Maybe you waited too late to book that restaurant and or you’ve been busy (well, it just wasn’t a priority, but that’s a whole other topic). You’re probably thinking… ok, just get on with it. Well, first and foremost, plan and you will be fine. If not, then no, you are planning to fail. So without further ado, here is my top 5 list.

1. Local Cafes: Valentine’s Day falls on Saturday. Have you considered a breakfast in the morning to start the day right? This of course, depends on your partner. If they like coffee, you cannot go wrong. And there’s nothing like a big breakfast to a person’s heart. (Well to my heart, but hey – I’m also looking out for you too). Your best bet, is to go to Urbanspoon, filter on Cafe’s and then target those with 80% and higher. From those higher statistics, make sure that the people putting the reviews aren’t “one review wonders”. That’s a good sign of “buying” social credibility. Yes, it takes work, but an hour placed here is better than nothing, right? Quit your eye rolling and get on with it.

2. Sunrise/Sunsets: This is either the best thing or the worst thing possible when Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend. The last thing you want to do is drag someone to a sunrise when they are a late sleeper. Alternatively, (depending on your hemisphere), you don’t want to be eaten alive by the local insect population either. Know your partner better than you know yourself. And if this is the first date/first valentine’s day – do not try the sunrise option.

3. Picnic in the Park: Call me a sucker, but anyone that goes through the trouble of organising a picnic basket with light sweets and savouries (and alcohol, age dependant and keep an eye on how much you intend to drink so you both can get home safely) definitely wins in my books. Add on a stroll around the park and you’ve got some great one on one time to burn off any extra calories from the nice lunch.

4. Outdoor movie theater: You know that there are going to be a lot of people going to the movies. And if you’re thinking about this know, might mean you won’t even get tickets to that session anyway.

“So if the mountain won’t go to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain”

(I’m sure I’ve messed up that quote somehow but cest la vie!). Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying a projector or any fancy equipment. All you need to do is either move the TV closer to the backyard (or outdoor area for the apartment dwellers) and watch the shows from the outside in. A few well placed candles and voila: you’re very own backyard outdoor cinema! Bonus points for involving a hammock.

5. The controversial: Now I’m not advocating this but I know that some people reading this might be thinking of a hot air balloon ride or some sort of fancy shmancy restaurant. And that’s well and good. But if this is the first time you’re seeing someone or this is the first year, make sure you don’t go overboard. One because you put immense pressure to perform next year. Two, if things don’t work out, you might think of doing the same idea again but that will only cause more pain and bring up potential unresolved feelings at a very intimate moment. Also see point 1. And 3, you’re making the rest of us look bad. It’s not a competition and more about spending time with your significant other. Some might even say, just a nice home cooked meal from scratch can satisfy.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Melbourne when Valentine’s day comes around, there are a few things you can do to make it extra special. You could go explore the botanical gardens, take the golden mile tour, visit quaint coffee shops for a little downtime and get lost in Melbourne’s laneway art and cool eateries on the corner.

Make it a day to remember for all the right reasons and you’ll be doing great. And heck, even after all the planning and preparation, things can go belly up. The goal is to have fun and go with the flow.

What have you got planned? Are there things missing from my list? Leave a comment below and report back in if you have tried a suggestion. I’m always looking for ways of doing things better.