Valentine’s Day Ideas from Centerpieces to Food

Happy almost February! After writing 18 blog posts over the last few years about Valentine’s Day, I am putting what I consider the best of the best together. Whether you spend Valentine’s Day with girlfriends, family or that special someone in your life, there is something for everyone here. From elaborate to simple centerpieces and entertaining tips to great recipes, I hope you enjoy the photos and inspiration!

Valentine Centerpieces

Some years we do an elegant sit-down dinner party with 5 couples and other years, it is a small celebration with just my husband and I. Either way, a great looking table makes the meal taste better, in my opinion.

It all begins with color and flowers. Personally, I find it annoying that prices for roses skyrocket around Valentine’s Day but I guess it is all about supply and demand. But do the prices really need to double and then some?

Instead of succumbing to the need for roses, I find other flowers that provide an equally romantic look. Beautiful pink tulips, carnations, hydrangeas, and stock are the foundation for this abundant centerpiece. You can see how I build this centerpiece here.

At night, this same table takes on a completely different look with candlelight.

Here is another Valentine centerpiece, using a print tablecloth and more green hydrangeas vs. the white ones. The tones are still romantic and you can see how roses play a lesser role in this display.

On a much smaller table for two, only a few flowers can fit in the space between the dishes. Lavender/pink wax flowers are daintily tucked in with the hydrangeas for a spot of color. It’s important to have an appropriate height of your flowers, so you can easily see the person across the table. On this table, anything taller would have overwhelmed the space.

To see more on this sweet table set in our front hall, click here.

Even using faux flowers can make an impact! Red silk roses in a clear hobnail glass vase is perfect and goes with the vintage tablecloth. This table is set up in our living room for a new, fun location. You can see it here.

Valentine Tables

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know how much I love beautiful place settings.

What better way to honor Valentine’s Day than to use the “Juliet” pattern from Royal Doulton’s Romance Collection? This fine dinnerware has soft pinks, blues and greens. What makes this setting extra special? It is my very first one and purchased in my 20s. I believe I owned this set of china before I had real furniture.

When you have a versatile place setting, you can change up the look by using a different napkins, tablecloth, chargers and glassware.

Both new and vintage stemware, adds sparkle and continuity with the pink theme.

Even though I love shades of pink and blush, Valentine’s Day is often associated with red and white. Here is a table for two using a vintage tablecloth with bold reds, white and green.

Heart shaped glass ornaments serve as a Valentine reminder. Affordable silver decorative chargers add a bit of elegance to the Emma pattern white dishes (our everyday dishes) from Pottery Barn.

This place setting’s main star is the salad dish from Williams Sonoma called Famille Rose. With the pink Indian-blocked pink tablecloth from Just Darviny, this too can evoke Valentine vibes.

Check out this sweet and affordable dinner table for February and/or Valentine’s Day entertaining, using plates from Walmart.

Valentine Food

What is Valentine’s Day without yummy food? Playful heart shapes can be created at every course.

If you have a pasta attachment for your KitchenAid mixer, or a good rolling pin, you can make your own ravioli. Personally, I find making pasta enjoyable so here is the detailed post on how to do so.

Another delicious entreè involves a French style way of cooking the main course in parchment paper.

The key is cutting the parchment paper in a heart shape, so when you guests open the pouch, the heart is revealed. Called Heart and Sole, a filet of sole with herb butter and artichokes is baked in the parchment pouch.

Such a fun and tasty presentation! You can find the recipe here.

Using store bought pie crusts and cherry pie filling, these cherry hand pies are super easy to make. All you really need is a heart-shaped cookie cutter and a fork. See how to make them here.

Dress up your charcuterie board with heart-shaped cheese slices. Trust me, you will use this cookie cutter more than once. If you don’t have one, here is the link.

This delicious cherry cobbler with a heart-shaped biscuit makes a sweet and easy dessert. Doesn’t it look pretty in this vintage pink dish? Here is the recipe.

Love chocolate? These dense chocolate biscuits are filled with strawberries and whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yummy! See recipe here.

I love Linzer cookies~their buttery texture and endless possibilities for fillings. In this recipe, the filling is raspberry preserves. Topped with sifted confectioner’s sugar, this cookie is divine. Here is the link to the Linzer cookie post.

Don’t like to bake or cook?

I understand that not everyone likes to bake or cook, so there are simple ways to have fresh ingredients that feel like Valentine’s Day. Fresh raspberries, either plain or garnished with whipped cream and/or a drizzling of Chambord is a treat in itself. A sprig of mint leaves provides a nice touch of color too.

How sweet is this cup of tea? You can find heart shaped tea bags at Uncommon Goods or on Amazon here.

What I adore about Valentine’s Day is the ability to celebrate love and friendship. A pretty and inviting table, a meal or dessert that shows your guests, friends, family or spouse that you took the extra time to make it with love~that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about.

Thanks for joining me today. Sending hearts to all of you!

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