How to Celebrate Valentine's Day from Any Stage of a Relationship!

Ah, the holiday of love. Valentine’s Day is almost here, and this time you have a reason to celebrate! 

Maybe you’re recently engaged, and this is your first Valentine’s Day as a soon-to-be married couple. Perhaps you’ve met a special someone back in the summer and things have been just swell. Or, that person you’ve exchanged messages with a few times asked you on a date last week, and you’re ready for date number two…. Which just happens to be around Valentine’s Day. 

No matter the stage of your relationship, Valentine’s Day is a special holiday to celebrate! However, the way in which you celebrate should definitely match your relationship’s current speed. If you’re nervous about getting too caught up in the hallmark hype—or you’re not sure how much you’re supposed to buy into at this point in your love story—read on!

Valentine’s Day for the Engaged Couple

Wow! What a gift to have found the one whom your soul loves (Songs 3). You know your commitment to each other has been blessed by God’s grace and guidance. Preparing for marriage and eagerly planning a wedding is likely the current focal point of your relationship. 

In this case, Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to take a step back from all the wedding prep hype and celebrate your romance! Think of this as a forerunner for your marriage—how will you show your love to one another on a day-to-day basis? Of course, since you aren’t married, there are physical aspects of your love that you cannot express just yet ;). But, take this opportunity to speak each other’s love languages in other ways. 

Write a love letter to your sweetheart. Surprise your finacée with flowers or candy at her work. Plan a romantic dinner date and spend the evening chatting about your dreams together. Don’t be afraid to show the world your love—it is an inspiration!

Bottom line:

It’s perfectly okay to get a little cheesy, a little gushy, and maybe a little over-the-top in your celebration of V-day. And if you’re saving up all your extra cash to put towards your wedding, you don’t have to be spendy to celebrate this holiday. All it takes is some intentionality with your sweetie—which is a great foundation for marriage. 

Valentine’s Day for the Seriously Dating Couple 

Your committed relationship continues to blossom into a deeper state of devotion to one another. For Valentine’s Day, it is completely appropriate to plan a romantic date, exchange gifts, and express other small signs of love and affection—as long as both of you are on board with celebrating the holiday. 

Yet, some advice for the men: keep in mind that especially for women, Valentine’s Day can seem like a really big deal. If you’re considering engagement at this point in your relationship, it may even cross your partner’s mind that this might be the day when you pop the question. By all means, if you desire this step in your relationship to happen on Valentine’s Day, have at it! That certainly would make for a memorable engagement story. 

But, if you’re not quite there yet, do not let the holiday hype pressure you into doing something you’re not ready for. Be vigilant over your words and actions leading up to and on Valentine’s Day. You don’t want to mislead in a way where she might think you’re going to propose if you’re not actually planning to. This could lead to unnecessary conflict and anxiety between the two of you. 

Bottom line:

Enjoy this holiday for what it is with your sweetheart! Perhaps you might spend Valentine’s Day cooking a meal for your partner—or cooking one together. Give each other some nice gifts, but maybe skip the small jewelry box until you've got one with a ring. Definitely acknowledge the holiday by doing something romantic and fun together, but keep everything within reason. 

Valentine’s Day for the Casual Dater 

So, you’ve met a cool person and hit it off fairly well on your first date or two! What comes next? Therein lies the elephant in the room during this time of year. At the beginning stages of a relationship, which just so happens to be during Valentine’s Day, what is a dater to do? 

Well, the way I see it, you have two appropriate choices here. One, just bypass the Valentine’s Day quandary altogether by scheduling your next date for the week or weekend after the holiday. Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is over the second the clock strikes February 15th. The stores clear out their overpriced candy and array of red-and-pink, exchanging it for St. Patty’s or even Easter paraphernalia. Thus goes the rest of society. No one will even think about Valentine’s Day during a date on February 21st, and you can continue to pursue the latest dating interest without any added pressure. 

Or, your second choice is to embrace the day for what it is while getting to know someone a little better. This does not mean you book a five course romantic dinner for two when it’s only the second date! But, could it maybe be fun to meet up at the town ice skating rink, or buy a box of chocolates to share, or attend a seasonal pops concert together? Of course!

Valentine’s Day offers some unique and memorable date options that can still be fun and casual for your getting-to-know you phase. Plus not to mention, your romance vibe gets an extra boost because it’s Valentine’s Day! And if this relationship takes off, it could make for a sweet memory as one of your early dates. 

Bottom line:

Approach Valentine’s Day within a level of comfort for you and your date. If both of you are keeping things within perspective and are eager to continue getting to know each other, celebrating the holiday together could be quite fun! But, there is nothing wrong with sitting it out and picking up where you left off towards the end of February instead. 

Whether your relationship fits into one of these stages or somewhere in between, hopefully you can now approach Valentine's Day with confidence. Above all else, be sure to ask St. Valentine to pray for all couples and for your future marriage on that day!