When was the last time you hosted a romantic date night dinner for your partner? If you have an anniversary just around the corner, now is the perfect opportunity to pull out all the stops by planning the ultimate romantic home dinner for you and your loved one to enjoy.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’re here to save the day. Today, we share 6 expert tips for planning a romantic at-home anniversary dinner for you and your partner.
- Curate The Perfect Menu
Of course, every romantic at-home anniversary dinner for you and your partner starts with curating the perfect date night menu. We recommend curating a menu that features a variety of your partner’s favourite dishes, along with some that evoke nostalgic memories from the past. For example, if your first date was at an Italian restaurant, you could plan an amazing Italian menu that brings you back to the moment you first met. While you’re at it, don’t forget to ensure that you stock up on plenty of beverages — from wine, to juice and everything in between. You can even find some cheap wine bottles online.
Can’t Handle The Heat? If, like many, the thought of toiling over a hot stove (and potentially ruining your entire dinner) sends you into a frenzy, fret not. Thankfully, there are numerous ways for you to take the pressure off cooking, including ordering in, or even hiring a fancy private chef if you’re looking to truly impress.
- Clear Your Schedule
Another important aspect to consider when planning the perfect at-home anniversary dinner is, of course, your schedule. The last thing you want is to plan an elaborate meal, only to find out that your partner has other plans scheduled for the evening. For starters, if you have kids, now is the perfect time to call in that babysitting favour. If you have a housemate, consider letting them know you’ll need some privacy.
Now that you’re certain your home will be a no-go zone for others, it’s time to ensure that your partner is free and available on the night of your dinner, so check their schedule in advance. Yes, this may mean that your romantic dinner is less than a surprise, but it sure beats not having your partner show up after all that effort you’ve put in. We promise they’ll appreciate it either way!
- Give Your Home A Thorough Tidy-Up
The last thing you want is to host an elaborate dinner for two in a messy or untidy house — we’re pretty sure your partner won’t be too enthused about it either. To ensure that your home is in tip top shape for your romantic anniversary dinner, it’s time to start cleaning. While you don’t have to spend days on end giving your house a deep clean, we suggest focusing your efforts on areas such as the living room, dining room and kitchen. For starters, get rid of clutter and unnecessary junk that is strewn around your space. Next, dust all surfaces and give your home a once over with the vacuum cleaner. Finally, get your hands on a can of Febreeze or something similar to freshen up your space — it’s a few bucks well invested.
Top Tip: If you’re planning on cooking dinner, don’t forget to clean up after yourself in the kitchen. We promise that your partner will love you a little extra for it!
- Decorate Your Space
Now that your space is clean and clutter-free, you can focus on decorating your home for your special night. For the ultimate in romantic dinner setups, consider getting your hands on plenty of candles, flowers, fancy tablecloths, napkins and other elements that are guaranteed to transform your dining room into a fancy faux-restaurant. Be sure to pull out your nicest plates, cups, bowls, and silverware out of storage too — this is definitely the perfect opportunity to put them to use. If you want to go the extra mile, consider printing out a menu with everything you plan on serving, organised by course. This will make the entire meal that much more special. At the end of the day, it’s the small touches that count and make the biggest of impacts.
- Dress Up For The Occasion
Now that you’ve planned the perfect menu, cleaned and decorated your home, it’s time to work on scrubbing yourself up for your special anniversary dinner. Even though you’re not going out, it’s important that you make an effort to dress up — it is your anniversary after all! This means putting on your Sunday best, styling your hair and making the extra effort to look like a million bucks.
While you by no means have to wear a tuxedo or ball gown, a general rule is that if you imagine you’re going out to a fine-dining restaurant and dress for that, you’ll be sure to nail it. Your anniversary is no average day, after all, and it deserves to be treated like the special occasion it is.
- Don’t Forget To Say Cheese
Last but not least, if you’re going to all this effort to plan the ultimate at-home anniversary dinner for you and your partner, you’ll definitely want to document it with a photo, video, or selfie of you and your lover. If you really want to go all out, you could even consider renting a professional DSLR camera and tripod for hands-free, high quality images that you can look back on fondly for years to come. Remember — these are the moments you want to remember, so don’t be shy and don’t forget to say cheese!
Pro Tip: Express to your partner just how much you love them before you snap the picture to capture the love and win extra brownie points.
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And there you have it — 6 top tips that are guaranteed to help you throw a successful anniversary dinner in your humble abode. Planning the ultimate romantic at-home anniversary dinner for you and your partner doesn’t have to be stressful or boring. We hope that the tips that we have shared today come in handy the next time you decide to celebrate yet another milestone in your relationship in the comfort of your own home.