Valentine's Day - Is it D-Day for V-Day?

In an age of Netflix & Chill, is Valentine's Day still alive and well? Is a date night on the cards? Are you likely to be receiving chocolates and flowers from your love this year or is it literally Dooms-Day for V-day?! The jury is out for Valentine's Day in this post...

Adam and I have been dating for fifteen years and, with Valentines Day fast approaching, it got me thinking about the impact Valentine's (a day to celebrate love) had on our relationship after all this time.

The answer is it doesn’t.

If you’re in a loving relationship it shouldn’t take an official day like Valentine's for a loved one to show they care and, I think it’s the same for Mother’s and Father’s Day. Whilst I think it’s important you show affection often, after all, life is too short, it shouldn’t be up to one official night a year to prove your love. I think it’s the materialistic side of Valentine's: the cards, presents, hiked up restaurant and hotel prices that result in many people treating it like any ordinary day.

Do other couples celebrate Valentine's Day?

My curiosity resulted in me asking others on Twitter whether they celebrated Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day after fifteen years together...

So with all that said, do I celebrate Valentine's in my own relationship? The answer is yes and no. Some years we make a pact not to do cards and presents and other years we do. Similarly to Christmas and birthdays, where we sometimes go without purchasing each other gifts in order to save for our holidays or big household items, we’re the same with Valentine's Day.

A few years ago Adam got me the sweetest card and I love it so much I kept it.

One year we went away to the Cotswolds and stayed in the most beautiful hotel, each room with its own four-poster bed. Though, being Valentine's and the pressures of social media for everything to be absolutely perfect meant that we probably could’ve had a better time if we weren’t away for Valentine’s.

The pressures of social media on Valentine's Day

I think it’s the pressure of doing something romantic for Valentine's and seeing how others are spending their time on social media, which can often impact on your own evening.

I would imagine it’s probably us girlies that create the drama. But, why do we do it ourselves and how does this affect our single friends?!

I love the addition of Galentines Day, celebrated on the 13th February to show love to your girlies. This year it’s on Shrove Tuesday, meaning it’s the perfect excuse to tuck into some pancakes too!

Unless it’s an old classic, I’m not really one for romantic films. Though, on Valentine’s Day, we used to put one on just because it’s Valentine’s Day...

One amusing scenario I can think of is one year when we decided to watch a romantic film. That film was “P.S. I Love You”, which if you’re not familiar with the plot (as we weren’t at the time) is about a devoted husband who leaves love notes for this wife after he dies. As you can imagine, I was blubbing for nearly two hours solid, whilst Adam was waiting for his happy ending...

Last year we had a special Valentines M&S Dine in For Two and treated it like any normal night. We had a great evening!

Often spontaneous acts of love mean the most and as a couple, it’s good to do something different together.

Date Night

Recently Adam and I have been having ‘date night’ at The Rex, an Art Deco Cinema originally opened in the 1930s. We saw Pretty Woman at The Rex on New Year’s Eve and I even held back tears for the breakup scene...go me! Little outings like this are really special. I think it’s good to break away from the norm of home life sometimes, whether it’s a hotel stay, a meal out or exploring somewhere new.

Valentine's Day ideas

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and a reminder to us all to cherish loved ones, whether you decide to spend a fortune on gifts or not.

If you want to dine somewhere special without breaking the bank, my first port of call is normally the Star Deals on Bookatable. They currently have some Valentine’s Day Dining options, including some rooftop and riverside restaurants as well as restaurants in high-end areas of London. Prices start from 19.95 per person for a three-course meal.

If you fancy staying home why not cook together? I recently attended an Italian cooking masterclass (blog post coming next week) with Bookings For You and Giovannini Enterprises and we’re planning on rustling something up using the ingredients kindly provided in the goody bag. A home-cooked Italian meal with some candles...How’s that for a bit of romance!

As for smaller gifts, there’s the age-old fave of flowers and chocolates. I mean, what girl doesn’t like receiving flowers and chocolates anyway?!

As a lover of travel, nothing beats a getaway whether it’s a cosy getaway in the Cotswolds or a weekend break. When it comes to gifts I would choose travel every time! Adam and I love our trips together and we have some exciting plans coming up!

We booked our Prague accommodation this week on Booking.com for our trip in March and we are going to Paris for a couple of days at the end of February. As we’ve only been to Disneyland Paris, we’re both looking forward to exploring Paris and finally seeing the Eiffel Tower.  If you would like £15 off your next stay with Booking.com then 'click here.'

I love the idea of love locks, enabling you to leave a token of your love in another country you've travelled together.

Who says romance is dead?!

Is it D-Day for V-day?

So is it D-day for V-day? I don’t think it is. Love is something that should always be celebrated, whether it’s by a gesture or simply telling your partner you love them. It all comes down to you and your relationship, not anyone else and, you certainly shouldn’t let social media dictate how you should be spending your time. It’s your relationship after all!

Side note - I’m aware that I may have come across like a complete V-day psycho back-in-the-day. Needless to say, since we bought our first home in 2010 Valentine’s has been nothing love, without the requirement to watch a romantic film just because it’s V-day! I just want to enlighten any ladies reading, who like me, maybe put a bit too much pressure on their relationship on Valentine’s! The answer is don’t, you will enjoy it so much more that way!

And yes, I do feel very Carrie Bradshaw writing this post!

Are you feeling the love this Valentine's Day and how will you be spending it? Let me know below...

Jaz

xoxo

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