Gold rose

Traditional Valentine’s day gifts – Embrace the Cliché

Traditional Valentine’s Day gifts include champagne, red roses, words of love and romance, chocolate, music and jewelry. Many suggest these traditional gifts are passé, but we disagree. You can celebrate the love you have for your sweetheart by embracing the cliché with traditional Valentine’s Day presents that have been reinvented for lovers today. These traditional gifts with a modern twist are a way to show your significant other that you adore them, are grateful to have them in your life and cannot imagine a life without them. Here are some suggestions for traditional presents fit for the modern couple:

Champagne

apple heartWhile a chilled bottle of Brut and a bouquet of ruby red roses is the perfect traditional Valentine’s Day gift, consider a candle scented with both these luxurious fragrance for a refreshingly modern take on these traditional gifts.

Red Roses

“Roses are red, violets are blue, I never knew true love until I met you” is just one of thousands of Valentine’s Day poems that show how traditional red roses are for the special day. Have your roses displayed in the shape of a heart for a modern touch. If you do not want to send roses, consider bold and bright Gerbera daisies, her favourite flowers or blooms in her favourite colours. For a gift that lasts longer than any cut flowers, consider a low maintenance succulent garden in a heart-shaped red pot for a romantic touch.

Chocolate

heart choco boxIf you’re going to gift chocolates, present your beloved with the very best. You may find a perfect selection box from the best chocolatier, but also consider a cake and cookies or dipped fruit and chocolate fudge. Pure dark chocolate is a decadent, gourmet gift in whatever form it’s made available. Spice up the chocolate not just with chillies – though that combination of tastes is available too – but with custom messages on their favourite candies. Many chocolatiers offer the chance for you to customise your purchase with messages or images that you can make as sweet or a saucy as you like.

Love letter

letter heartEveryone loves a love letter on Valentine’s day. Write a letter, use a pen and paper, and from your heart let your sweetheart know exactly what it is about them that you love. Your words will be a precious memento for your day. It doesn’t matter if your hand-writing is scrawly, that will be part of the charm of your gift. If you are not great with words, have a look online for some love poetry for inspiration or to use a poem in full if it says everything you would love your partner to know about your feelings for them. Copy the poem you want to use on paper in your own hand-writing. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee” sonnet is beautiful, but there are hundreds of others to choose from. Your note may be your own personal take on the ‘Roses are red, violets are blue…’ poem since half of the poem has already been written. Be sweet, be funny, be sexy… just be your own character. If you still struggle with writing, consider instead a work of art that can be displayed at home. Use sensual red colors or depict a scene that has meaning to you both. Cover yourself in body paint and roll on a canvas, this abstract work can be a secret between the two of you and can be hung anywhere in the home.

Music

matched-set-anniversary-gift
“If music be the food of love, play on…” so spoke Orsino in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. You cannot argue with the most renowned English word-smith that has ever lived. Create the perfect play-list for you and your partner to set the mood for a romantic Valentine’s Day. Include your beloved’s favourite song, “our song” and any songs that have meaning for you both, including those played at your wedding.

Jewelry

Jewelry is the quintessential Valentine’s Day gift. A heart-shaped pendant, a ruby ring, diamond earrings, stylish cuff-links, a high-end wristwatch, the possibilities are endless. Rose Gold has a pinkish tone with is the perfect present for Valentine’s Day. Show how much you care by choosing an item that matches their style. Do you want classic stud earrings or would she prefer a hand-stamped bracelet stating “I love you” that she can wear every day. Would retro cuff-links be more his style, or perhaps something connected to his interests. If your lady has dropped any hints, or you have noticed her gaze at an item in the shop window, surprise her with the item on Valentine’s Day to prove you have noticed what she likes and want her to have what she wishes for herself. If you are unsure, ask their friends, who will be able to guide you in the right direction.