9 Alternative Valentine’s Day Ideas For Couples Who Aren’t Like Other Couples
Confession: we don’t actually do anything on Valentine’s Day because the whole idea turns us off - generic cards, petrol station flowers, the general feeling that you need to make one day amazing just because that’s what everyone else is doing. We do however love a good date night, so we’ve put our heads together and come up with 10 awesome ideas for anyone who would rather watch Netflix and go to bed than find rose petals in their bed.1. Lock yourselves in a room together
Not familiar with the concept of escape rooms? You get locked in somewhere that looks like a 90s film set and earn your release by finding clues and solving puzzles. Typically this is a “birthday treat with your mates” kind of thing, but what could be a better date than having time alone for an hour and doing some team building together?
2. Get a new cat (sort of)
OK, we know that a cat/dog/micro pig is for life, not just for Christmas Valentine’s Day. But if you’re a lover of all things fluffy, what about a day at an animal sanctuary? You get to meet all kinds of new friends, and even if you don’t end up taking one of them home, you can visit the cafe/gift shop and give some money you would have spent on a gross novelty teddy bear to a good cause instead. If you have pets, and want to involve them in your wedding, why not get life(human)-sized cardboard cutouts?
3. Book into a quirky love shack
One of our favourite things to do is book a last-minute quirky Airbnb (like this campervan Harold we rented last summer). It’s cheap compared to a holiday but can give you the same excited feeling of exploring a new place. The best ones will have inspiring hosts who’ll entertain you and make you laugh, or at the very least some kitty or doggy chums to play with. Or you can go all vommy romantic and book a romantic spa hotel for some alone time so you can enjoy some quality “alone time” and have lots of… tea. If you enjoy the love shack that much, you could even book it for a minimoon!
4. Get a professional to make you laugh
95% of people love a partner who can make them laugh, but only 5% of partners are actually funny. OK, we totally made those statistics up, but a comedy night is a great way to have a laugh together and groan at some other person’s terrible jokes instead of each other’s for one night. If you love the comedian, why not get them in for wedding entertainment? It’s a unique idea - none of your mates’ weddings will have one!
5. Answer some pointless questions (as a team)
You can either make your partner fall in love all over again by showing off your amazing general knowledge (of 90s pop hits - Anna), or at the very least have a great laugh proving how much you don’t know about anything (Todd).
6. Have a headbanging sesh
Most of our couples are in a band (and the other half are teachers and vets!) - so take an evening off from strumming a guitar (sorry heavy metallers, we mean thrashing!) and enjoy someone else on stage. It’s a great way to see which bands you like for your wedding too.
7. Make some cool stuff (bonus points: make wedding decor!)
At a recent client meeting, one of our future grooms told us his partner loves The Muppets, so he spent months on YouTube studying how to make one that looked just like his bride-to-be then surprised her with it! Wife Muppet is now set to be a star of their wedding. If that sounds like a bit too much of a commitment, why not sign up for a one-day course like designing your own cocktail for your wedding, and enjoy the bonding of creating something cool together?
8. Cook together like pros
We thought about suggesting cooking together, but finding new recipes and the ingredients and tools to make them can get pretty stressful and more of a chore. Instead, why not try a week of recipe boxes like Hello Fresh? You pick the recipes in advance, then get sent the ingredients and idiot-proof instructions to make them. We do this, and it’s so fun to cook together, sharing tasks and having less to bitch about because no one forgot an ingredient.
9. Get your adrenaline pumping
What could be more romantic than scaring yourself so much that you crap your pants a bit? Breaking out of your comfort zone together is a great way to bond, so something as simple as a session at Go Ape or river rafting is a brilliant way to create new memories together. You might even get fun wedding reception party game ideas while you’re at it!
