How to Create a Romantic Valentine’s Dinner at Home

Sometimes, it’s more relaxing to stay in for Valentine’s Day. Here are some easy tips for how to create a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home.

Three Easy Steps to Create a Romantic Valentine’s Dinner at Home

1. Set a Pretty Table

When you go out to eat at a nice restaurant, there is typically a certain “ambiance” that makes it special. That’s what you want to recreate at home. You want to create your romantic Valentine’s dinner at home so that it feels different than your everyday meals at home.

Now is the time to get out the good China, dig out the real crystal candlesticks that Grandma gave you as a wedding gift, pick up some fresh flowers to use as a table centerpiece. They don’t have to be expensive… most markets and grocery stores have $10 grab-and-go bouquets that will work great for this purpose. Even a single stem rose in a bud glass will add some romance to your table.

2. Plan Your Menu

Think carefully about what to serve to create your romantic Valentine’s dinner at home. If you love to cook, then by all means, “chef it up”! My husband and I enjoy cooking together, so preparing our own dinner while we sip wine and listen to music is part of the fun.

But the whole purpose of a romantic dinner at home is to spend enjoyable time with your partner, so if cooking is not your thing, don’t try to prepare a restaurant-quality meal. You’ll just end up being stressed and overwhelmed and that’s not what we’re going for here!

Keep it simple and take help where you need it. You can still set a romantic table at home, and bring home take-out food to be enjoyed alone at home.

For our anniversary dinner this year, we ordered take-out from the restaurant where we had our first date, and ate it at home on a table I set to look like our wedding reception dinner.

Tip: If you have kids, feed them early, and then wait until they are in bed to have your romantic dinner for two.

Another option for creating a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home is to use a meal kit service, like Hello Fresh. My husband and I have been using Hello Fresh for several months now, since COVID sidelined us dining out. Weekly, Hello Fresh delivers the ingredients right to our door to make restaurant-quality dinners at home. Often, we will set a pretty table where we eat our Hello Fresh creation, and it feels almost like eating at a restaurant again.

You can read my full Hello Fresh Review HERE, and if you want to try it yourself, you can use my discount code. You can even try it for one week, have yourself a romantic dinner or two, and then cancel if you choose.

3. Add Special Touches

Finally, what can you do to add a bit of “special” to your romantic Valentine’s dinner at home?

Do you have the champagne glasses that you used to make a toast at your wedding? Get them out!

Break open a special bottle of wine. This bottle of wine is the kind we had in a restaurant on one of our first Valentine’s Days together. I tracked it down later and bought several bottles, and now we save them for special romantic dinners at home.

Is there a special song that has meaning to the two of you? Set it to play quietly in the background while you eat. Heck, make a whole playlist of songs that remind you of special events or moments in your relationship. 🎶

If you’re not giving gifts (we usually don’t), then at least take the time to write out special cards to present to each other. Sometimes, life can get so busy that we don’t always get the things said that are in our hearts. Writing out a card allows you to take your time, and really think about the things you want to say to your partner. Plus, then you have something meaningful to tuck away and save. Isn’t that sweet, having a little bundle of love notes tucked away that chronicle your relationship over the years? I say yes. 💕

Do you typically skip dessert? Maybe your romantic Valentine’s dinner for two is the time to indulge!

The two desserts pictured and linked above are fairly simple to make, and can be prepped ahead, so that there is minimal work left to do when you’re ready to enjoy them. Also, this is another place where you can take a helping hand. Grab a fancy dessert from a bakery for your dessert.

Even just taking the time to add special little touches to your romantic dinner for two will make it more memorable.

Use cloth napkins instead of paper, and look up a simple napkin fold online to dress them up a bit. Type out a menu for your dinner on cardstock and print it out, write it on a mini chalkboard, or even place it in a picture frame to display on your table.

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Use a white tablecloth like you’d find in a nice restaurant, or layer your plates and placements for an interesting look. You can even mix in paper accent plates with your real dishes to add a special touch.

Or, what about changing up the location where you usually eat? Got a dining room you never use? That would be perfect for creating your Valentine’s dinner at home!

Got a fireplace or a window with a pretty view? Set up a table there! If you live someplace warm, you could even set your Valentine’s table up outside.

For our romantic anniversary dinner at home, I set up a plain old card table in front of the fireplace on our screened porch, and covered it with an inexpensive white table cloth. Instant “restaurant vibe”!

To make it even more special, I used decorations from our wedding reception to recreate a similar feeling.

Creating a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home can be done without too much effort. It’s the perfect solution if the current COVID situation is preventing you from going to a restaurant for dinner. However, you may find you actually love celebrating this way! It definitely has its advantages when it comes to cost, privacy, and adding personal touches.

More Ways to Create a Romantic Valentine’s Dinner at Home

• Valentine’s Dinner for Two at Home

• Valentine’s Date Night at Home

• Romantic Dinner for Two

• See all my fun date night ideas HERE!

Wishing you the happiest of Valentine’s Days,

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Creme Brulee Set

1 Dozen 20″ Oversized Cloth Dinner Table Napkins 

White Table Cloth for Card Table

Rustic Wood Frame Letter Board

Camille Long Stem Wine Glasses

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