Hosting a Special Valentine’s Day Dinner
Valentine’s Day
Ahhh Valentine’s Day, the Day of Love.
You either just rolled your eyes at me or sighed with a dreamy smile on your face.
I happen to land somewhere in the middle because while the idea of a day spent showering a loved one is a beautiful thing, it is a commercialized day, and I don’t always love that.
For me and my husband the holiday falls right in between my birthday on February 2nd and his birthday on February 15th. There’s also about 8 other family birthdays within the same two–three-week time span, so it gets a bit tight celebratory wise!
Over the years as I moved from being single to dating to married, my participation in and level of excitement for Valentine’s Day have evolved. I used to dread it or ignore it as best I could. Then I would write God love letters each year because I thought that’s all I had. Sometime in college I started to broaden my view of the holiday and embraced it while avoiding most of the purely commercialized parts.
Taking time to celebrate a special someone in your life is a beautiful idea and I feel it shouldn’t be restricted to someone you are romantically involved with. It should include your best friends, or your sisters and brothers, your parents or favorite double date partners!
I suggest we forget about the relationship status and focus on the people you love all year round.
Let’s plan a special Valentine’s Day Dinner that shows them you care about them as important people in your life today!
Planning the Event
Pick the day and time best for you and your special guests. It does not have to be on Valentine’s Day itself, so think about what your guests would need and appreciate.
Once you have taken care of that you need to create an invite. You can hand write them or share it by word of mouth. I tend to hop on my favorite design platform Canva for this. You can use your personal favorite or start using Canva for free to create a beautiful invitation. On Canva, you can use a pre-made template, so you don’t have to worry about lacking in design skills. Just type in your specific information to the text boxes already there!
Setting the Scene
We want to address all five senses so that your loved ones can be fully immersed in this special evening together. This is a relatively simple way to step up your hosting game and be intentional about the experience your loved ones will have from the moment they enter your home.
Sight – I always recommend seasonal decorating in lieu of putting up a ton of decorations for a one-day holiday. So, let’s keep your home wintery and layer in the Valentine themed décor mainly to your table setting or a few choice decorations in key places of your home.
This can be with a white or pink tablecloth, red fabric napkins, white & gold plates, pink crystal glasses, a bouquet of roses or an unexpected floral arrangement in pinks and reds. Go see what your local market has to offer! Layer in some candles and keep things low enough or on the outskirts so that you can easily converse over them instead of leaning around a giant vase to see each other!
Use the beautiful things in your home, this is a special day because you’re deciding it is. You can bring out the China or crystal or marble things and put them on full display.
Sound - Play some lovely background music that can enhance the mood of your evening. Are you going for formal, casual, upbeat and fun or romantic? Find or create a playlist that emphasizes this and have it playing low in the background. Unless it’s time for a dance party, you want to keep it low enough you aren’t hindering conversations.
Smell – Light up those candles you’ve had hiding in a cupboard waiting for the perfect cozy day to be lit. Just do it! Cluster three together that have complimentary scents and space them around the room for beautiful ambient light and a delightful aroma. I recommend you keep it simple, and it will be beautiful. If you have a choice, stick with containers that complement the color scheme of the evening. This can be a good item to buy that screams Valentine’s Day because it’s a consumable good and unless you love pink hearts, you don’t have to have it around forever.
Touch – Now, the way you pay attention to this greatly varies. Do you greet your guests with a warm hug when they show up and leave? Are your seats at the table comfortable to encourage long conversations around dinner and dessert? Is your silverware nice to hold, are the napkins soft and smooth? Do you have cozy seating for drinks around the fire after dessert? Does your home scream “I’m perfect, don’t touch me and mess it up” OR does it say, “Welcome home friends, come in and relax”?
You don’t have to address each of these options and please don’t put away the pretty cloth napkins if they aren’t as soft as butter. You also don’t need to go buy a whole new set of flatware if it isn’t time to replace yours yet. Use what you have and love and fill in the rest with thoughtful purchases that add value.
Taste – Finally, the savory and sweet part of the evening. You can go for a formal pasta dinner, you can go for a fun Mexican theme, you can get hands-on and have everyone making home-made pizza with toppings of choice. The possibilities are endless and there’s no right or wrong in whatever direction you choose. Just focus on what you and your guests love, and it’ll be a hit. Have some favorite beverage options, a delightful appetizer and a delicious dessert, and you’ll be set.
Personalize Your Dinner Party
I encourage you to take time to personalize this for you and your special guests. Don’t do things just because everyone else says you must do it a certain way on Valentine’s Day. Forget that, do what’s best to foster a sense of love and appreciation for those most special to you. Shower them with attention and care as you plan this evening. Maybe involve some of the guests in the planning and preparation, some people feel loved when they can be involved in helping you out because they love you.
When we focus on loving people well, everything becomes better than we originally planned it because we’re focused on the right things. When you create an evening focused on loving people well, you’ve created beauty. Congratulations!
A Curated Table Setting Just for You
Here is my curated list of items you can buy to create an elegant and colorful table setting where everything can be used at dinner parties through-out the year. I want to help you spend your money wisely and make the most out of what you buy. Click the links below to mix in with what you have or start fresh on a beautiful tablescape!
(May contain affiliate links.)
D'Moksha Rose Gold Table Cloth - 72” x 54” in Rose Gold 100% European Flax Linen Tablecloth. “Handcrafted by skilled artisans and the colors in this collection are handpicked to match a range of upholstery and decor styles. Each tablecloth has perfect mitered corners lending it sophistication, which bring out sheer elegance to create awe for any visitor to your lovely abode.”
Grace Charger Plate Gold by Caskata – “Grace brings polished curves to the table. The sleek, versatile shape easily transitions from everyday to formal, from modern, to deco, to traditional.” This base color of white helps to draw your eye to the beauty of your dinnerware placed lovingly on your tablecloth. Overall11.5" W x 11.5" D
Dover White Dinner Plate from Crate & Barrel - Made in Portugal this plate is stoneware made with a reactive glaze. The Dover White has “countless perfectly imperfect lines (that) texture the rim with the look and feel of artisan ceramics.” Sized 10.5” dia. 1”H
Dover White Low Bowl from Crate & Barrel - Made in Portugal this low bowl is stoneware made with a reactive glaze. It has “countless perfectly imperfect lines (that) texture the rim with the look and feel of artisan ceramics.” Sized 8.75” dia. X 2.5” H
Portola Gold Flatware 20 Piece Set (danielhouse.club) - Complete with flared handles and a beaded channel at each base, this set includes forks, salad forks, knives, spoons and teaspoons that's perfect for serving four people.
D’Moksha Red Linen Cloth Napkins with Fringe - Made from a premium heavyweight fabric that lays beautifully on your table and resists wrinkles with a stylish fringe design made from an earth-friendly, recycled fabric, these linen cloth napkins are a wonderful addition for any occasion at the table. Set of 4, 20”x20” napkins.
Hand Rounded Rose Quartz Agate Napkin Rings - Handmade with agate, metal, and brass, “these beautiful napkin rings are perfect for any dinner servings.” They’re all uniquely made and add a beautiful touch of elegance to your dining experience.
Nox Serving Bowl (onsidedoor.com) - Made of a solid mango wood and stained a dramatic deep black, it is a stunning vessel for your favorite recipes. Sized 14.30"H x 14.30"W x 5.50"D
Stanton Servers, Brass, Set Of Two (onsidedoor.com) - “The antique brass finish heads have an Art Deco feel, while the forged steel handles add a tactile quality.” It is crafted in India with an antique blackened brass finish.
Stoneware Round Serving Platter, Matte White- “An effortless way to make your dining experience be a simple, elegant and gorgeous one. Our platter is hand-made by local artisans which makes each platter a unique piece with its own hand-crafted curves. Microwave and dishwasher safe this handmade (piece is) completely free of toxic heavy metals.”
Cake Stand from Powered by People - Made from 100% Rosa Morada Wood this simple piece brings warmth to the table with its beautiful color. Great for displaying your dessert or other specialty pieces of food all year long.
Loop Cake Server - “Perfect for casual or elegant entertaining. With its rounded loop handle and slender form, the loop serves up savoury pastries and sumptuous pies.”
Pavel Red Marble Wine Cooler - “The Pavel marble wine cooler is crafted from a weighty Rosso Levanto marble from Turkey, with deep cherry-red tones and white veining.” This adds an elegant and beautiful Valentine’s Red to the table that will be a conversation starter for sure.
Quinn Clear Everyday Glasses by Caskata – Set of 2 that have been “mouth-blown beauties from a centuries-old glassworks in the rural Czech Republic. The optic bowls artfully capture the light, playfully reflecting it back, while the elegant stems fit effortlessly in your hands.”
Quinn Rose Carafe by Caskata - This “mouth-blown beauties from a centuries-old glassworks in the rural Czech Republic. The swirled pattern has an airy grace about it that surely will keep it on display to use for everything from freshly squeezed citrus, sparkling water or wine.”
Quinn Rose Coupe Glasses by Caskata – Set of 2 “mouth-blown beauties from a centuries-old glassworks in the rural Czech Republic. Archival forms, elongated and elevated for a very modern feel, these are glasses unlike any you've held. Honestly, these are glasses that demand to be savored as much as whatever you're drinking from them, perfect for champagne, cocktails, or long-legged desserts.”
Hammered Bud Case Set (Polished Brass) by Regina Andrew - “A multipurpose set with a gorgeously tactile hammered polished brass finish, these vases would be great addition to your tabletop or bookshelf to display flowers or candles.”
Spiral Taper Candle (onsidedoor.com) - From Powered by People, these candles are perfect for any table setting! “Standing at roughly 28.5 cm tall and with a 2.2 width, our spiral candles will fit into a standard candle holder. All Spiral Taper Candles are handmade in Canada out of soy wax.”
Lucia Vase, Small - “Taking its design cues from the natural interiors at Soho Roc House in Mykonos, our Lucia vase has a handmade, vintage feel thanks to its slightly irregular shape and gently aged finish.” Buy two or three to cluster together or pair with other white or clear vases you have around your home for a beautifully layered effect.
There are many ways you can incorporate these beautiful and timeless pieces into your table setting for Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year. The investment of these quality items will last you for many years to come and bring delight each time you lay them out to share a meal with loved ones.
Please, if this has been at all helpful and you take this guidance to heart, email me back and send a few pictures. I’d love to see how you are creating beauty this month!
Cheers!
