101: Celebrating Your First Valentine’s Day as a Married Couple

OUR First Married Valentines day:

ideas to help you celebrate

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Every other commercial is reminding the men in our lives to run out and buy jewelry. Hallmark is thoroughly enjoying their most lucrative season. Couples are bragging about the love they share. And ambitious moms are turning to Pinterest for ideas to make the day more special for their little ones.

No matter how you feel about Valentine’s Day (whether you see it as just another Hallmark holiday, or you love the opportunity it presents to surround yourself with love) there is no avoiding the fact that it is swiftly upon us. And while all your single friends will make jokes about it being Singles Awareness Day, and your coupled-up friends will begin making plans for romance – you are now cocooned up in your first year of marriage. Making this, perhaps, one of the more special Valentine’s Days you will ever celebrate.

Because let’s be clear, you should celebrate. Even if you see the day itself as being a bunch of over-commercialized hype, it is still a great excuse to shower the one you love with… well, love. It doesn’t have to be about gifts or expensive dinners (in fact, I’m going to recommend you skip the night out). But it is a chance to remember why you made that commitment to each other in the first place. And to push everything else aside, for one night, to focus on your relationship and your spouse.

So, yeah, about those dinner plans – let’s be real. Valentine’s Day is amateur hour at restaurants, just the same as New Years. I love eating out as much as the next person, but this is the one night a year it is really not worth the bother or the cost. You don’t need to be combating the crowds, fighting for a reservation, or being treated like cattle during dinner. It just isn’t fun. So instead, opt for an alternative. Just this one night.

You can always get take out. Or, even better, you could cook together. Depending on how you feel about being in the kitchen, preparing a delicious meal as a pair can actually be pretty romantic. Pour yourself a drink and divvy up the cooking duties while playing some music in the background. Talk about your week, laugh, and take the opportunity to connect with each other every chance you get.

Presents are optional. For some couples, the act of gift giving is something they get really excited about. For others, there are more important prizes on the horizon, and reasons you both want to be saving. The reality is, the gifts aren’t the point here. They can be a nice addition, but if they aren’t in your budget – don’t worry. The real goal is just to spend a night focused on each other.

So after dinner, you can go for a walk, maybe grab some dessert, then stream something fun and curl up on the couch together. Or perhaps pull out the Scrabble board and make it a marathon. Or… head to the bedroom… whatever works for the two of you!

You get the point. Most of us have memories of Valentine’s Days past, times when we were single and eating alone on this night. Not anymore, though. From this point forward, you have someone to celebrate with for the rest of your life.

So embrace that. Enjoy it. And soak up the romance!