Many of you out there, whether you admit to it or not, have likely run into some form of trouble while planning romantic dinners at home. You thought it would be nice to make an extra effort for a change. The best part: you’re not spending as much as you would if you went to a fancy date night spot. 

Hopefully, after reading this article, you get to restore the self-confidence you may have lost along the way. Planning romantic home dinners isn’t and shouldn’t be complicated. It isn’t necessarily expensive, either. The secret, really, is to put your heart into it. 

What will make your spouse the happiest? How would you turn this simple romantic dinner into a night you’d both look back on? Continue reading. 

A Spouse’s Guide to Romantic Dinners

If you’ve been bad at this, now’s the time to change things. To elevate your game, as the kids would call it. But this one’s more about making something grand out of small gestures. 

Make The Effort

This may come off as vague, but your success weighs heavily on this. Nothing beats the beaming smile on your spouse’s face, a smile of great appreciation for showing that you cared. For making them feel that they matter. 

The devil is in the details, as they say. Cooking them their favorite meal would be a good way to start. Now, you may be tempted to order in, but there is a good amount of satisfaction in building everything from scratch and doing a decent enough job at it. 

If you’re not as adept in the kitchen, spruce the place up. Dim the lights. Play music that will make you sway. Set the tone of the room. Make your home feel like you’re both in a fancy spot you’ve never been to before. That should up your chances for a memorable night. 

Do Some Actual Planning

It’s easy to brush off the actual planning process for a romantic dinner. You’d think you’d be able to ‘wing it’ because how difficult could it be, right? Well, that depends on how elaborate your plans are. 

Do you have all the ingredients you need for their favorite squid ink paella? If you don’t, are they available at a nearby grocery store? 

You don’t need to put in a full day for the planning process. Spend a good hour or two making sure you have everything you need. Avoidable stress is the last thing you want bothering you while cooking or doing preparations. 

Clear Everything Beforehand

Date night should be about the two of you. Not about tomorrow’s 9 AM meeting or the reports you have to file by noon. These should be the last of your worries. Do both yourselves a favor and bask in each other’s present moment. 

That also means keeping the night gadget-free. Think about your first date and how the both of you put your best foot forward and kept your phones away for the night. This date night should be treated the same way. 

If it’s been a while since you had meaningful moments and conversations with your partner, this is one of the nights to do it again. Any efforts to rekindle the spark will always be welcomed. You can never go wrong with that. 

Dress The Part

Let’s go back to that moment before your first date. One of the biggest questions that occupied your mind was, “What am I wearing?” Some of you may already plan these days ahead, but others prefer to think on the fly. 

Whatever it is you decide on for your romantic dinners at home, don’t forget to clean up. You don’t need to turn it into a black-tie event. But do dress up as if you’re out on a special night with your spouse. 

‘When you look good, you feel good’ is one of life’s simplest truths. And in this case, it’s a game-changer. 

Drink Accordingly

Now, for the adult beverages. The goal, of course, is to keep things running as smoothly as possible. You don’t want an abrupt end to the night, which means tequila shots and early heavy inebriation may not be a good idea. 

Chilled wine or easy-to-make cocktails are always good choices. If you’re bold enough to go for the latter, keep things simple. Knowing how to make a proper classic martini is impressive enough. The presentation of the drink will make you feel extravagant, at the very least. 

Keep it Light-Hearted

Preparing romantic dinners at home can be a bit nerve-wracking. All that stress beforehand could bleed into the night and at worst, ruin everything you’ve planned. 

Keep things light-hearted and playful. Crack jokes. Play games. Reminisce about the good times. Break the ice and loosen things up. Most importantly, never bring up past arguments. Any lingering issues could be dealt with later on. 

Start Planning Your Next Romantic Dinner Night At Home

Do you have your wine list complete? Are the fancy dinnerware washed and ready to be used? Have you picked out a playlist that could serenade you through the night? 

Whether or not you have an affirmative answer to these questions, there are many online resources and merchants to provide whatever it is that you need. They could even help you come up with a plan B, just in case. 

Romantic dinners at home don’t have to be daunting. Approach it with the proper attitude. At the very least, you’ll be rewarded with a fun, memorable evening you’d want to turn into a new date ritual.

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** For a great guide on date night dinners, click here.