Ideas for creative and regular gifts for a Valentine’s Day, wedding or dating anniversary or for your partner’s birthday.
Learn the details of each gift by clicking on its name.
- A set of DIY coupons for things that can’t be bought (e.g. a massage, 100 kisses, winning a fight without valid arguments or a day without your grumbling). This romantic gift will also come in handy if your regular gift is delayed or waiting in a different place. This way your loved one will thank you for it twice! You may find some ideas and download three different sets of DIY coupons from my post ‘Valentine’s Day Coupon‘.
- Paths paved with rose petals – literally! When my husband did it, I received a rose bouquet, too, but it’s the petals on the floor that were the more romantic gift of the two and that I remember till this day.
- A DIY Merci box – a sweet and romantic gift with each bar stating what you love about your partner.
- A photo slideshow thanking your spouse for the things they don’t realise you appreciate about them (it should be both a funny and a romantic gift).
- A magazine with photos of the two of you – a real magazine with your photos replacing the original photos.
- A treasure hunt – You may organise it outdoors or, on a smaller scale, indoors. It is so much fun looking for a gift – almost more than finally finding it.
- A video clip, either with photos of the two of you with nice music in the background or with you performing specially for your partner (that is a truly romantic gift!).
- A heart-shaped word cloud – it is quite easy to design, and the result is really unique and beautiful + it is suitable for the first = paper anniversary. This romantic gift may contain your positive associations with your loved one or your names, date of getting together and all the things that you share or have experienced together.
- Personalised tea bags – a romantic gift with your good memories, pet names or dreams for the future.
- A song for her/him composed by you. When I say ‘composed’, I mean a rephrase of a well-known song to refer to your joint experiences or your partner in particular.
- A mini-dictionary – during the time you have already spent together you must have come up with some words or expressions that only you two share. If you write them down and decorate their list nicely, it will make a cute gift.
- A Jenga tower – with body parts written on the blocks. Every time you pull out such a block, you have to kiss the other person on the respective body part! [For other personalisation and game options read: Jenga Tower – Creative Gift Ideas for 5 Occassions and 3 Game Variations]
- His/her name – a romantic gift made of materials that relate to his/her job or interests. You may also do a collage with the word LOVE or MR & MS SMITH and your joint hobbies.
- A photo comic – which recounts your years together, presents your future or tells an imaginary tale featuring the two of you in a funny way.
- A lip balm – how about surprising your loved one with a DIY cosmetic in a customised container? In the post ‘DIY Lip Balm for Women and Superheroes‘, I suggest how to encourage men to use lip balms, too.
- Your names on a cake – it is an even more impressive and surprising romantic gift to receive from a husband/wife who can’t cook, not to mention bake, and who is rarely seen in a kitchen.
- Kind words – i.e. a list of reasons why you love your partner. If you can think of more than would fit on Merci bars, write them on a piece of paper and present them in an envelope or framed, so that your loved one can go back to them whenever (s)he wants.
- A short story – with your loved one or the two of you as protagonists. Take your loved one on an imaginary journey. If you’re better at poetry than fiction, write a poem. I am sure your partner will be honoured.
- A photo calendar – even if the calendar year has already started, your photo calendar may begin with any month and allow your loved one to look at your romantic photos on the wall the whole year round.
- A customised crossword – with all words relating to the other person or the two of you. This romantic gift should also have a romantic solution!
- A board game – created specially for your loved one or the two of you. Do you share an interesting hobby that you may refer to? Or maybe you have experienced together so much that you will have no problems inventing an entire adventure game scenario?
- A theatre ticket – an evening out in a place that you don’t visit very often is a very romantic gift. Especially if you put some effort into customising the ticket, which I strongly recommend in the post: “How to Present a Theatre Ticket Attractively“.
- A new skill – perhaps your loved one dreams of a partner that has a specific skill? Even if you don’t have it, don’t despair. You don’t need to become a professional to master the basics for the purpose of a single ‘performance’ and surprise your loved one with a truly romantic gift. It’s easier than you think!
- Photos from a journey – perhaps your loved one would like to visit an exotic country, but (s)he can’t afford it? Or (s)he is dreaming of a highly original photo shoot? Choose some of his/her nice photos of photos of the two of you and paste them into different backgrounds. This way you may surprise your loved one with an album full of photos taken even on the Moon without leaving you apartment!
- Photo jigsaw puzzles – such an edited photo may be also presented in the form of jigsaw puzzles with a surprise solution. You may also add a romantic caption to complete your artwork.
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus‘ by John Gray
It discusses numerous practical relationship issues. My favourite chapter, which every couple should familiarise themselves with, is about writing love letters instead of fighting during a quarrel. Other vital topics include how to reconcile differences between sexes, or how to receive points from your partner. It can be a truly romantic gift if you read it together.
‘The 5 Love Languages‘ by Gary Chapman
The book is a really worthwhile read at a very reasonable price. Me and my husband have once bought 10 copies and given one to each couple that invited us to their wedding. It encompasses not only the description of the 5 ways to express love, which I presented briefly in the post ‘5 Ways to Express Love with Gifts’, but also the theory of ‘love tanks’ and information on how to prevent them from drying.
‘Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage’ 4 DVDs
One of the romantic gifts that we enjoyed most during our honeymoon. During a seminar for married couples, which resembles a stand-up comedy, Marc Gungor explains the differences between male and female brains, advises how to be awarded points by your partner and how to live with a representative of a different planet (Fun, Control, Peace and Perfect) and not to kill each other. If Marc Gungor wasn’t a pastor, he would definitely be a comedian. His observations and funny examples enchant and amuse not only young Christian couples, but also single atheists and experienced husbands and wives. This makes the DVD set a perfect gift both for a wedding and for anniversaries. Watch the beginning of the seminar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntk1Tl7dscI
Jenga
If you think it’s a boring game for kids, that’s because you have played it only with blank blocks. Yet if you write a different body part on each block and kiss your opponent on it every time you pull out one, it become a truly romantic gift. [Read more about personalisation and game options here: Jenga Tower – Creative Gift Ideas for 5 Occassions and 3 Game Variations]
Forbidden Island
A cooperative board game for 2-4 people, who have to join forces in order to win and escape the island before it is all flooded. What I enjoy most about this game is that you don’t play against but with the others, which makes it a romantic gift. Due to a large number of variables each game is different, and it never gets boring (I can tell it from my own experience). The game is also worth recommending owing to its beautiful graphic design and a durable metal box.
Pandemic
Anther cooperative game for a couple. Its name may not sound very romantic, but I assure you that saving the world from annihilation can bring people closer and ensure genuine excitement.
Codenames
In the basic version two teams compete to guess the codenames of their secret agents first. In the 2-player version for a couple the Spymaster joins forces with his 1-person Team to beat the game. It is really absorbing. Good memory and mastering one winning technique won’t help you here. Instead, you should count on your brains and wordsmith’s skills. What I enjoy about Codenames is not only guessing my husband’s associations during the game, but also discussing them after each round.