Is Valentine’s Day Too Much Pressure For A New Relationship?
You’re in an amazing new relationship and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s like the giant elephant in the room and no one wants to bother him. Whether you’re in a brand new relationship—having only been on a handful of dates—or if you’ve been dating for a couple of months, Valentine’s Day can make or break a newish relationship if not handled in a fitting way. Why go from casual-to-complicated if you don’t have to?
Just because Valentine’s Day is typically covered in red hearts and chocolates doesn’t mean that’s the only option. There are several factors you’ll want to keep in mind when deciding how to go about Valentine’s Day with your new love interest, so here are a few tips for making your plans and choosing an appropriate gift for your first Valentine’s Day together:
- If you’ve had only 1 or 2 dates, you have permission to go ahead and let the day slide by without making plans. Having a date on a romantic holiday might be too much for many people in a brand new relationship. The whole day is nuanced by the overarching holiday almost everywhere you go.
- If you’re several weeks or months into the relationship, start by simply having a low-key conversation with the object of your affection. Take a laid back approach and go into it with the goal of making the day more comfortable for the both of you. Discussing your plan ahead of time will alleviate a lot of stress and ensure that there are no hurt feelings.
- Consider asking your special someone out for a casual dinner or an activity like bowling, ice skating, or spending the evening at a local art museum. Choose something relaxing that will take the pressure off the day known as “The Lover’s Holiday.” Make a pact that there will be no gifts, just a fun night out.
- If you jointly decide you’d like to do something for each other, keep in mind the length of your relationship and what certain gifts represent. Ask yourself what you’d like to get for a Valentine’s Day gift. Don’t go overboard, stay away from anything sexy, too sappy, or too personal, and don’t spend more than $50. No one needs to get scared away.
- If you didn’t talk about your Valentine’s Day intentions and would like to do something for this person, go with a non-conventional gift that shows you care without overdoing it—a book, movie, plant that blooms, tickets to see a play or concert (that’s soon approaching), good bottle of wine, cook a meal for this person, or bake something sweet.
- When selecting a card, stay away from overtly lovey cards. Stick with something lighthearted and funny or skip the card altogether. Remember you can’t take back something that’s already been put out there, whether it’s spoken or in writing.
- Avoid going anywhere that you’ll be made to wait 2 hours even with a reservation, one that causes stress, or one that layers on the Valentine’s ooze and raises the awkward flag.
- Remember it’s only one day propagated by our culture and doesn’t need to be overdone. So go into it with low expectations and no judgements so you’re both not disappointed.
Photo Credit: OpenPhoto.net/Miroslav Vajdić
Justin Lavelle is the Communications Director for BeenVerified.com. BeenVerified helps people discover, understand and use public data in their everyday lives. The company is a leading source of online background checks and contact information. BeenVerified allows individuals to find more information about people, phone numbers, email addresses, property records and criminal records in a way that’s fast, easy and affordable. www.beenverified.com
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