You hear it all the time that every relationship is different. When comparing couples, you’ll find that their relationship’s timelines, goals, and even boundaries are all poles apart, and where one couple might be more traditional, the other might be more alternative, and vice versa, etcetera, etcetera, until the end of time. This doesn’t mean that either couple is better than the other—it just means they’re different.

Still, we assign the same formula for “How To Have The Perfect Valentine’s Day” to everyone, whether they’re in a relationship, single and looking, or wouldn’t even consider the concept of pairing up with anyone anytime soon. There’s so much pressure to swoon over champagne and chocolates—but if you secretly don’t care about rose bouquets or Veuve, then you may end up spending your Valentine’s Day awkwardly cosplaying the holiday.

Consider this a friendly reminder that Valentine’s Day is about tuning into the things that bring you pleasure—not about pretending to have fun while you do cookie-cutter V-Day things. Of course, we’re always going to advocate for the finer things in life, and we support you going out to an omakase dinner—but the key part of enjoying luxuries is, well, enjoying them. Just like everything else in your life, we encourage you to tap into the unconventional things that you love to do—especially on the day reserved for love and pleasure. 

If you want to avoid flowers and bubbly this year but still want to have fun, here are a few things you can do this V-Day to keep it red hot.

Plan a Staycation with Your Boo

You can book a hotel room in your favorite city and, TBH, order room service to eat in your robes together. There’s nothing better than sharing a steak frites while watching a movie and finishing the night off with a couple’s bath. 

Book a Karaoke Room with Friends

If you and your friends are always the life of the party, you may feel a bit stuffy or toned down at a dinner where all that’s playing is soft jazz. Consider renting out a karaoke room instead—and get dressed up! There’s nothing more iconic than singing your fav Lana song while wearing velvet opera gloves.

Go on a Hike

Hi, outdoorsy couples—you can absolutely enjoy a Valentine’s Day that looks like it was sponsored by REI. If you want to try something new, consider going on a trail near a cabin that you can stay in overnight—there’s nothing more romantic than warming up by a fireplace (in the woods!) with your love.

Gal’s Spa Day

If your group chat pops off every evening discussing your Oura Ring stats, you and your friends will probably get down with a wellness-filled spa day. You can go for a relaxed sauna-and-cold-plunge session at your local Russian Banya or Korean Jjimjilbang, or go all-out and book an overnight wellness retreat.

Take Yourself  Your Nails Done

And if you want a Valentine’s Day with lasting benefits, consider stopping by to get your nails done. Whether you wear nail polish, Gel-X, or just like a good buffing, you can book at visit our King West or Yorkville locations. And don’t worry—we always keep the bubbly flowing, just in case you want to indulge. ;)