Stumped on where to take your valentine this year? This is the occasion to try something a little different, as you’ll go on plenty more dates together this year! We’ll also go over small, thoughtful touches like personalized notes, a favorite dessert, or an activity tailored to shared memories between the two of you. So choose from one of our festive date ideas that reflects your partner’s personality and the kind of connection you want to deepen this holiday!
Save your Valentine from an escape room
Is your pookie a problem solver? Consider booking an escape room for a thrilling and memorable date, solving puzzles together under a ticking clock, racing to save them from an imaginative scenario, and sharing high-fives (or perhaps a kiss?) when you beat the challenge.
An escape room creates teamwork, intimacy, and playful suspense, which proves perfect for couples who enjoy a little adventure. After you escape, you can celebrate with a cozy dinner or dessert nearby to unwind and relive your favorite moments from the game, turning a clever challenge into a story you’ll both cherish.
Serenade eachother at a karaoke bar
If you really wanna turn up the romance, take them to a bar to dance and watch some locals have the time of their lives. If you’re both too shy to go up, see if you change your mind after sharing a yummy cocktail! If you’re in the Bay Area, we found some immersive arcade bars that could be better aligned with you and your valentine.
You don’t have to go to a bar, some restaurants and establishments also have private karaoke rooms where you can shamelessly serenade your love while sharing your favorite food.
Stop by a photobooth
Wherever you go, be sure to squeeze in a little mini photoshoot! This is one of the cutest things you can do as a couple in my opinion, and it’s a short activity you can quickly print a keepsake for afterwards.
Do your research on photobooths near your route or stop at a sweet moment to snap a picture of your beloved to give to them later!
Cozy up with a drive-in movie
Drive-in movies are classic, though they are disappearing in some parts of the world, so if you can’t find one near you, try finding a parking spot with a view of the skyline where you can catch the sunset before your chosen motion picture.
Get creative and bring cute snacks or a meal the two of you can share, cozy blankets, and maybe even a DIY ticket to your backseat to give to them! A fun way to impress them during the movie is with a surprise hot cocoa, latte or a specialty mocktail that shows you carefully crafted a heartwarming beverage with them in mind.
Ways to celebrate two foodies
What better way to appreciate every part of your Valentine’s Day dinner than a cooking class? Or have your date pick a cuisine and surprise them with the restaurant you take them to, as long as you can find one with a romantic ambiance AND reservations available at the time of your date plan!
A cooking class at home will be romantic too, but remember to set the scene, this shouldn’t feel like any other night in with your love. Don’t lack on snacks while you cook, and plan a dessert too. Decorate with candles, flowers, wine, music, aprons, maybe even silly chef names for each other!
Paint portraits of eachother
Even if you aren’t the artistic type, a date spent creating and studying eachother’s faces can be quite silly and romantic. This can be done at home or, better yet, at a park or a cute cafe!
You can prepare with just paper and pencils or bring some painting supplies if you have the space to make your time together even more colorful. If you’re outside, you can both paint the view if you can’t quite capture their beauty.
Celebrate with a Spa day
You and your pookie must be excited to relax together on February 14, which is what makes a spa day so appealing! Any day with them is a breath of fresh air, but they deserve a trip to the spa.
This is another activity you can also replicate at home, but you’ll need to decorate for this too! Learn some new massage techniques beforehand so you seem like you know what you’re doing and don’t hurt pookie.
Love is in the air, take them on a walk in a garden!
Celebrating Valentine’s Day amongst a flower garden together sounds pretty magical, right? Try staking out a park near you where the flowers are blooming or explore one you both haven’t visited yet! We found quite a few romantic places to explore in SF if you’re in the area!
If you prefer to take a walk down memory lane, try setting up a special Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt based on places that have hosted significant milestones in your relationship. Love is also in the (h)air (heheh), so make sure you set aside time to look your best before you greet your pookie, and don’t keep them waiting!
DIY gift crafts to personalize your date
Don’t show up empty-handed! Here are a few tips to personalize your date, regardless of the ideas you’re saving for February 14th. Cookies are a cute and easy way to treat your beloved, sneakily ask them their favorite, or make some heart-shaped ones if you aren’t sure. Make them an origami card they can display, make a magazine about your favorite things about them, and start a scrapbook you both can contribute mementos to.
Whatever you go with, package them in something cute they can bring along on the date, or pick them up from their house, so they have the chance to put it down before you both head out.
Don’t forget a handmade flower bouquet
Flowers and chocolate are a lovely gesture to your other half. An even better way to present this gesture is to arrange the bouquet yourself. Pick up some flowers that feel like pookie, remove the plastic, and give them a trim.
After you’ve cut them, let them sit in water while you arrange them. You can choose a vase you think they’ll like or wrap it yourself in a paper bag, newspaper, tissue paper in a color they like or some ribbon. This will be a lot more intimate and personalized than just presenting a bouquet from the shop, it’ll last longer too after a fresh trim!
Go forth, and into the arms of your pookie!
Now that you have some date night ideas, the time is now to shoot your Valentine a text about their schedule! After that’s out of the way, you can send them a cute invitation to your date. Keep it a secret or discuss their top picks to spend the day with you, make a little hint to the activity on the card so they can have your note as a keepsake to look back on. Now go forth, and have a happy Valentines Day!