While you can create a romantic mood by simply having a candle-light dinner with soft jazz music playing in the background, why not pull out all the stops and create an ultra-romantic ambience this Valentines Day. Sure, use the candles by all means; they certainly do much to enhance the romance quotient in any type of decor. But this Valentine’s Day, let candles be part of your overall romantic decor and not just the only element. Won’t your sweetheart be in for a great surprise!

Take time to plan and do try and get your shopping done at least a few days in advance. While you may have to rush home from work a few hours early to set up the house as a surprise, you don’t want to be completely tired from having to do everything from cleaning and shopping to cooking and decorating in one day. Wouldn’t you love to get in some slow-dancing before sitting down to your elaborately planned candle light dinner? Do as much as you can in the time you have but don’t forget to reserve the best for last.

Prepare the Room

It’s Valentine’s Day! It’s the one day in the year when you are justified in going all out with the special romantic touches. Pull out all the stops! Fill your house with plenty of helium balloons in pink, red and white. Let them float above your bed or your dining table; perhaps both, tie them to the staircase railing; tie them anywhere you can think of.

Tie big red bows everywhere- on the backs of chairs, your bed post and on every soft toy you have. Drape yards of sheer red fabric over side tables. A forest of red scented candles in different shapes and sizes is a feast for all the senses. Choose your location carefully though; you don’t want to dampen the mood by having to call in the fire brigade.

Set the Table

There’s much you can do to create a romantic table setting. A rich red tablecloth draped over the table or some sheer red fabric gathered in the centre of the table is great as a starting point. Instead of fabric you could scatter fragrant red rose petals all over the table for an uber-dramatic effect.

Place heart-shaped votive candles at the ends of the table. Put heart shaped candies in a heart-shaped bowl. If that’s too ‘hearty’ even for a die-hard romantic like you, you could perhaps put a few heart-shaped candies in red wrappers in a long-stemmed wine glass. It’s stunningly romantic without being overly so.

Don’t even think of getting paper plates that have hearts on them. This occasion calls for getting out your finest chinaware. White plates on deep red table mats can create a dramatic look. Or if you feel like it, go ahead and splurge on two gorgeous red plates just for the occasion. Make it a traditional ritual of love to bring them out every year on Valentines Day. Get out the champagne flutes and tie a pretty red satin bow on the stem of each.

Set the Mood

Now that you’ve got everything set up (amazingly simple; wasn’t it?) it’s time to create a romantic atmosphere. Keep your collection of romantic music handy so you can have music to slow dance to, all night long. Dim the lights; or better still, turn them off and set the night on fire by lighting up all your candles in the candle forest. If you still have reservations about lighting up a group of candles, just place them there for effect but light individual candles everywhere else you can think of- window sills, tables and even the stair case.

When there’s romance in the air, the possibilities are endless. Why not ditch minimalism this Valentines Day and pull out all the stops to show your partner how much you care. It’s sure to pay rich dividends.