As we approach the most romantic day of the year, it’s time to be buying cards and gifts for your special someone. A huge part of Valentine’s Day is the card. But with high street shops and online sites offering you a hundred and one ways to tell your partner you love them, what card do you choose? How do you write that heartfelt message inside? Because, let’s face it, if you get the card wrong the rest of the day might not go to plan.
So if you need some guidance about picking the right card, and writing the perfect message look no further. Having been in touch with the romance experts over at Mills & Boon, here are some handy tips to giving the perfect Valentine’s Day card:
Picking a card
There are thousands of different cards out there to choose from. However, unfortunately there are many that are really very cheesy and over the top. So be careful that when you pick out your card you choose one that reflects your feelings towards your partner.
If you can’t find a card that reflects just how you feel about your other half, why not make one? This can often show just how much you care more than a shop bought card. It shows that you have put love, effort and a lot of thought into it. And you’ll be able to avoid the cheesy teddy bear cards that have taken over the town.
Writing a meaningful message
Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to get all soppy with your message and tell your partner just how much they mean to you. But I know that getting down how you feel on paper without sounding too dramatic or silly can be difficult.
Include things you’ve done together
An easy way to write a heartfelt message is to reflect on what you and your partner have done together. The team at Mills & Boon say “Think of a recent favourite thing that you and your partner enjoyed together and refer to this in your message, e.g. I love thinking of all the good times we’ve had, especially how much fun we had on holiday. It reminds me of how perfect we are together.”
Not only does using real events mean that thinking of what to write will be made easier, doing this will avoid the problem of sounding too soppy. Rather than solely writing about your feelings – which don’t get me wrong, is always good – include some concrete examples to strengthen your message.
Remind your partner why you love them
What is it about your other half that you love so much? Are they good looking, funny, caring? You may always think this, but when was the last time you said it out loud? As the M&B team say “you make think your Valentine is drop-dead gorgeous all the time, but how often do you actually tell them?”
So use your Valentine’s Day card to let your partner know why you love them, what it is about them that you love and why they are so fun to be around. Do this and you really can’t go wrong!
Be yourself
This has to be the most important tip Mills & Boon could have suggested! A lot of people, myself included, find writing heartfelt, romantic messages difficult simply because you don’t know what tone to take, how to write down what you feel and avoid the dreaded cheesiness. So just “try to sound like you in your message” just with a little extra romance on top. Sounding natural is the way to go.
If you really get stuck, try reading your message out loud. Does it sound like something you would say? Is that the way you would phrase that sentence if you said it spontaneously? Doing this will make the message sound more like you, and hopefully you’ll be able be able to do romance without sounding soppy or cheesy.
So, if you’re looking to write the ideal romantic message to your other half this Valentine’s Day, follow these handy tips with added advice from the romance experts from Mills & Boon to perfect your day.
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
If you missed our last guide, you can find Sheldon Ridley’s guide to living with your other half at university here.
