How to create the perfect Valentine's date experience at home

Valentine’s Day is a perfect chance to spend time with your partner and show them how much you appreciate their love and commitment. However, we know that sometimes it can seem stressful to know what to do, where to go and what to buy. 

Thankfully, you don’t have to spend lots of money on expensive gifts and over-priced restaurant bills to show someone that you care. Planning a Valentine’s dinner at home can be just as special, if not more so, as you can organise every little detail just the way you want it to be. 

If you need inspiration for setting up a Valentine’s dinner at home, then you are in the right place.

First impressions count

Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, so it’s likely you will have both spent the day working, studying, or carrying out life admin until you see each other later in the day. Therefore, why not surprise your partner with a relaxing bath waiting for them on their return home? You could decorate the bathroom with candles, turn the lights down low, and put some sweet-smelling aromatherapy oil in the bath to start the evening off in the right mood. 

Meanwhile, as your partner enjoys some chill time in the bath, you can be preparing your Valentine’s home dining experience. Here’s how…

Getting the ambiance right

We all know that a good restaurant isn’t just about the food. It’s also the décor, the ambiance, and the service that combine to make a great experience. Therefore, creating a romantic vibe with indoor valentine decorations is crucial for your home date. 

Lighting is key to setting the tone, so if you have dimmers turn them to their lowest level and top up the lighting with candles and fairy lights. You need enough lighting to be able to see what you are eating, but the overall appearance should be sultry and dark. Music is also important, so perhaps make a playlist in advance featuring all the songs that are special to you both. The music doesn’t want to be over-powering, and you want to be able to hear each other talk, so set it to a low background level in your dining area. 

Your table setting can also play a big part in the ambiance of your dinner, so think about what theme you want to create. Perhaps your partner’s favourite colour is gold, or maybe it’s green. Either way, you can incorporate elements of colour into your table décor using napkins, floral displays, and candles. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest for creating a beautiful tablescape on a budget, so be sure to put in some research beforehand. 

The menu

Everyone has their favourite dishes that they prepare regularly at home. But, as it’s Valentine’s Day, why not think about putting something a little different on the menu? 

You want to create a meal that you will both enjoy, so perhaps you can think of a theme that means something to you both. You might have spent a special holiday in Greece and therefore want to create a Greek-inspired feast with tasty tapas dishes, or maybe you honeymooned in Italy and therefore some homemade pasta and tiramisu are on the cards for your Valentine’s dinner at home. 

If your partner is vegetarian or vegan, you could research a healthy recipe that they might not have ever tried before, or if red meat is a real treat for them, then you could take advantage of our Valentine’s Meal Deal which includes Co-op Irresistible smoky paprika scotch eggs as a starter, Rump Steak and Co-op Irresistible triple cooked chunky chips as a main course, and Co-op Irresistible chocolate melting puddings – all for just £10! 

Whatever you decide to cook, be sure to match your drinks to the theme too. Torrontes, Bonarda Blend, or I Heart Prosecco would work really well as a toast for the Italian theme, and an Ouzo-inspired cocktail for the Greek feast! If you are preparing the steak meal, then you could pair it with a smooth red wine, or an alcohol-free beer depending on your preference. 

Adding the special touches

Once you have decided on your menu and decoration theme, it’s time to think about any extra special details that are sure to make your partner feel loved and appreciated. 

One idea would be to print out a selection of photos featuring your best moments together and display them around the dining room, either in standing photo clips, or mounted on a fairy light wall. Or, if you are a real romantic, you could write a poem or leave some post-it notes around the room written with all the things you love about your partner. 

Perhaps you could turn your living room into a home cinema ready for when you’ve finished your meal. You could set up comfy bean bags and cushions to sit on, paper bags filled with popcorn, and press play on the latest rom-com movie, or an old classic that you both love.   

Whatever you decide to do on Valentine’s Day, we’re sure your partner will be truly grateful for all the effort you have put into to making it so special and personal. Be sure to check out all our current special offers and deals for great savings and browse our recipe collections for even more inspiration.