It goes without saying the pandemic has thrown a spanner in our Valentine’s Day plans, but there’s no need to give up on it entirely. Whether living together or bubbled in separate households, here’s how to make Valentine’s Day memorable while staying at home.
Get Dressed Up
Valentines Day is a welcome excuse to ditch the loungewear you’ve been wearing on repeat, it’s time to dust off your going out clothes and get dressed up. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise comfort though, choose soft, draping materials like silk or modal for comfortable wear. The beauty of celebrating at home is that there’s nothing stopping you slipping into pyjamas whenever you want.
Whether you’ve decided to be causal or glam, accessories are a must. A luxurious printed silk shawl is the finishing touch to a glam look while gold jewellery or a small silk square scarf as a hair accessory is an effortless way to dress up a casual look.
Dinner
Restaurants may not be an option, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with a romantic meal. Eating delicious food together allows you to share a positive and intimate experience where you can be completely focused on your partner without the outside world to distract you.
Whether together or apart, there are plenty of options to celebrate through food. Keep it simple and order from your favourite local restaurant or try somewhere new for something extra special. If you know your partner well, why not add an element of surprise by ordering one another’s meals?
If cooking is something you love to do together, pick a cuisine you’ve never tried or a particular restaurant you miss and have a go at recreating a dish yourself. You can do this whether you live in the same house or over Zoom if you live apart. Make it fun and compare presentation at the end and send a picture to friends to name a winner.
When the time comes to tuck in, set the mood with low-lighting and candles – although not too low for couples celebrating over Zoom, a fuzzy dark picture just isn’t romantic!
Entertainment
With your choice of digestif, hot drink or bottle of wine open at the ready, set up the evening’s entertainment.
Make your own cosy movie night set up from the comfort of your own home, complete with feather-filled cushions, soft throws and rose scented candles. If living apart, you can still create a cosy atmosphere and use Teleparty (formerly Netflix party) to synchronise a TV show or movie and use the group chat function so you can discuss the film while you watch.
For theatre fans, Marquee TV is a streaming service for dance, opera, music, documentaries and productions from places like The Royal Ballet Company, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera Zurich. Some museums and galleries are doing virtual tours and exhibits, check out the Louvre’s decadent Gallerie de’Apollon ceilings. For travel-lovers, you can now go on a city-break from your living room with Virtual Tours.
Games are another great way to have some fun and they also give you the opportunity to learn more about one another and most board games have online alternatives. You could even join forces with other couples over zoom for a double-date game night.
It’s important to remember that whether you’re together or away from your partner on the day, Valentine’s day is just another day to show yourself or others around you some love, especially with so many of us at home. So do whatever makes you feel good, even if that’s nothing at all.