5 Meaningful Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Skip the teddy bear and the cheap box of chocolates: Clichéd Valentine’s Day gifts have, by definition, been done.

This year, gift your favorite person something that says more than “I went to the store and remembered February 14th was coming up!”

The best Valentine’s day gifts for any kind of relationship are those that are personal, go beyond commercial, and keep on giving for months or years to come.

Whether you’re recently married, in a long-distance relationship, or just getting to know someone new, read on for great Valentine’s Day gift ideas that go far beyond the bare minimum.

Best Valentine’s Gift for Young Couples: 100 Dates Scratch-Off Poster

Uncommon Goods | $15

The perfect way to let your new beau know you’re excited to keep spending more time together is this cute poster from Uncommon Goods featuring 100 date ideas, with spaces for you to scratch off together as you complete each one.

Each and every idea on the list is fun, unique, and worthwhile, which is saying something for a 100-item list! Together, they’ll help you keep the early days of your relationship fun and adventurous and avoid getting stuck in any dinner-and-a-movie ruts for months (and maybe even years) to come.

Best Valentine’s Day Gift for Long-Distance Lovers: Postcard Subscriptions

The Postcard Maven | From $14

One of the worst parts of long-distance relationships is not getting to share so many of the little moments that make up your everyday lives. Change that by exchanging quick little notes with a monthly postcard subscription!

Choose the number of cards you’d like to send each other every month, and get one subscription for each of you. You’ll both receive an array of unique postcards to write and send to each other every month, plus enough postage for every card.

Jot down a note and drop it in the mailbox every time you have a funny moment or sweet sentiment you want to share. You can also exchange a series of questions or prompts to answer for each other each week, letting each of you learn more about the other.

Sure, you could correspond entirely via text message, but receiving the same words in your partner’s handwriting on a physical card that was in their possession just a day or two ago is something truly special. You can keep your favorite messages in a scrapbook or propped up by your bedside table, where they’ll provide a keepsake to treasure and look back on long after you’re no longer living in separate places.

Best Valentine’s Gift for Families: Commemorative Photoshoot

Photographers vary | Pricing varies

If you’ll be spending V-Day with your partner and your kids, there are few better gifts to give the whole family than a session with a local photographer.

You can keep it simple with classic family portraits; invite a photographer to join a family outing for some great candid shots; make a full day of it with “family adventure photographer” like this one; or pick a theme or activity like bubble-blowing or cupcake-baking to add visual interest.

Whatever you go for, the pictures you receive back after the fact will be something to treasure for the rest of your lives. Don’t forget to reward the little ones for all their smiles with a fun family dinner plan to wrap up the day!

Best Galentine’s Day Gift for Girlfriends: DIY Wine Night & Corkatoo Corkscrew

TrueZoo | $27

Let’s face it—the one gift that will never go wrong with your friends is more time together.

Make a night of V-Day with a DIY wine tasting, and commemorate the occasion with a keepsake gift—like these these super-cute ombre Corkatoos by TrueZoo.

You can have a one-on-one with your ride-or-die, or invite all your single ladies over. Don’t forget to have other attendees bring some wine along too, along with non-alcoholic bevs like Töst, fancy cheeses, gourmet chocolates, games, or any other accompaniments they like!

Best Valentine’s Day Gift for Newlyweds: Custom Dried-Flower Jewelry

AdornedByThorn | From $31

If you got hitched this year, commemorate your first Valentine’s Day as a married couple with something pretty and personalized, like these handmade dried-flower pendants crafted in Lebanon, Tennessee and available on Etsy.

While a bouquet of real flowers is beautiful too (and may even be the perfect pairing!), this memento of your first official year together will last a whole lot longer.

You get to customize everything about the necklace, including the pendant shape and metal; flower types and colors; add-ins like gold leaf, glitter, crushed glass, and shells; and even the style in which the flowers are arranged. Bonus points for creating an arrangement that symbolizes something about your relationship—there are plenty of old-school meanings associated with different flowers, or you can simply pick colors with ties to your wedding, history, or home.

Not custom enough? Reach out to the seller directly to specify what you’re looking for! They offer rings, earrings, bracelets, and matching jewelry gift sets as well.

Not feeling the need for a full-blown gift? Send a simple note to let them know you love them instead! Check out these Valentines-specific postcards, or pick out the perfect postcard for your partner, best friends, parents, kiddos, and more right here.