Why limit Valentine’s Day to just one day? Sometimes you just want to go big, and Valentine’s Day can be the perfect opportunity for a grand romantic gesture. Instead of focusing on planning the perfect day, expand your ideas to include the whole week. This way, you can focus on smaller, more meaningful gestures instead of the typical fanfare that surrounds this holiday.

To help you out, we’ve put together some of our favorite romantic ideas that you can use to countdown to the big day. Just imagine how surprised they’ll be to start receiving their tokens of love a whole week early!!

Setting the Mood

A surefire way to make this Valentine’s Day memorable is to be in the right state of mind. (Also see Moodsetters). Be excited about it, and let your love know that you are!! The old saying, “The only thing more contagious than a yawn is a smile!” is definitely something to keep in mind throughout the week.

Countdown Ideas

To let your love know you are planning a big Valentine’s Day celebration, count down to the big day with small tokens of love. Below are some ideas on how to send a valentine a day to your special valentine…

• Buy a box of children’s valentine’s and write a little love note on each one. Every day, hide one in a special place that you know your love will find.
• Buy seven small valentine tokens or gifts. Wrap each of them separately along with a special little love note to go with each one about why you love them. Give one to your love every day leading up to the big day!
• A great idea for long distance relationships, or if you don’t live together, is to buy seven valentine cards (or love related cards) and mail them so the first one arrives seven days before Valentine’s Day, the next arrives six days before, and so on.
• Leave a few candy conversation hearts around the table with dinner or dessert to remind your love about the upcoming event.
• Buy your love a new outfit for Valentine’s Day.
• Send your love to a health spa and/or beauty salon.
• Drop hints all week about what you have in store – little gifts symbolizing what the surprise is. For extra fun, make it into a scavenger hunt.
• Send seven roses (or other type of flower) the first day, six the next etc… down to a single red rose the night before with a little note saying how much you love them and cannot wait for the next day.
• Collect some memorabilia of your time together and give them to your love, one at a time, leading up to Valentine’s Day, along with a note about why you thought that particular moment was special.

Special Moments of Love

When you take the time to create a special moment, it’s something that lasts forever. During your valentine week, create some special moments with your love that will make it even more memorable.

• Give them love coupons that expire at midnight on Valentine’s Day!
• Every day, try a new kiss!
• Come up with a cute nickname for your love and only call him or her by that name for the rest of the week
• Remind yourself and your love that not only are you best friends and husband and wife (or boyfriend and girlfriend)… but also lovers. Treat your love like you would your lover.
• Make a holiday tradition… every time you go through a doorway together, kiss! Or, every time you say the same thing, also kiss!!
• Sing a variation of “Happy Birthday”, “Happy Seven Days Before Valentine’s To You” and so on, as many times as you can throughout the day.
• Make a commitment to each other to do one thing romantic and together every night before Valentine’s Day, even if it’s just to be alone and talk all night!
• Give them a list of 101 reasons why you love them!
• Binge watch your favorite romantic movies on Netflix one night during the week.
• Go out together for a dessert date during the week.

On the 12th day of Valentine’s…

Create a variation of the old Twelve Days of Christmas, but apply it to Valentine’s. Each day write a little card or note that says, “On the first day of Valentine’s my true love gave to me…” then fill in the rest with what you are giving. It doesn’t have to be a physical gift. It could be your heart, soul, happiness, kiss, etc… be creative!! When the twelve days are up, your love will feel completely showered by your love!!