Tips to celebrate Valentine's at home

Why not avoid the over-priced meals, the queues, the hoards of couples, the over-booked restaurants, and instead, arrange a really romantic Valentine's dinner for the one you love at home?

A romantic dinner for two at home is a far better solution – it is more intimate, you can choose which background music you want to listen to, you don’t have to worry about secure parking, it is easier on the pocket, and you can create the exact mood you desire. However, organising the affair can be a really daunting task – not only do you need to cook a delicious meal, but it is one of those events where the table setting is as important as the menu. As anxiety and stress are not conducive to romance, here are a few tips to help you along:

The food

Even if you love cooking, try not to spend the entire evening in the kitchen. The point of Valentine's is to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company. As such, try and pre-prepare as much of the food as possible, and keep it in the fridge or the warmer drawer until it is time to serve it. Choose a dish that you have cooked before, something delicious and not overly complicated – you don’t want any horrible last-minute surprises.

Meze-type meals are especially great for romantic dinners – they comprise a number of different food options, dips, bread, and snack-like food that you help yourself to. With these kinds of meals, all the food can be prepared and placed on the table beforehand, so all that will need to be done is to light the candles, pop the bubbly and relax.

Alternatively, if cooking is not your thing, then you can always order takeouts from a restaurant, or pick-up some delicious pre-prepared foods from your nearest grocery store or deli the day before. Then, all that you need to do on the night is to transfer the food into nice-looking dishes, heat them up if necessary, and serve.

Sweet and lovely

Whatever you do, don’t forget to really go all out on dessert – arguably the most important course when it comes to any romantic dinner. Chocolate-inspired dishes are always a win. Also, no romantic dinner is quite complete without some delicious bubbly. Make sure that it is nicely chilled beforehand, and arrange a bucket full of ice in which you can keep it chilled throughout the evening.

The table setting

As mentioned above – creating a romantic table setting is as important as serving delicious food. However, it is important to bear in mind that here, simplicity can have the most impact. Keep the setting elegant and understated – bring out the crystal and silverware, use a plain white table cloth, napkins and white crockery. You can make the setting special by sprinkling rose petals or beautifully wrapped chocolates around the centre of the table. Perhaps you can even arrange them in a heart-shape, or serve the chocolates in mini heart-shaped bowls. Put your Valentine’s gift and card in the centre of your beloved’s plate to surprise him or her as they sit down.

Candlelight

The one area where excess is acceptable, even encouraged, is the inclusion of candles. Candlelight is becoming, romantic and elegant – so the more, the merrier. Use all the candlesticks and holders that you can find - it doesn’t matter if they are mismatched. Choose particularly nice-looking candleholders for the table, and place the rest around the dining area, be it indoors or outdoors.

Flowers

Flowers are as important as candles – and no flower screams romance quite like the rose!

A small, nicely arranged rose posy in the centre of the table is a great addition, as your Valentine can enjoy the arrangement for a while after Valentine's has passed. However, a simple long-stemmed rose in a vase can also create a big impact. Alternatively, you can fill shooter glasses with water and trim the rose’s stems accordingly, and arrange these short mini-arrangements on the table for maximum effect.

Remember, if you are working on a budget, red roses are the most expensive flowers on Valentine's Day, so perhaps try and choose a rose in another colour, or another type of flower altogether. – Antonella Desi

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