Romantic inspiration for your Valentine’s dinner in one of the most relaxing places - your very own home.
February is the month of love, and Valentine’s day celebrations date back to the 1400’s. In fact, the oldest known Valentine was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife who was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
This Valentine’s Day, ditch the crowded and over-priced restaurants and celebrate your love for one another in the comfort of your own home. One of the most beautiful, yet affordable ways to spoil your significant other is by creating a romantic dining experience in your home. Whether it’s the little touches, or a grand display, the great thing about having Valentine’s Day dinner at home is that you can tailor-make your dinner to your significant other’s taste.
Here are some tips to make your home a romantic escape from the world:
Write a few heartfelt love letters and use these to add a personal touch to the table. Place these under your partner’s plate to be read after dinner, or attach them to the back of the chair, inside a decorated envelope.
For an interesting table decoration, use various empty jars and decorate them with hearts and twine, then put your partner’s favourite sweets or chocolates inside the jars. It’s a cute, easy and inexpensive way to decorate your dinner table.
Purchase a few throw pillows which are red and pink, or have a Love theme. Scatter them on the couch or dining room chairs to add to the ambience.
Candles are an absolute staple for Valentine’s day and are an essential ingredient to creating a sultry ambience in any room. Consider using floating candles in glasses with petals underneath - this is an interesting way to use candles as part of the table décor and create a particularly romantic effect.
Small floral arrangements on the table give the room a soft, romantic feel. It’s a good idea to choose flowers with a beautiful scent to add to the ambience. Red and white flowers are a Valentine’s Day classic, but it’s a good idea to branch out with bolder colours like orange, yellow and pink, if you wish to be different.
Layer your place mats on top of the tablecloth to add texture to the table. Use cloth napkins to add an elegant touch to your dinner. Buy cloth napkins that go with the table theme and fold them into a heart shape.
It’s a nice touch to make sure you use silver in your décor and add a few scented candles to the table to set the sultry mood. The candlelight will catch the colour of the silver and make it glimmer every now and again, creating a sparklingly romantic effect.
To keep in tune with the classic Valentine’s day colours, your dinner table décor can be done in hues of red. For example, you could use red candles, a red table runner, red roses or red cloth napkins to bring out the timeless romance that Valentine’s Day brings out.
For the wine lovers, there’s a clever trick to bring your love of wine to the dinner. A heart made from wine bottle corks is a nice addition to the table, it brings out your shared love of wine and adds a quirky element to the dinner.
For a thoughtful and unexpected touch, plan ahead and freeze some petals, or pomegranate seeds in your ice cubes. Use these ice cubes for drinks or put your champagne in a bucket filled with these ice cubes.
Last but not least, don’t forget the champagne or wine and chocolates, to top the romance off in a traditional way. These tips should get you well on your way to giving your partner a romantic and thoughtful dinner at home on this very special day.
