The Love Experts Guide You Through How to Personalize Your Valentine’s Day Gift

Flowers and chocolates are not going to cut it anymore, my friends. It’s time to get personal. If you’re unsure of what to plan this year, you’ve come to the right spot. The biggest thing we have to remember is that Valentine’s Day is different for everyone. You and your partner are unique, your relationship is unique; V-Day should be unique as well. The best way to personalize a gift is to understand your partner’s personality, including their love language.

As professionals in the industry, we know love. Day in and day out, we watch couples celebrate some of their happiest moments. Helping couples showcase their love for one another is what we do best; as love experts, we help make those moments even more special.

February 14th is the one day a year that every couple simultaneously feels the pressure of showcasing their love on social media.

For some of you, perhaps a social media post with lots of heart emojis is exactly what you want. But, a vast majority of you will be looking for something even better than that; you’ll be in search of finding the PERFECT idea for your person.

The fear of not being able to get “The Gift” looms across your head. Who better to get advice from than a proposal planner who plans love events for a living?

This Valentine’s Day, make sure “The Gift” speaks their [love] language

Valentine’s Day parties in school, crushes, teddy bears… no matter your age, it’s still a day meant to be filled with love.

But, how do you decide how to spend the day? Are you doing gifts? A cozy night in, cuddling in front of the TV? An expensive meal downtown?

One of the most important parts of V-Day is that it should be special and individualized for everyone, not just a general idea you found scrolling through Instagram. Perhaps one of the best ways to figure out what to do this Valentine’s Day is to first understand each other’s love languages.

Love languages are the variety of categories we may fall into that determine how we best receive love.

By understanding these, we can learn how to communicate in our relationships to express how we best receive love, and to inquire how our partner best receives love, so that those involved can give love in the best way that their partner will receive it.

There are typically 5 potential areas one could fall into; quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, and physical touch. Below are the characteristics of each love language.

• Quality time is all about undivided attention. You don’t mind where you and your partner are or what you are doing, as long as you are with them and they are present with you, you feel loved and appreciated. 

• If Words of Affirmation is your love language, you tend to feel most loved when you hear encouraging or affirmative words from your partner. The “I’m proud of you” after even the smallest of accomplishments means the most to you. 

• Acts of Service show that your partner is willing to give up their time for you, whether it is to help with a task or because they want to do something they know you would enjoy. 

• Receiving Gifts does not mean you’re just “in it for the gifts”. This love language has a more complex feeling; the idea that something made them think of you, or they grabbed something because they thought you would like it, makes you feel seen and valued. 

• Finally, if Physical Touch is your love language, this means you prefer physical expressions of love rather than other expressions of love. This can be both intimate and non-intimate; whether you’re getting a smooch in public or a massage after a long day of work, those are the moments in which you feel most loved.

The point of love languages is to better understand how your romantic partner expresses and experiences love; perhaps the best part about love languages is that, while one may overtake the others, everyone has a unique composition of all 5 languages.

That means that ideally, every couple has a unique language they have both learned how to speak for one another.

One of the most important parts about love languages is being able to understand how to speak each other’s language. LET ME REPEAT (YES, I’M YELLING): YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK EACH OTHER’S LANGUAGE. This is crucial to developing a solid relationship, but also a key step in finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for them. On perhaps the most romantic day of the year, why not speak your lover’s language for them?

LET ME REPEAT (YES, I’M YELLING): YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK EACH OTHER’S LANGUAGE.

Don’t know what your love language is? It’s your lucky day- we have created a quiz designed to help you discover your love language. While there are many existent quizzes, ours is special because it was created with the proposal planner mind. Someone who knows love at its purest form, curating questions with knowledge others do not have or know.

The Two Types of Valentines: Romantic or Sentimental

When you think of the types of Valentine’s Day gifts, it boils down to two categories: Romantic and Sentimental. Typically, most people are one or the other.

By understanding the difference between these two and figuring out which side your partner leans towards, we can compare it to their love language and create the perfect plan as to how you should be spending your Valentine’s Day.

Romantics love the big gestures- whether it’s flowers, expensive meals, or other gifts, they love the big displays of affection.

If this sounds like your person, you need to be sure to cater your gift towards their love language. For example, a romantic whose love language is quality time may not want balloons and flowers and gifts galore, whereas a romantic who prefers receiving gifts would likely enjoy that.

Here are some tips for planning gifts for romantics based on their love language:

• Quality time: Set aside some time dedicated to spending with them today. Don’t sit on your phone or not pay attention to them. Make sure you create eye contact, actively listen, and you are present in the moment. Do something you know they enjoy doing.

• Words of Affirmation: Give them a promise ring (or jewelry of their liking) and tell them how much they mean to you.

• Acts of Service: Help them out today. Offer to cook dinner and clean up for them, give them a ride to work (or wherever they may need to go), whatever you can do to make their day easier, offer to do it. 

• Receiving Gifts: You’ve got a wide range of options here- from a bouquet of her favorite flowers, to an expensive dinner on your card, and everything in between. 

• Physical Touch: Give them all the X’s and O’s. Hold their hand. Cuddle up next to them. Show them you much they mean to you, even more than you normally would.

On the other hand, if your partner is more sentimental, that means they typically enjoy the meaningful, intimate, moments of connection over big flashy displays of love.

It’s important to note that it is not black and white, one or the other; there is a gray area in which some people fall towards either end, depending on the situation. Nonetheless, a sentimental person likely wouldn’t appreciate the same gifts as a romantic.

Without further ado, our tips for the sentimentalists based on their love language:

• Quality time: Perhaps a quiet dinner at the place of your first date, or another significant date. Spend the time talking about your time together in the relationship, and all the most meaningful moments. 

• Words of Affirmation: Write them a letter and read it out loud. Listening to someone you care about tell you how much you mean to them is a beautiful feeling, and they will have the letter to remember that moment forever. 

• Acts of Service: Offer to do the small things together. Including them in these seemingly mundane tasks may mean more to them than you think. Being able to get things done (washing dishes, cleaning up) with their person helping will be what they think about when they are asked what they love about you. 

• Receiving Gifts: Again, you have options here, but you need to make sure there is a purpose, a MEANINGFUL purpose, behind whatever you choose. Perhaps it’s a picture frame with a picture of the two of you together, or a map of the spot you first met. 

• Physical Touch: Go for a walk around the neighborhood/town/city and hold their hand. Give them extra kisses and cuddles today, whether they ask for it or not. It doesn’t have to be intimate- offering a night out dancing if they enjoy it.

No gift will be the perfect gift for everyone. While it may seem complicated, the idea is that you need to sit and think about the person you’re celebrating your love with. What makes YOU special? What makes THEM special? Why is THE RELATIONSHIP special?

You’re THAT couple. Embrace it this Valentine’s Day with a gift that says “This is us”. 

As we have mentioned above, each couple is unique in their own way. Your relationship is unlike any other; why should the gifts be anything less than extraordinary?

Knowing that the two of you are better together than you are apart, take a look at your relationship and what makes it special. A great way to do this is to figure out what your “Couple Type” is:

• The Power Couple… these two are a pair for the ages. Each with their own personalities and aspirations, but as soon as you put them together, sparks fly and they’re unstoppable. Everyone is drawn to this couple when they walk in a room. The two of them support each other and proudly watch their achievements.

• The Total Opposite Couple… the definition of opposites attract. Like, to the max. No matter the topic of discussion, they always have different viewpoints. The best part is that it’s not in a bad way; they respect each other’s opinions and agree to disagree, but sometimes it makes you wonder how interesting their story must be. Nonetheless, they love one another, and there’s never a dull moment between them. 

• The Always Up For Anything Couple… these two are your ride or die duo. No matter what you suggest for plans, they’ll always say yes. These two always bring the energy with them, and without a doubt will have a blast together. With each other, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing, as long as they’re doing it together. 

• The Chill Couple… the ones who just go with the flow. No plans, no stress, just wait for the opportunity to present itself and tag along if they feel like it. The no stress carries throughout their relationship- letting each other live their own lives to build a better life together. That’s not to say they don’t go out and have a good time, of course, but it’s not a requirement to be happy together. 

• The Traveling Couple… you know who you are. The adventurers, whether it’s a trip to your family’s cabin or a vacation in the Caribbean, you’re always on the go. The two of you are a bit spontaneous, a trait one can assume in people as busy as you guys are, which makes it all the more fun! You’ve made memories that will last a lifetime with pictures to remind you forever, and you always find yourself feeling most alive with your person by your side. 

• The Active Couple… Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning? Sign you guys up. From gym dates to Whole Foods runs, you two are working on being your best selves, together. Encouraging each other to continue to work hard every day brings you closer, whether it’s a walk in the neighborhood or a full on sweat sesh, and the results bring even more happiness into the relationship.

• The Foodie Couple… AKA, the best hosts. Your friends LOVE when you two host events because you always create the most amazing dishes, from drinks to desserts, and you both love to do it. These couples always seem to find the best spots in town, from hole in the wall joints to fancy steakhouses, and there tends to be disagreement on who out-ordered who. While they’d never turn down a 5 course meal, they also love their quiet nights in with home cooked meals.

Now that you have a better idea of which couple you two are, here are some gift ideas for couples based on their couple type.

Knowing that the two of you are better together than you are apart, take a look at your relationship and what makes it special.

The Power Couple: Chances are, you guys could use a night in. Especially if it’s been a busy first month and a half of the year, it’s likely you haven’t stopped to take a break. Order some delivery food, snuggle up on the couch, and take a night to relax and enjoy each other’s presence.

The Total Opposite Couple: Date nights might not be the easiest for the two of you to plan, but look towards finding a compromise for Valentine’s Day this year. Even better, try something new! As long as you’re both willing to try new things with one another, this would be the perfect plan for you.

The Always Up For Anything Couple: I’m sure Valentine’s day gifts aren’t too difficult to find for each other… nonetheless, make sure you pay attention to what they’re really asking for this year. Although they may not seem to have a preference, it’s always nice to dig a little deeper and find something they really want.

The Chill Couple: Similar to the “Always Up For Anything” Couple, Valentine’s Day gifts aren’t hard to figure out, whether it’s a night in, a night out, or not much of anything at all, it’s all about spending time with one another and doing something you both enjoy.

The Travelling Couple: Depending on the day of the week that Valentine’s Day falls on, it may be hard to execute the giving of your gift immediately, but usually, the best moments are worth the wait. Plan a romantic night away from home (or even a couple of nights) with your partner and take the time to explore a new area and fall in love all over again.

The Active Couple: Valentine’s Day sounds like the perfect day for a rest day! Take the day to be with one another and do things you both enjoy; go for a slow morning walk or bike ride, get your favorite breakfast, go to a couples massage, the whole 9 yards. Appreciate both your own and each other’s bodies and how much they do every day!

The Foodie Couple: A date night at your favorite restaurant? Yes, please! Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it doesn’t matter. V-Day is the perfect excuse to spend a couple of extra bucks on THAT meal. Or, maybe you’ve been dying to try that new recipe you found. Whatever it may be, celebrate your love with the best way you know how: food.

And there you have it. The perfect leg up to help guide you towards finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

No pressure! Above are our best techniques in how to find the right gift for each person. Each person is different, which means each couple is different. So, whatever you decide on has to be right for the two of you.

The best first step you can take is to sit and think about who your person really is; what excites them, what brings them tears of joy, what moments mean the most to them, etc. With that in mind, have confidence in yourself. You are getting a special Valentine’s Day gift for that person for a reason. 

If you’re still unsure, a great place to start would be to take the Love Language quiz, designed by us, to help you better understand yourself, your partner, and your relationship, which will allow you to find the perfect gifts this Valentine’s Day.