Blossoming Love

There’s nothing sweeter than the anticipation of Valentine’s Day with a new flame. Finally, the highlight of your Valentine’s season isn’t Feb. 15’s half-priced candy. This time, you have all weekend to indulge in your new love (or “like” if you haven’t said the “L word”), flaunting your flourishing romance in public and on social media channels.

Although it’s a moment of excitement and happiness, there’s a lot of pressure on the first Valentine’s Day together. The day should be romantic and thoughtful, but if you’ve only been dating for a few months, save the fancy gifts for Valentine’s Day 2.0.

Experiences, as opposed to costly gifts, will bring you closer together. Avoid the anxiety of gifting and invest in fun, memorable bonding moments. Here are six stressless, straight-forward approaches to the day.

Start the Weekend Off Right

Guys, if you’ve been dating a woman within a couple weeks of Valentine’s Day, do the smart thing: send her flowers at work. (Even if you haven’t had the “DTR” chat.) Chances are, she’s told her co-workers about your dates. While she might not be expecting flowers, set the stage for a romantic weekend by sending a bouquet to her office the Friday before. Ladies, the same applies to you. Send him a box of Tiff’s Treats, or something deliciously similar in nature, to let him know you’re thinking of him.



On the Menu

While the first couple months of a courtship involve lots of dining out, why not take the dining matters into your own hands and try a cooking class together? It’s an excuse to see how you two interact in an everyday scenario. These can be a bit pricey, depending on where you’re taking the class, but keep in mind you’re paying for an experience and your supper. There are several cooking classes offered around town, ranging from Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods, Central Market, and–perhaps the most popular and romantic–Sur La Table. Spots are filling up quickly for many cooking classes around town, so make your plans soon.

Give Love a Shot

Try something unexpected. Instead of roses, champagne and candy hearts, how about a day at the gun range? It’s a stereotypically Texan approach. Whether it’s clay shooting or the pistol range, this is a sure way to create a bonding memory. Elm Fork is a popular shooting range that offers a variety of options with numerous types of guns. Range fees vary, but you can rent everything from a golf cart to the actual gun itself.

Cheer for Red Beer

Brewery tours are hot-ticket item for Saturdays in DFW these days. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of McKinney’s Tupps Brewery. For Cupid’s weekend, the brew masters at Tupps are dying the beer red. Take in a tour, live music, food trucks, and red beer. Tours are at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. and cost $15 per person. If you plan on having a progressive V-Day celebration, this can be your cool and casual day date.

Sporty Valentine’s Day

Leave the high heels and red-lace dresses at home for this one, ladies. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with some good old-fashioned nostalgia at the bowling alley. Try a trendy bowling alley such as Bowl and Barrel. Regardless, this fun and casual date will allow you to play into your competitive side and have a fun, flirty evening. If the weather is nice and you’d rather be outside, hit up Topgolf for some Valentine cheer and competition.