The Gentlemen’s Guide to Surviving Your First Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day is just about a week away. If this is your first one with a woman you’re dating, chances are you’re sweating bullets. Though this holiday is supposed to be about both the men and the women, the pressure is on the guys to melt their ladies’ hearts. You don’t want to make the gesture too grand and scare her off (or set too high of a standard for the holidays to come), but you also don’t want to treat it like any other day. What’s a man to do in surviving your first Valentine’s Day?
Well, fear not fellas. There are ways to make your first Valentine’s day with your special lady one to remember, without over (or under) doing it. Simply use this romantic advice provided below:
Don’t Get Caught Up in the Hype
You’ll drive yourself crazy if you allow yourself to get caught up in the Hype of Valentine’s day. Yes, the pressure is on as a man to give your girl something that she’ll love, but doing too much too soon leaves you in a tight spot (she may think it’s too much or she could expect you to raise the bar with each holiday). Not to mention, you’ll end up breaking the bank. Valentine’s day is about showing love and appreciation for those closest to you. So, as long as you do your best to express how you feel about her and make her smile, she’ll be pleased.
Use Your Creativity
Instead of breaking the bank on your first Valentine’s day, try to incorporate a lot of creativity and thoughtfulness into it. This means coming up with ideas from the heart using your own skills and talents. For example, instead of taking her to a five-star restaurant, if you’re pretty good in the kitchen, you can prepare her delicious foods at home. Not much of a chef, you can still impress her by having a movie night under the stars. Pull out the projector, set up a nice romantic scene in your yard, and order takeout from her favorite restaurant.
Invite Other Couples
Share the love (and some of the pressure) of Valentine’s day with other loving couples. Invite a few of your friends and hers over for the occasion. This makes the environment a lot more comfortable and fun for everyone. A nice couple’s game night is a great gift for your girl. You guys can have a lot of fun getting to know each other’s friends while letting your hair down and playing games. Try to make the games align with the theme of the day for a little more creativity.
Keep Gifts Traditional (With a Twist)
Chocolates, stuffed animals, flowers, and jewelry are all common Valentine’s day gift ideas. Until you’ve gotten to know your girl a bit better, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to tradition. With that in mind, however, you don’t want her to feel like you didn’t put any effort into the gift. So, add a bit of a twist by selecting things she loves.
For example, instead of roses, perhaps you could get her a bouquet of Gerber daisies, Lillies, or wildflowers. If she loves chocolate, ditch the traditional box of chocolates and go with gifts for chocolate lovers like a gift set complete with chocolate bars, bonbons, assorted gourmet chocolates, and chocolate mix. For jewelry, instead of expensive gold or diamonds, opt for handmade jewelry in her favorite colors or stones.
Queen for a Day
To add to the romance and specialness of the holiday, why not treat your girl like a queen for the day (though she’s a queen every day)? Start her morning off with breakfast in bed, make her coffee before she heads off to work, schedule a nail or spa appointment for a bit of pampering, and as a nightcap, give her a nice massage to feel good from her head to her toes. She’ll love the fact that you went out of your way to make her feel special all day long on top of the surprises you have for her throughout the day.
As a guy, it is common to get stressed out around Valentine’s day. You want nothing more than to impress your girl, but you’re still in the dating phase and don’t want to outdo yourself (or scare her off). Take a few deep breaths and use the advice provided above to show her a side of you she’ll want nothing more than to fall in love with again and again. Follow our advice in surviving your first Valentine’s Day.
