With Valentine’s Day just a few short weeks away, Jody and I have been brainstorming about how we want to celebrate this year. We don’t usually do anything big; just doing something different that our usual routine. A few years ago, we went to VMFA, an art museum in Richmond, followed by Italian for dinner, and last year we went bowling, had more Italian for dinner and then snuggled up for a movie at home.

While it may be apparent that Italian is our easy, go-to, date night, we try to mix it up when planning to go out on a date. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes, it is hard to not fall in the same “routine date”, for the sake of time and planning. Luckily, one of the activities at my bridal shower was to leave us a date idea in a jar, so now we have an arsenal of different types of dates that Jody and I wouldn’t have originally thought of ourselves. Today, I thought it would be fun to share some of the date ideas that we received, as well as some of our favorite dates that we’ve been on!

1. Spend the day walking around a nearby town, visit local shops and get dinner. Jody and I love going over to Annapolis to walk around the Naval Academy’s beautiful campus, as well as walking around the downtown district. St. Michaels is also another local town that we love to visit — extra points if there is a winery nearby!
2. Wine tasting. It seems we tend to do this a little more in the winter months, but a majority of our weekends include a stop at various wineries in the region. We try to not visit the same ones every time, but our location can make that a tad bit difficult. To keep it interesting, we’ve even had a wine tasting at home complete with a variety of wines and a cheese board. 🙂
3. Day trip to the beach. One of the best parts of living on the shore is how close we are to the beach. Jody and I love going on warm days during the off-season to walk the boardwalk, play a round of mini-golf, and enjoy Thrasher’s fries while watching the waves.
4. Cocktails at a swanky bar. We did more of this during our weekend getaway to Charleston, and I have to say, I’m looking forward to a lot more of this in the future! We don’t necessarily live near one now, but our substitute is drinks at the restaurant where we hosted our rehearsal dinner.
5. Create a progressive dinner. Stop at different eateries for appetizers, entrée, dessert, and after dinner drinks. This idea sounds so fun, and can also be adjusted for a night-in too with different take-out options.
6. Go to a pro or semi-pro sporting event. Jody and I used to make a trip once a summer to see the Richmond Flying Squirrels play. Neither of us are huge baseball followers, but it doesn’t seem like summertime without a baseball game and stadium food!
7. A simple picnic. I am just giddy for spring for us to finally pull out our picnic basket! You can practically picnic anywhere — a park, a beach, by the river, or on a lookout spot. Pack a bottle of wine and sandwiches for a relaxing afternoon in warm weather.
8. Hit the water. I guess this is slightly dependent on where you live, but obviously we don’t lack water around these parts. There’s kayaking, paddle boarding or even sailing! Watch the sunset with your beau after you return from your water adventure!
9. Stay at a local bed and breakfast. This is a bit of a pricier date, but if you have the room in your budget, it is sure to be a day to remember! Spend some time exploring the town if you are unfamiliar with, get to know some of the local spots, and of course, enjoy a delicious breakfast in the morning!
10. Cook together. Jody and I rarely cook together in the kitchen but one of my favorite memories is one random Sunday night when Jody and I made enchiladas together. Turn on a favorite playlist and open a bottle of wine and try to cook a new recipe together!
11. Go to a drive-in. Different than the classic “go to the movies” date, this one can be fun, because it actually lasts longer than just the movie. There was a place near Richmond that always showed double features, and the catch was you had to arrive hours early in order to get a good spot!
12. Nostalgia date. This one is fun! Relive a favorite memory like a first date. Go to the places where you first met each other and do what you did on your first date. You could even relive an event or trip, such as your honeymoon. Eat that locale’s cuisine, listen to music that is reflective of that location, and remember how much fun you had with your beau. I think Jody and I will be taking an impromptu “visit” to Jamaica soon. 😉

I hope these date ideas will help spark some ideas for your Valentine’s Day plans and every day! I firmly believe that dating is extremely important in any phase of a relationship, so I hope some of these ideas listed here will encourage you to make time for you and your partner. I’d also love to hear some of your ideas too! Happy dating, y’all!