70+ Romantic Gestures for Him or Her
Grand romantic gestures The grand romantic gesture typically requires quite a bit of planning and probably quite a bit of money—but it's worth it in the end to see the love shining in your partner's eyes. Just make sure they aren't someone to get too embarrassed by public displays. Here are some other ideas: Hire a plane to fly overhead with a romantic banner. Have your love's name spelled out in fireworks Recreate your love's favorite romantic movie scene Get a message to your love on the JumboTron at a sporting event Fly with your love to Paris just to kiss them at the Eiffel Tower Surprise them with a vacation or VIP concert experience
Emotional romantic gestures Does your partner have someone they love and miss, someone they talk about all of the time? What if you could get them together? Cue the waterworks—in a good way. Here are some other emotional romantic gestures you could try: Arrange a reunion with a long-lost friend or loved one Plan a surprise party for them and invite all of their oldest friends Help them fulfill a lifelong dream Draw or paint a portrait of them and give it to them as a gift Write a romantic love poem for them Check in and offer empathy and support when they're struggling
Traditional romantic gestures Does your love enjoy history and period romances? Hit them with a traditional romantic gesture and watch them swoon. Bonus points if you dress in appropriate period attire. Here are some more tried and true romantic gestures: Mail them an old-fashioned, hand-written love letter Serenade them with their favorite song Recite love poetry to them Surprise them with breakfast in bed Leave a path of rose petals from the front door to the table for a romantic dinner Set up a scavenger hunt that leads to you
Romantic gestures for her If you're looking to shower that special lady in your life with affection, why not do so in a way that celebrates her feminine flair? Here are some other romantic gestures just for her that you can try: Send her flowers to work or school on a random day "just because" Throw a picnic in the backyard or the floor of the living room Pick her up at work or school and whisk her off for ice cream Post a romantic message for her on social media Jewelry engraved with your initials or with an inside joke Cook dinner for her—and clean the kitchen afterward
Romantic gestures for him You might think of romantic gestures in terms of making a woman swoon, but men deserve a little romance too! While he might not be much for flowers, there are plenty of little things you can do that will make him feel loved. Here are some options: Compile a custom playlist of songs for him Bring him his favorite food as a treat Surprise him with a sexy boudoir look Make his lunch for work and add a sweet love note or small token of your affection Get his car or truck detailed (or do it yourself) Prep for him in the morning so he can sleep in a little longer
Appreciative romantic gestures When you show gratitude to your partner, you increase your emotional intimacy and overall satisfaction with your relationship—nothing more romantic than that! Here are some more gestures you can try to show your love just how much you appreciate them: Thank them for sharing life with you Make a list of things you appreciate about them Offer to help with a task they're working on Post a glowing "review" of them on social media Send them a text message and include a heartfelt quote Surprise them with a new replacement for something that's almost worn out
Symbolic romantic gestures These romantic gestures don't just show your affection—they stand as symbols for the undying love that the two of you have for each other. Show them that your love stands the test of time with these symbolic gestures: Create a bucket list together Offer to do one of their favorite things with them Turn off all screens and have a conversation without any distractions Paint or redecorate a room of your house Give them keys, passwords, or other access to your property or accounts Carve your initials into a stone or piece of wood
Nostalgic romantic gestures Reminiscing together strengthens your connectedness and intensifies empathy, so don't be afraid to indulge in a little nostalgia to make your romantic gesture special. Take a trip down memory lane with any of these romantic gestures: Recreate your first date Create a scrapbook of mementos from your life together, starting from your first date Use a GPS app to make a map of all of your special places (where you had your first date, your first kiss, etc.) Have a puzzle made from a photo of the two of you that you can work together Digitize old photos or videos from their childhood Make a video montage of photos from your life together
Sweet romantic gestures If you just want them to smile and say "awww" with that glimmer in their eyes, these are the romantic gestures for you. Cute and sweet, they just help brighten up your love's day: Take kissing selfies and set them as wallpaper on your phones Hide little love notes for them to find randomly Grab their hand and skip down the sidewalk instead of walking Record yourself performing a silly love song for them and send it to them Turn on music and do some spontaneous dancing in the kitchen Pick them a bouquet of wildflowers as you walk in nature
Helpful romantic gestures Buy them a tool that makes their life easier. It doesn't have to be expensive, but if you can think of something that would be an upgrade for your partner, you'll be expressing your affection to them every time they use it. Here are some more helpful romantic gestures you might try: Take care of the chore your love most hates doing Restock something you can see that they're running low on Draw them a bath after a long, hard day Offer yourself as a sounding board when they need to vent Fix something around the house that you've both been putting off
Relaxing romantic gestures When your love is stressed out, the best way to show your affection for them is to give them an opportunity to relax and unwind. Help them take a load off with any of these romantic gestures: Offer your love a massage after a grueling day Take over your love's responsibilities for a few hours to give them some time off Book a spa day for your love, or create a spa at home Run errands for them so they can relax Choose a book that both of you can read and discuss together Clean house for them while they're at work so everything's done when they get home
Physical romantic gestures While most romantic gestures appeal to the head and the heart, there's nothing wrong with expressing your love in a physical way. Just keep in mind that you want to keep it in the romantic realm—don't go overboard! Here are some ideas: Give them a nice, long hug for no reason Hold their hand when you're walking down the street Give them a casual squeeze in public when no one is looking Put your arm around them when you're sitting together Kiss them lightly on the cheek as you walk by Make up a hand signal that means "I love you" and take selfies using it when you're apart
What is a romantic gesture?
A romantic gesture is a way to show romantic affection. Showing affection helps deepen and strengthen the bond between you and your partner. Romantic gestures can be massive and well-orchestrated or relatively small and spontaneous—and the wonderful part is that those small, spontaneous ones can mean just as much as going all out. Many romantic gestures look like things you would do for anyone you cared about. What makes them romantic is the feeling and intention behind them. Often, the most meaningful romantic gestures are the ones that come straight from the heart for no special occasion.
What are gestures of intimacy?
Gestures of intimacy are bids for connection with a partner. You can think of romantic gestures as just one type of intimate gesture. There are different kinds of intimacy (including intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical) in a healthy relationship, each with its own intimate gestures that help strengthen that connection. Most romantic gestures are also intimate gestures of some sort. For example, giving your partner a book that both of you will read and discuss can strengthen your intellectual intimacy.
Boosting Intimacy in Your Relationship
Take an interest in your partner's interests. Dreyfus advises that you not only ask about these things, but also "participate in what lights them up! It always feels good knowing someone cares about what you love." For example, if your partner enjoys playing hockey, you might read up on the rules and the history of the sport so you can follow along. Then, go to their games and cheer them on! If your partner is interested in a topic you don't know much about, you could watch a documentary or read an overview so you can carry on a conversation with them about it.
Show up for your partner in an authentic way. Being open and honest with one another builds trust. This means "taking down your professional persona, your protective armor and, if needed, removing your social media persona to let your authentic self shine through," as Dreyfus explains. "This includes revealing and owning your imperfections or mistakes and letting them know when you are having a bad day," Dreyfus continues. "It is a great opportunity to see how they show up for you in those moments," she concludes. "That is what can build a deep emotional connection!"
Compliment your partner on a deeper level. When you move beyond the surface and talk about why you really love someone, you're "sharing pieces of your heart and feelings," Dreyfus notes. These sorts of compliments allow you to practice vulnerable intimacy. "Another way to practice vulnerable intimacy," Dreyfus adds, "is to share with them challenges you have faced in your life that make you feel exposed, raw, and vulnerable." Dreyfus does caution that "it is as important to ask them to also open up and be vulnerable with you in the same way to create a balance in your vulnerable exchange to support the success of your emotional connection."
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