In the 11 years we’ve been together, my husband and I have always cherished the oft-polarizing holiday of Valentine’s Day. Maybe that’s because the day he asked me to be his girlfriend was February 14. As cheesy as I thought it was when he first asked, it’s been surprisingly convenient to combine this anniversary with a holiday — neither of us ever forgets the date. It’s also given us room to get creative when it comes to gifts, as we’re not just celebrating the day of love and friendship, but also the day he and I decided to make a commitment that would eventually become a marriage.
In January 2020, I was searching for an inexpensive but fun and cute Valentine’s Day gift to give my then-fiancé when I stumbled upon these Vouchers for Lovers at a local gift shop. At first glance, I was uninterested, as romantic coupons can often feel obvious and cheesy. But hey, I thought, we’re past cheesy as a couple with a Valentine’s anniversary. And once I flipped through the book and saw the cute retro design and variety of options, I knew they would be engaging enough to at least last us a few months. Turns out, I was right to get them, but because a pair of these booklets have lasted us four years. And they’ve helped us create lots of special moments during that time.
While this booklet does contain the more typical romantic activities like “big juicy kiss” and “cuddle session,” my husband and I tend to redeem the ones that require more effort or are activities we don’t do as often. We also made a rule for ourselves to only use two per year so we could make the booklets last and the coupons feel that much more special. In the first year, I chose to redeem “breakfast in bed” and “errand of choice,” while my husband preferred “end to an argument” and “movie of choice.” Since then, we’ve used the vouchers for “weekend getaway,” “foot massage,” and “candlelit bath” while this Valentine’s Day, I will be redeeming “date night” to use at our favorite restaurant in our neighborhood before we move back to my hometown.
Although these activities, small gifts, and gestures may be things you and your partner already do regularly, this booklet puts a fun spin and twist of intentionality on moments that could otherwise feel mundane. A foot rub just feels that much better when you’ve got the golden ticket for it! Plus, these coupons are actually really cute-looking, and for $10, well worth the multi-year payoff. If your or your partner’s love language is acts of service or quality time, these vouchers are the thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift you might be overlooking. The best part? It lasts as long as you want it to — whether that’s a few months or a few years — so you can keep the good times going long beyond February.
