Unique Valentine’s Day Date Ideas For 2017

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there is always the typical go-to: dinner and drinks, followed by a movie or a show. Don’t get me wrong, these are obviously fun things to do! But if you’re on a tight budget, or simply want a unique Valentine’s Day date idea for you and your partner, then let’s step out of that little box and get creative.

There’s always so much pressure that comes with the Valentine’s Day date and finding the absolute perfect thing to do, because this iconic Hallmark holiday is all about showing your partner how much they mean to you. Since it’s so important for relationships, people tend to drop hundreds of dollars on this one day. But let’s be honest, we all know by now that money can’t buy happiness, and finding something unique to do on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to cost you the entirety of your checking account.

I did a simple search on Pinterest to get some ideas, and I have to admit, there are hundreds (even thousands) of different date ideas ranging from inexpensive to bougie AF. A lot of them sounded the same, but some of them really stuck out to me, or even spiraled into other date ideas of my own.

So if you’re in charge of planning the big Valentine’s Day 2K17, here’s a few unique date ideas that will make your partner fall in love with you all over again.

Dip fondue.

What is more romantic then an indulgent night of chocolate fondue? Put together a large platter of your favorite items to dip — strawberries, bananas, graham crackers, marshmallows, grapes, and much more. You could even go all out and provide different types of chocolate to dip, or try a cheese fondue! Perfect snack to have while watching your favorite movie of all time.

Competition of some sort – winner chooses takeout!

Host a competition for you and your significant other at the beginning of the night and the winner gets to pick where to order takeout from! If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even host a series of competitions. Some ideas could be playing twister, bake-off, or trivia!

Cook dinner for each other.

Instead of having one person cook for another, why not both of you cook something special at the same time? And no, I’m not talking the same meal. Go to the grocery store and separately buy items to make dinner for the other person. At the end of the night, the both of you made a special dish for the other!

Date of "firsts"

If you’ve been together for a long time, having a nostalgic date of “firsts” may be exactly what you need to relive all of those moments you first fell in love. Recreate your first date, your first kiss, even your first Valentine’s Day together!

Screw dinner, why not brunch?

Everyone is probably going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day, so why not skip the crowds and brunch so hard! Enjoy strawberry lemonade mimosas (aka heavenly lemonade) with some chocolate chip pancakes.

Find a local getaway spot.

If you don’t have time to travel a long distance for the holiday, then why not find a fun place to stay in your town or around the area? Enjoy a staycation by finding a small inn or even an AirBnB in town that you keep hearing about.

Create a scavenger hunt.

If you have some time to plan out your day, why not hide a few notes around your house or your neighborhood for your significant other to find that evening? Or you can give them a set of clues when they hit certain destinations. It makes the simple dinner and a movie date feel a lot more exciting.

Try The Penny Date

Do the both of you love adventure? Then the penny date is absolutely perfect. Have you and your partner dress up in something nice, then head outside or to a fun area of your city. Take a walk (or a drive) around until you find a penny on a street (if it’s snowy, probably smart to just give your partner a penny once outside). You then ask your partner to pick a number between 1 and 20. Once chosen, you start walking until you hit an intersection. Flip the coin — heads is right, tails is left. Do this until you hit the number your partner chose, and once you hit that final number, enjoy a spontaneous date wherever you ended up!

Go on a food crawl

This is one of my favorite date ideas in the whole entire world. If you and your significant other are obsessed with some type of food item (like French fries, ice cream, even coffee) then go on a food crawl to find the best there is in your town!

Taste some wine.

What better opportunity to finally try that winery near you (or take a vineyard tour) than on the day of love?

Make a date under $25.

Here’s how it works: You head to some kind of area with a lot going on, like a mall or a downtown main street, and you hand your partner $25. You tell them that they can only use that money throughout the whole date, and the two of you have to get creative on how to spend that money wisely!

Try a couple's yoga session

If you and your partner are health nuts and absolutely love yoga, or any other type of exercise, then light some candles and have a long couple’s yoga session!

Become your favorite TV characters.

Does your significant other have a television show they are currently obsessed with? Grab two outfits that are similar to two characters in the show, make or order food that they like to eat, and binge-watch that show together!

Camp at home.

Unless you’re in a warm area, camping is probably not an option on Valentine’s Day. So why not camp indoors? Surprise your partner with a campsite in your living room. Seriously, make a small fort, hang twinkly lights, order takeout, set out some sleeping bags, make some s’mores, put on some nature-like tunes, and camp!

No matter what you choose to do, though, it'll be a good one as long as you're with the one you love. Happy Valentine's Day, all!