In case you haven’t yet noticed, Valentine’s Day is just one week away.
While there’s no shortage of shopping guides and gift ideas out there on what you can buy your loved one this sweet season, picking out the right gift—whether for him or for her—is alway a tricky task.
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So, to save you time and stress, we asked experts in the dating industry, including CEOs and brand chiefs of dating apps, wedding registry platforms and matchmaking sites, how to get a bit more creative beyond the standard formula of roses and chocolate. And here are the best six we heard:
A Personalized Keepsake or Edible
“Putting a real thought and effort into a keepsake gift goes far,” said Tina Wilson, the founder of Wingman, a dating app that lets you play matchmaker for your friends.
She specifically recommended this website called Boomf, which allows you to personalize cards, marshmallows, chocolate and candies for under $30.
Valentine’s Day is the time to show some love, but it doesn’t have to be all rose petals and poems—just showing you notice and care about the small things is actually better,” Wilson said.
Have you seen our NEW super cute Wild Cards? Perfect for that special someone on Valentine's Day 🥰❤️😍❤️ pic.twitter.com/xBreDUDCTj
— Boomf (@boomf) January 28, 2019
A Sky Map Above Your Favorite Place at Your Favorite Time
Also recommended by Wilson, a map showing the unique alignment of the stars from a special place and moment is a truly brilliant gift idea for Valentine’s Day. “Maybe it’s the night you met, the night you had your first kiss, or a more raunchy memory,” said Wilson. “Put your personalized constellations on their wall or even better, on their phone case, so they’ll never forget the night you stole their heart.”
There are a number of websites out there that produce beautiful prints of such star charts for various decoration purposes. Wilson recommended this one that makes art prints starting at $45 and phone cases starting at $35.
Poetry (such as Heart Talk by Cleo Wade)
As trite as it sounds, a beautiful little poem is always the perfect way to express love and affection on Valentine’s Day. But in case you feel too intimidated to write one of your own, Alex Williamson, chief brand officer of dating app Bumble (BMBL), has an easy fix for you.
“One of my favorite people, Cleo Wade, released a beautiful and moving book of poetry that is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift,” Williamson said. “She encourages her readers to rip out pages that speak to them and post them around the house, which is an idea I love—especially framing the poem that means the most to you or someone you love.”
Bedding Set
Jennifer Spector, the brand chief of Zola, an online one-stop shop for wedding registry, believes no Valentine’s Day gift is better than an intimate bedroom touch-up.
A fresh set of sheets or a luxurious duvet, for example. “Bedding is the gift that keep on giving. There’s literally no better feeling than crawling into a freshly made bed with a new set of cozy sheets,” Spector said.
Bedroom Candle
Spector also recommended this “Pillow Talk” candle by Snowe, which boasts a special scent “between seductive and soothing” and can burn for 75 hours.
“I am a firm believer in the power of a seductive scent,” Spector said. “This candle from Snowe is one of my favorites, because it lasts forever and is the perfect blend of relaxing, sexy and fresh.”
An Adventure Together
Last but not the least, the best gift doesn’t have to be material.
“Experience something together,” said Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group, the parent company of Match.com, Tinder (MTCH) and dozens of other dating apps.”It could be as simple as going with your husband or boyfriend to get your nails done together or attending a cooking class together.”
Ginsberg said she’d noticed a upward trend among young couples to spend on experiences rather than physical gifts for special days. “The typical gift of flowers is just so non-memorable, especially to the young generation,” she said. “I would stick to buying a memory.”
