The secret to perfect valentines gifts

Choosing the perfect valentines gift can put you in a difficult situation – especially in a new relationship when you’re not sure if you know the person. But there are a couple of tried and trusted methods to choosing the perfect valentines gift for your partner or beloved – it’s all a matter of knowing the likes and dislikes of the person you’re buying for.

Step 1: what are they interested in?

Depending on the depth of your relationship, and its length of time, you’ll be able to look presents and know whether they’ll like that specific item or not. Broadly speaking, choosing something they’ve expressed an interest in recently is an easy choice – but it doesn’t necessarily need to scream ‘romance’. Giving something they really want for Valentine’s Day can be just as effective and sometimes more welcome. A new computer or console game, or a piece of cute jewellery can be a welcome Valentines gift.

Looking for something a bit off the wall? Consider giving them something that’s a bit off the beaten track – within their interests, but something they may not have seen. Drivers may like an afternoon experience of racing cars, or rally cars, horse lovers may like an afternoon hike. A spa gift for him or her is often welcome, depending on how the person feels about spas. The whole point of this is to find something they like and spoil them rotten.

Step 2: Does it need to be ordered in advance?

One of the more important questions, especially when it comes to jewellery or something else that’s considered ‘custom’ – or for spa treatments or for tickets to that special event is that in some cases they may have to be ordered in advance. It’s important to ensure that you know how long customisation and delivery will take, because you need to factor that in, and then add at least another working week, just to be on the safe side. If your item doesn’t need that much lead time, you still should try to pick it up before Valentine’s Day – especially if it has to be ordered online. Delays are unavoidable, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared. Once you’ve secured and ordered your gift, keep it somewhere safe – try not to ruin the surprise.

Vouchers or other gifts

Sometimes there’s just no way round it – buying items like underwear or other pieces of clothing might require a more direct approach. Depending on the person they may or may not view this as romantic, so be sure that your intended knows why you’re giving them vouchers – if you’ve seen a sexy set of underwear for example that you’d like to see them in, how about taking a picture and including it with the voucher? Or making it a trip for both of you to choose the perfect present? If you’ve got no choice but to give a voucher that may not go over as well as a hand chosen present, then consider buying a small, cute teddy or chocolates to go with it.

It’s the little things that matter

Often it’s the gesture rather than the gift that matters – so make an event of Valentine’s Day. Work on finding something suitable, and make sure that your beloved knows that you’ve tried, because at the end of the day, any gesture of love is better than a gift that’s just been picked up on the way home from work. If you can, wake them on Valentine’s Day and tease them with the idea that there’s a present for them – even show them it. Build up the suspense over the day, and make sure that you’ve got plans for later in the evening to enjoy and celebrate your love.