15 Last-Minute Valentine's Day Date Ideas

There's so much pressure put on having the perfect Valentine's Day, but the truth is the only thing that matters — aside from eating an obscene amount of chocolate, obviously — is spending it with the ones you love, no matter what you do. If you didn't have time to plan an elaborate date or a weekend getaway, don't worry, because there are plenty of last-minute Valentine's Day date ideas that will make the day with your special someone, well, special.

Most people don't have the money or squad of assistants necessary to create a Kim and Kanye Valentine's Day, so don't feel bad if this year, you weren't able to find a thousand roses. (I mean, can you imagine the clean up after that anyway?) Not everyone has the unlimited resources to create an extravagant day filled with expensive jewelry, absurd amounts of flowers, and a tropical vacation, celeb style, but that doesn't mean your Valentine's Day has to be any less romantic. As long as you are spending time with the one you love, you're doing Valentine's Day the right way — but planning a date doesn't hurt.

If you love your Valentine, but love procrastinating even more, here are 15 last-minute date ideas that aren't totally lame.

1. Have A Spa Day At Home

Couples massages can be expensive and they're usually booked solid around Valentine's Day, but you can create your own spa at home. Light the candles, get out your massage oils, and stock up on some at-home face masks, because you and your beau aren't getting out of your robes all day.

2. Go Beer Or Wine Tasting

If you and your partner are anything like me and mine, then there is no better way to spend Valentine's Day than indulging in your favorite pastime: drinking. Whether you prefer beer or wine, there is probably a winery, brewery, or bar near you that does tours or tastings. You can discover something new together and get a little buzz at the same time.

3. Make A Treat Yourselves Day

Maybe you didn't have time to buy the perfect gift for your Valentine, but who says you can't treat each other the day of? Spend the day going on a shopping spree to both of your favorite stores, and take turns picking your favorite restaurants for meals. Spoil each other, because you both deserve it.

4. Get Hot Chocolate And Go Ice Skating

I know it can be corny, but there is just something innately romantic about hurling yourself across slippery ice hand-in-hand that makes ice skating the perfect Valentine's Day date. The best part? No advance planning needed.

5. Sing A Duet At A Karaoke Bar

What better duet partner for a night of love ballad singing than your own Valentine? After dinner, find a local bar that has karaoke and sing "your song" together. If you don't have a special song, anything by the Backstreet Boys is totally acceptable.

6. Cook A Homemade Meal Together

If all the restaurants are booked, or you just don't feel like spending your night with a million other couples, create a nice meal together at home. Learn how to cook something new together, or make each other's favorite meals and pair it with your favorite wine. I have one helpful hint for you: at the end of the night, leave the dishes, because nothing is more of a mood killer than arguing over who will load the dishwasher.

7. Make It A Movie Night

One of the simplest last-minute date ideas is a movie night. Get your Valentine's favorite movie candy, and decide together what you both want to see. You can go out to the movie theater or stay in and watch one at home, the choice really comes down to this: do you want to make out on your couch, or in the back row of the movies?

8. Spend The Day Hiking, Picnic Included

If you're an outdoorsy couple, then spend Valentine's Day doing what you love and take a hike. Pack a backpack full of snacks, and consider bringing some champagne and chocolates (depending on where you're hiking, of course). It will be an active, adrenaline pumping date, complete with some great photo opportunities.

9. Throw A Last-Minute Valentine's Day Party

Are all of your friends procrastinators like you and your beau? Gather them together and throw a last-minute Valentine's Day party. Serve easy appetizers and make a game night out of it, or go all out and decorate, Cupid style. Either way, you'll have a fun night with not only your Valentine, but all your closest friends, too.

10. Make Homemade Candy Together

My favorite part of Valentine's Day is the chocolate, so if you and your sweetheart have a big sweet tooth, too, then spend the afternoon making homemade chocolates and candies. It's fun and creative, and at the end of the day, you'll end up with a mound of your favorite sweets to share instead of a mostly empty box of chocolates with only the gross flavors left in it.

11. Take A Trip Around The World Without Leaving Your Apartment

Did you want to plan a getaway but didn't have the chance (or the money)? Make a vacation in your home instead! Take a culinary tour of Europe by creating a multi-course meal featuring your Valentine's favorite French, Spanish, or Italian dishes. Put some beach noises on, mix some tropical drinks, and transform your living room into a private island. It might not be a real vacation, but hey, there's no waiting at the airport required.

12. Visit Cute Animals

Be it at the zoo or at the aquarium, take a visit to your local animal-lovers hot spot. Nothing says "I love you" more than a day filled with adorable animals.

13. Go To The Arcade For The Day

Grab your sock full of quarters and get your trigger finger ready, because this year, you could be spending your Valentine's Day at the arcade. You'll feel like kids again while you kick butt at skee ball or compete over the air hockey table. It might not seem like the most romantic way to spend the day, but it will certainly be an afternoon filled with laughter, and that's a pretty good gift in itself.

14. Find An Open Mic Night

Do you have a love poem you wrote for your Valentine, or do you know how to play "your song" on the guitar? Find an open mic night at a local bar or coffee shop, and profess your love in a public way to your sweetheart. It's a date and gift, all in one, and a night your partner won't soon forget.

15. Go To A Comedy Club

Unlike comedy shows and concerts, comedy clubs usually have tickets for the night's performances available day of. If you live near a comedy club, take your Valentine to a comedy show for food, drinks, and an evening of belly laughs. It'll be a hilarious and heartfelt date that can be put together last minute.

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