Are you also in awe of any occasion or festival that comes close? Sure you do and so are we. The idea behind any special occasion, especially those like Valentine's Day can be an excellent opportunity to set aside time for one another, a reminder for us to take a pause from our daily grind and to observe the many things in life we take for granted. Many people choose to pass it off as another day that people need an excuse to celebrate or give in to commercial gimmicks. But we at Ellementry does not believe so. To look at it in a more positive way would be to let this occasion be a chance to not necessarily end up doing something overtly grand but to appreciate one another's presence and do things out of the routine. 

True, we should ideally choose to be kind and grateful and full of love on all other days of the year. But we don't really end up doing that do we? So why not make the most of every such occasion to celebrate your love and bring some much needed positive vibes into your life. And like they all day, a perfect romantic evening or even a party celebration is incomplete without some good food to stimulate our senses. Even the simplest of gestures like laying out the dinner table in a different way and decorating your home for the occasion makes it special. 

1. The Modern-Day Candlelight 

The classic candlelit setting for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner, as clichéd as it might continue to be a popular choice. The lighting of any occasion can set the mood for an entire evening. 

If you feel candles alone might be too dark, you can add an additional string of Christmas lights around the dinner table to keep the lighting ambient. One can never go wrong with a warm glow of a candlelit dinner complemented with little Christmas lights. 

For a more colour themed look, you can opt for red and white or pink and white candles surrounded by pretty rose petals on the table that have a very subtle but elegant look and adds a bit of playfulness to the whole setup. A centrepiece with fresh flowers or some rose petals on a white table cloth brings accentuates the entire layout.

Bring out your best dinnerware to mark the occasion along with some good home-made food. If cooking is not your thing or you fall short of time, you can always order in some food and set some time aside to transfer them to your best serving dishes and bowls. The restaurant mood can be set right in the privacy of your home. 

2. The Understated Neutral Layouts

Those who find the colours a bit too much can set the mood of Valentine's Day with more neutral hues of grey, beige or white with a touch of simplicity and by merely marking the occasion with a lunch or dinner date. Even an understated table layout can set the mood with some good food, a bottle of wine to go with the same and maybe a centrepiece containing your partner's favourite fresh flowers which do not necessarily have to be roses.  Ellementry offers some great options for you without having the need to go out and search in the market.

3. Valentine's Themed Ideas for the party lovers

Not every Valentine's Day plan has to be an exclusive affair. Use this opportunity to plan a party bringing together all your single friends and who knows, it might end up being a great way to meet new people, and you might be the one planning a date night the next Valentine's Day. 

Plan well ahead for your party. The best way to plan such evenings is to have the dinner table set out in a way that people can serve food for themselves, making the affair more informal. And if you need help on ideas, surf online at Ellementry.

Keep in mind that most people love a themed party. Given the occasion, it is easy to choose a colour scheme and additional decoration to suit the occasion. Layout the dinner table following the colour scheme; add some balloons and DIY décor around the room to add to the party vibe. The following ideas can come in handy if you plan on such an event:

• Use a white table cloth to set the table because it is easy to match the colours of all your dinnerware with the same. Use suitable placemats in tones of red or black. If you want to get more creative, find yourself a bottle of red and black acrylic paint and paint some lovely hearts or if that feels too much, a simple "xo". 
• For those of you planning a more family-friendly gathering, ensure that your dinner table is set out keeping in mind little preferences for children if necessary. The dinner spread can have some additions for kids, and you can also avoid the most delicate dinnerware in case of any accidental drops and spills. Melamine plates and cups come in handy that can prevent much damage while also looking fancy for a dinner table.
• Look up some easy DIY tissue paper flower tutorials and come up with inexpensive but fancy-looking pink and white floral centrepieces to adorn your dining area. Tissue paper flowers have an elegant look to them, and you can take time out to prepare them in advance at your leisure. 
• Pack some goodie bags for the after-party. You can easily find some heart-shaped chocolates in wrappers of pink or red, add some more treats, monogrammed napkin, ornate heart-shaped lockets for them to add photos into or something simple that you know all your guests would find useful.

Heart-shaped wreaths are an easy DIY décor idea. Cut out some hearts from stacks of glittered felt or even coloured cardboards and attach them adjacently in a circle to form heart-shaped wreaths. They can be hung around the room or as a photo booth backdrop. 

Food served on Double tiered serving trays not only add a bit of elegance to your dining table but also makes it easier for you to keep a larger quantity of food without overcrowding the place. 

4. Food That Matches the Occasion

Whether you're planning a group party or a dinner date, an excellent way to incorporate that element of fun on Valentine's Day to match the decorations is to come up with themed food items too. You could probably go with a traditional colour scheme of red and white or pink or even a more elegant and neutral tone of gold and rose gold. 

An easy no-bake recipe: Order in a red velvet cake and fill in small shot glasses with a layer of cake followed with some chocolate cookie crumbs and topped it with a swirl of whipped cream and a small slice of strawberry or even cake sprinkles. For a more artistic look, you can dip the rim in water and have the sugar sprinkles on the rim of the glasses. They look and taste delicious and also suit the occasion perfectly. 

A Valentine's themed cocktail punch: Serve your guests something fun to drink with a mix of alcohol and seasonal fruits that add a bit of fun to the occasion. Put in a few drops of food colouring to the mix and you have your coloured punch ready!

Bear in mind that the crockery and cutlery you use for the dinner table must also be in sync for the best visuals. If confused, seek help from Ellementry. Opt for plain white or ivory white ceramics for your colourful food items to stand out on display. Solid pastel shades can work well too.

5. Don't Miss the Photo Booth 

Something to incorporate into your Valentine's Day party at the dinner table is a photo booth. Every modern-day party-goer will love the opportunity to have a nice Instagram -worthy background for their photos, and it also makes for a great collection of photos to sift through after the party is over. These elements inject fun into any gathering and keep the party going with activities. 

Keep these ideas in mind for the next Valentine’s day, and you got yourself covered. Also, visit ellementry.com to get a glimpse of all these ideas before you invest in any one of them.