No Plans for Valentine's Day? Here Are 5 Last-Minute Ideas

February 14 is Valentine’s Day! If you don’t have anything planned or purchased for your loved one yet, don’t panic! A day is more than enough time to plan a breathtaking Valentine’s Day for the person you love. While there may not be enough time to buy something and have it shipped, with enough planning, know-how, and effort, you can give your significant other an incredible Valentine’s Day they’ll remember for years!

Without further ado, here are five great last-minute Valentine’s Day ideas!

1. Make Their Favorite Meal

First up is an incredibly personal option that takes a little skill but will show your loved one how much they mean to you (especially if you don’t normally cook). Pick out a special meal that you can make for them (e.g., their favorite meal or the first meal you had as a married couple). If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out our Diet section, which has plenty of recipes and meal ideas to get you started.

Your effort and attention to their favorite foods will show your loved one how much you care and pay attention to them.

Once you have something picked out, it’s just a matter of finding a recipe, if you’re a beginner at cooking, or just getting started, if you already know a recipe. The dish could be an impressive new recipe or a classic favorite. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something your significant other is going to love! Your effort and attention to their likes will show them how much you care and pay attention to them, making it an excellent quick idea for Valentine’s Day.

2. Take a Walk Down Memory Lane

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to look at some of your best memories together that have come to define your relationship through the years. Whether it’s your wedding day, the birth of your children, that trip to Houston — sit down with your loved one and spend a little time going through those memories. Flip through old photo albums, watch old home videos, or take time to save your memories digitally to protect them from aging.

A little bit of planning can go a long way when walking down memory lane.

You don’t want this activity to seem cobbled together, like a rush job to make it seem like you panicked and didn’t really have anything. Put a little time into curating what pictures or memories you’ll revisit together. A little bit of planning can go a long way. Rearrange a photo album to only have a few of the best photos of memories you want to relive with your loved one. Pick out a few records to play or make a special music playlist of important songs from your relationship. If you’re technically savvy, create a video, set to music, of your favorite photos and videos.

3. Plan a Day Around Their Hobbies

If you have a bit more time to spare, surprising your loved one by planning an entire day around activities they enjoy can show them how well you know them. Another benefit of this Valentine’s Day gift is that the only thing you’ll have to spend is time, unless the activity costs. For example, you could take them to their favorite coffee shop and relax that morning over a nice latte, before heading out to the park for a nice walk together. Later, take them dancing at a local music hall. Once you’re home, you can enjoy a candlelit dinner, combining this idea with our first suggestion!

What’s important is that you spend time together and show an interest in the things they love.

If your loved one loves to hike or fish, you’ve got two day-long ideas right there (as long as the weather holds out). If they love puzzles, pick out a large puzzle and complete it together. The hobbies or activities will be different depending on your loved one. What’s important is that you spend time together and show an interest in the things they love.

4. Take a Long Weekend Trip Away

If you’re willing to spend a little money on your Valentine’s Day and know your weekend is free, a short trip somewhere romantic can be a nice surprise for your loved one. Depending on where you choose to go, this will likely require more planning or notice on your part. For example, if you want to go with a return to your honeymoon spot (one of our previous suggestions), you’ll likely need more time to plan, and it probably shouldn’t be a surprise. But if you live close to a beach or wine country, it’s entirely possible to both quickly plan and afford a long weekend away.

No matter where you are in this great country of ours, there’s a worthwhile weekend trip nearby!

The important thing to remember when planning a Valentine’s Day getaway is that you don’t need to go far. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, go to New York City for a weekend and see a Broadway show. If you live on the West Coast, try out Las Vegas or Los Angeles. If you’re more centrally located, check out Texas or Colorado. The beauty is that, no matter where you are in this great country of ours, there’s a worthwhile weekend trip nearby!

5. Host a Movie Marathon

Sometimes, staying in and cuddling up on the couch is the best way to spend a Valentine’s Day together, especially if you’re both cinephiles. Each of you can pick out a handful of your favorite films and spend the day together watching them. You could also follow a theme, like romantic comedies, movies you saw when you were dating, or your favorite movies that your loved one hasn’t seen. Whether you’re laughing at your favorite comedy movie or huddled together after a jump scare in horror flick, you should have fun relaxing together!

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Our fifth idea is a great lazy-day option that shows just how different the perfect Valentine’s Day can be for different couples. Not every couple needs or wants to go out for a fancy meal on Valentine’s Day, so you shouldn’t feel pressured to do so. The best Valentine’s Day gift or activity is the one you want to share most with the person who you love most. It’s a great day to embrace the quirks and little things that make your loved one so special to you and show your loved one how much you appreciate them. Happy Valentine’s Day!