Need help on how to be romantic? Indeed, it doesn’t take much for the honeymoon phase to fade in a relationship. And when it does, it’s not uncommon for people to start feeling under-appreciated by their partners. The goal, of course, is for this not to happen.
You can’t always live in the honeymoon stage of your relationship – that’s just a fairytale.
Feelings and emotions change over time – but your relationship doesn’t have to go stale.
With some hard work and romance, you can keep your relationship moving forward in a positive direction, and can continue to feel closer to your partner day after day.
So how do you be more romantic?
What is Romance?
In order to answer the question, “how do you be more romantic?”, we must first define what romance is.
To be honest, we did our research to find a simple definition of romance but there isn’t one.
Romance isn’t one specific thing.
Rather, it’s several different things intertwined with one another.
Furthermore, romance can mean different things to different people. So it’s not easy to create a one size fits all definition of the word.
With that being said, here is our favorite definition that we were able to find that we feel sums it up pretty well;
“Romance is a state of connection between two people that is brought about by thoughtful sentimental gestures that mean something to one or both parties”. (Urban Dictionary)
In other words, romance can be any act that shows your partner that you are thinking about them, that you care about them, and that they are a priority to you.
It may come in the form of a love letter or a thoughtful poem, it may come in the form of a surprise gift or date, or even just in the form of making them their favorite lunch that day.
Think of romance as telling your partner you love them without really saying, “I love you” (though that, of course, is romantic too!).
What are the Characteristics of a Romantic Person?
If we want to learn how to be more romantic, we should learn the characteristics of a romantic person. Romantic partners are:
- Interested
Romantic partners are always interested in their partner’s life. They ask their partner how their day was, talk about future plans, and show a genuine interest in things that their partner is interested in.
By understanding a partner’s interests, one can better plan date nights or do small things that would be considered romantic to their partner.
Find a couples hobby you can do together for a mutual interest.
- Affectionate
Holding hands as you walk, giving a hug in the morning, snuggling at night – these are all acts of a romantic partner.
The simple act of touching your partner regularly lets them know that you are interested in them and that you enjoy being around them.
From your partner’s perspective, it lets them know that they are accepted and cared for.
Plus, simple acts of physical touch can lead to further physical intimacy, which is essential in a long term relationship.
- Thoughtful
A romantic partner is one who is conscious and considerate of their partner’s needs and desires.
They listen to what their partner asks of them, and respond in a manner that is mindful to that.
Sometimes your partner may, for example, consider it romantic to spend some quality time on a date night together.
Other times simply helping them tidy the kitchen when they are under a lot of stress could be considered romantic.
The more you listen to the needs of your partner, the more thoughtful and romantic things you can do for them.
- Action-based
It’s one thing to say, “let’s go on a nice date next week”, and an entirely other thing to actually plan a romantic date.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to be romantic.
Plan an at home picnic, give your partner a candlelit massage, take them for a surprise ice cream date.
Romance isn’t about spending money, it’s about going above and beyond the norm for your partner.
Plan something, make the time, and enjoy each other’s company – that’s all there is to it!
- Sentimental
Romantic people have no problem sharing their emotions with their partner. Communication is romantic.
Let us say that again – Communication is romantic.
Don’t be afraid to let your partner know how you feel each and every day.
“I love you. You are beautiful. I need you. I want you. You are my sunshine”.
Words of affirmation for him and words of affirmation for her are always romantic, no matter how many times they are heard.
- Present
Please, please, please – we cannot say this enough – When you are with your partner, be present.
Don’t be on your phone. Don’t be daydreaming. Don’t be thinking about work or tomorrow’s job.
When you’re with your partner, be 100% present with your partner. Romantic partners are present partners.
Romantic Acts
Okay, now that we’ve talked about the traits of a romantic person, let’s talk about some things you can actually do to be more romantic:
Listen to your Partner
Listen to their needs. If they tell you the kitchen is a mess, help clean it up.
If they tell you their back is sore, give them a massage.
If they tell you they need a break, take the kids out for the afternoon.
Listen and respond.
Send texts throughout the day
If you can’t be with your partner all day, send them texts or give them a call to remind them that you are thinking of them.
They don’t have to be elaborate. A simple “I miss you” or “Can’t wait to see you” will do.
Try these:
Plan a date
What is something that your partner loves to do? Make a night and make it happen.
We have TONS of date ideas you can plan.
Plan a surprise
Surprises are romantic in themselves.
Surprise your partner with a date night.
Surprise your partner with flowers.
Or simply surprise them with a love note in their lunch.
It doesn’t matter what the surprise is, any surprise can be seen as a romantic gesture.
Write a love letter
We know, love letters are the past and texts are the present. But can we please go back?
Text messages are so impersonal!
Take the time to write your loved one a real hand-written love note.
We promise, it’ll go a lot further as an act of romance than a text message or email!
Try a “reasons why I love you jar” to share little love notes throughout the year.
If you need more ideas, we also have a 101 reasons I love my husband, and 101 reasons I love my wife, for you to get ideas from.
Connect intimately
“Let’s talk about s*x baby” (we know you sung that!). Anyways, yes, let’s talk about it.
Sometimes when life gets busy, our love life gets shoved to the side.
A quickie once in a while is great, but making love should really be about the connection that we share with our partner.
So if you’re at the stage in your relationship where you’re intimate together, take time to make it passionate and really feel that deep connection between you that made you fall in love in the first place.
Buy a gift
We don’t recommend that romance be based on gifts, but once in a while, a gift is nice to receive.
It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate (although that’s okay too). A simple pair of earrings, some flowers, or even a favorite chocolate bar will do.
Talk about your day
If you and your partner don’t get the opportunity to talk a lot, try setting aside 15-30 minutes at the end of each day to communicate with one another.
Talk about your day, talk about work, talk about your feelings towards one another, or even where you can improve on the relationship.
The more you communicate with one another, the deeper your romantic connection will be.
Want to make the conversations even more fun? We have a whole list of Couples Questions for you to try…
–Would You Rather Couples Questions
–How Well Do You Know Me Questions
–This or That Questions For Couples
–Who’s Most Likely To…Questions For Couples
Compliment your partner often
A small compliment can go a long way. Don’t be afraid to let your partner know you think they are amazing. Compliments never go out of style!
Make time
The more important thing that you can do in being more romantic is to just make the time to show your partner they are a priority.
If you can make them feel special, you’ve done your job in the romance sector!
Romantic Date Ideas
And finally, here’s 10 quick romantic date ideas:
- Spa date at home
- Picnic in the park
- Stroll along the pier at the beach
- Watching the sunrise/sunset
- Ice cream at the beach
- Romantic movie night
- Breakfast in bed
- Dancing
- Wine Tour
- Drive-in movie
So what are you waiting for? You can make romance happen right now! Go!