual china (not paper plates and plastic utensils), a nice tablecloth and some candles between the two of you! For a decadent dessert, try whipping up these White Chocolate Mousse Cups.
Step 6: The Entertainment
After the main course, move to the couch for dessert! Once it’s served, it’s time for a little entertainment. Who needs to go out to the movies when Netflix is streaming dozens of romantic classics for every possible taste. Or if you want to go the extra mile, pick up a DVD or BluRay of one the following classics, voted the most popular romantic movies of all time in a recent survey.
-The Notebook
-Love Actually
-Casablanca
-Pretty Woman
-Sleepless in Seattle
Step 7: February 15th!
Hopefully you’ve played all your cards right and you’ve arrived at the best part of Valentine’s Day, the morning after. Of course, there may be a few steps in between, but we’ll let you figure those out for yourself. Just remember that even though Valentine’s Day only comes once a year, that doesn’t mean you can only use this plan once a year. Put these tips and tricks into action on a regular basis and your apartment will quickly become your sweetheart’s favorite spot in town, no matter what day it is.