Valentine’s Day, for many, is a reason to celebrate the love you have in your life or to remind someone how much they mean to you. Even if you’re not into the commercial Valentine’s Day extravaganza, writing a love letter to your significant other is a great way to strengthen your bond and commitment to one another.
As the second largest card giving season (the first, of course, being Christmas), it goes to show that sending a love note to your favorite person makes you and the recipient feel good, provides a keepsake to cherish and will improve the happiness and satisfaction in your relationship.
I recently asked over 2000 people to tell me the most romantic things they do for their partners. While I received some amazingly romantic gestures that I will be compiling in the near future to share with you — I was also a bit shocked to see that the overwhelming response was to send a love note, randomly throughout the day… via text message!
Don’t get me wrong, receiving a text message love note is really nice. It’s great for the sender because it’s quick and you can let your partner know you’re thinking about them with immediate gratification. It’s also nice for the recipient because they feel like they have been on your mind and it’s a quick way to say “I love you, I hope you’re day is going well”.
However, a card or a handwritten note, placed in an envelope, sealed and then delivered to them (snail mail for surprise factor!) shows so much more. Writing down a love note takes time, thought and a little bit of planning. Once delivered the recipient will jump for joy at the surprise. They will cherish the words you’ve written to them and they will save it, because it means that much.
So why not take a free moment, pick out a loving card, write a love note and make your honey swoon this February?
Here are some quick pointers on how to write a great love letter to your significant other:
- Make it real and from the heart. First and foremost, writing from your own words, (i.e. not copying and pasting a letter from the internet) is going to get you the furthest in terms of brownie points and ultimately be the heartfelt, cherished end result you want.
- Start with the why. Why are you writing the letter? Is it long overdue? Do you express your feelings better when written rather than in person? Was there a big event, good or bad that you both recently went through together? Here are some examples to help you brainstorm:
“I am writing because I often find myself struggling to say what I really want to say in person”
“You always do so much for me, I wanted to make sure you knew how much I appreciate you”
“After losing our beloved (family member, friend, pet, etc), I realized how short life is and I wanted to express how much you mean to me”.
3. Talk about the things they bring to your life. This is a good place to tell them why they mean so much to you. You can focus on one thing or many.
“We’ve been together for (insert time frame) and you’ve been my best friend from day one”
“I love the way you always take care of me, from the little things, like always putting gas in my car, to the big things, like being there for me when I was sick”
“I couldn’t imagine life without you. You bring me so much joy, happiness and laughter”.
4. Bring up a fond memory. Favorite memories, funny memories and loving memories are all good options to use. Reminiscing reminds them of the love you have shared in the past and the memories you can build together in the future.
“Do you remember when we got stuck in the rain and laughed the entire run back to the room drenching wet!?”
“I can’t believe it’s been (insert time frame) since that romantic weekend we spent together in the mountains….”
“I thought the day we got married was the happiest day of my life, but each day keeps getting better….”
5. What would they love to hear the most from you? Or is there something you haven’t said enough? This one may not be as obvious as you may think. A lot of people assume that they don’t use the words “I love you” enough, however it really might be a simple thank you or a compliment on their appearance that your significant other really needs to hear. Remember, adding humor — where appropriate — is always received well.
“I really love how we make our friends jealous of our relationship! And I wanted to thank you for being an awesome trophy wife / trophy husband.”
“Thank you for your support during this tough time. You have been my rock and everything I need and I know you have done more for me in the past (week/month/year) than I deserved.
“You look more beautiful to me now than you did on your wedding day, I have enjoyed growing older together with you”
6. Finish with plans for the future. It may be obvious, but if you’re writing the letter it’s always a good idea to emphasize how much you want to be with them for the long term. You can state this simply or with actual details of future plans. For example:
“I look forward to growing old and more gray with you”
“I wish to spend the rest of my life with you, build a family together and have our version of happily ever after”
“I am looking forward to our anniversary trip to (insert romantic place you’re going). I can’t wait to get some alone time with you away from everyone and everything”
Need a great starting point? Our new wood cards are a super cute option that can be displayed until ready to be put away as a keepsake. Available in custom designs, they also make unique 5th anniversary gifts as they are make of solid wood for the wood anniversary traditional gift theme.
Thanks for sharing
Hello Eliza, you are welcome. Thank you for reading. You know, writing love letters to yourself is just as rewarding. I often write to myself in my journal. However, there have been times that I just wanted to reflect and wrote a full out letter of gratitude and love to myself. Your blog looks to be a beautiful compilation of reasons to live. I will follow your journey! =) Lots of love to you.
Thanks Jess
I write way more to myself than others, I love the thought of writing to myself in that way. Would be interesting to try…