How to Make a Relationship More Romantic

Relationships are borne out of caring and nurturing acts. Relationship beginnings come naturally and are laden with romantic expressions and settings. Love relationships thrive on intimacy and romance is a big part of that. Making your relationship more romantic is all about recreating the world that first brought your relationship together.

1. Create a relaxed environment. Stress, activity and tension are not conducive to romance. Creating a relaxed living environment, or bedroom environment is important. Loud color schemes and clutter tend to keep the atmosphere on edge. Dimmer lighting may help a loud color scheme while candlelight is even better. Being able to come home to a relaxed environment is a good first step towards relief from the stresses and tensions of the day.

2. Elicit and maintain eye contact. That well known saying, “The eyes are the windows of the soul,” is a pretty accurate road map when it comes to drawing out your partner’s genuine self. Eye contact is an instinctual and sensual experience that creates an intimacy all its own. Eye contact is something that can be practiced throughout the day, not just when there’s time for romance. Establishing a connection, or vibe is where romance begins. Eye contact makes this easy to do.

3. Give and encourage touch. Love pats, and soft caresses can go a long way towards creating romance in your relationship. Romance is as much about promoting innocent touches as it is the more sensual ones. Touch is another way of connecting with your partner, similar to eye contact, but through a different set of senses. Gentle and even casual touches throughout day keeps that romantic connection alive.

4. Talk about and nurture each others' interests. Words spoken can create a mood and destroy a mood quicker than anything else that goes on in your relationship. Use words, and what you talk about to each other, to your advantage. Asking questions about the things your partner is interested in, initiating activities your partner enjoys or just listening to him or her talk brings you closer together. Expressing an interest in your partner for who they are breeds intimacy and intimacy invites romance.

5. Laugh as often as possible. Romance in a relationship doesn’t have to be confined to certain times, or scheduled circumstances. Having fun together, even if you’re doing yard work, or painting the house, is a good way to maintain closeness in your relationship. A romantic relationship is something that’s nurtured in simple caring ways whenever two people are together. Not unlike your courting days when everything was fresh and new, romance can come naturally. Laughing as often as possible eases your time together and allows romance to bloom.

(Source: ehow.com)

How to Create a Romantic Date

You know someone fascinating and beautiful, someone who ignites your desire for passion, and they feel the same about you. You've asked her out on a date, and she's accepted. Now you have to plan the details of your romantic date. No matter how much money you have, your personality and experience, or your limitations, it is possible for you to create a romantic and memorable date to express your love and appreciation for that special someone.

1. Check your budget. Calculate how much money you can spend and avoid going over that amount.

You may want to take your date to a five-star restaurant or out on the lake in a yacht. However, if your budget constraints means you can only afford a trip to the the movie theater or local coffee shop, with a little ingenuity you still have the opportunity to give your date a memorable experience.

2. Know your date's interests and personality. Extroverts enjoy crowded places and energetic conversations, while introverts often prefer quiet, intimate surroundings and activities that require a minimum of contact with strangers. If your date enjoys the outdoors, consider taking a hike through a local park or putting on some boots to go creek-hiking. If your date is an artist, consider a local poetry reading, museum or art show.

3. Set a location. Avoid the awkward, indecisive moment of deciding where to go after meeting your date by deciding a location beforehand. If you're going to a popular restaurant, make reservations at least an hour in advance. If you're going to a location outdoors, create a backup plan in case of bad weather. Consider staying at home and making a home-cooked meal, but only if you know your date well and you've established a rapport of trust.

4. Give a personal gift. Use your creative talents to make the date memorable. If you're a wordsmith, write a poem or a short story for your date. If you're a musician, compose a song. You can also try making a flower arrangement, baking a dessert or mixing your own margaritas. Your date will appreciate the effort and thoughtfulness gone into crafting a personal gift.

5. Lose all expectations. Get rid of any preconceived notions of what a romantic date should be and enjoy the moment. Avoid the mentality that your date owes you anything for your efforts or that a romantic outing should be a fairytale experience. Be prepared for any unscheduled changes in your plans. The focus should be on the person with you and not the surroundings.

(Source: ehow.com)

How to Know if Someone Likes You Romantically

This is one of the most annoying things to have popping up in your mind all the time. You want to find out, but don't know how to go about doing it. Sometimes the direct approach is best--just ask. But if that seems too bold for your liking, look for the following signs.

Behaviour:

1. Pay attention to your conversations with the person in question. Does this person show a special interest in having a conversation with you and, once started, make an effort to keep that conversation going?

2. Is this person "accidentally" running into you in places where he or she knows you will be, such as at your desk? At the Laundromat on Tuesdays? At your brother's birthday party?

3. Make a note if he or she mentions future plans to spend time with you: "That band is coming to town soon. We should really get tickets."

4. Spend time alone together. Canceling other plans in order to be with you longer, or not finding excuses to leave, could be a sign of interest.

5. Has he or she been calling for random reasons, such as, "I was wondering if you knew what that pizza place down the street is called," followed by, "Are you hungry?"

6. Has this person taken a sudden interest in your life and hobbies? This is a sure sign that he or she is interested in something - and it's probably not your stamp collection.

7. Observe how the person acts around your friends - he or she might be extra friendly to your closest pals for a reason.

Body Language:

1. Sometimes seeing someone you have a crush on results in telltale physiological signs. Does the person in question blush when you look at him or her? His or her sympathetic nervous system is probably going into overdrive. Does he or she have trouble speaking, using jumbled words when talking to you?

2. See if the person in question mirrors your motions: When you lean back, he or she leans back; when you put your elbows on the table, he or she does the same.

3. Note whether this person sits or stands in the open position - that is, facing you with arms uncrossed. In addition, a woman tends to cross her legs in a man's direction.

4. Does he or she move closer to you and/or touch you subtly, such as with a pat of your hand or a touch of your cheek?

5. Other elements of body language include frequent eye contact, holding your gaze and looking down before looking away, energetic speech coupled with open hands, and flashing palms.

6. Does the person you're wondering about just plain smile at you a lot?

(Source: ehow.com)

Romance Trivia

A collection of romance trivia and unusual romance and relationship facts from around the web. 

Aphrodisiacs
Wild cabbage was traditionally recommended as an aphrodisiac.

Catholic Valentine Celebrations
The Catholic Church formally recognizes a total of 11 Valentine's days: Jan 7, Feb 14, May 2, Jul 16, Aug 31, Sep 2, Oct 25, Nov 1 and Nov 3, Nov 11 Nov 13, and Dec 16.

Coffee Break Romance
It's reported that more than 10,000 marriages a year now are directly traceable to romances which begin during coffee breaks.

Diamond Engagement Rings
The first diamond engagement ring was presented in 1477 by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy.

Engagement Lengths
The average engagement lasts 6 months.

First Love
Two out of five marry their first love.

Forgotten Romance
Most recent research indicates just about 9,000 romantic couples each year take out marriage licenses, then fail to use them.

Go Ahead and Kiss
A team of medical experts in Virginia contends that you're more likely to catch the common cold virus by shaking hands than by kissing.

Having Sex?
According to a survey, the second most popular reason for having sex is to produce a baby.

Honeymoons
We've been told of two different theories as to where the term 'honeymoon' originated.

1. The word honeymoon first appeared in the 16th century. 'Honey' is a reference to the sweetness of a new marriage and 'moon' is a bitter acknowledgment that this sweetness, like a full moon, would quickly fade.

2. The history of the term 'honeymoon' dates back to the Norse, who would drink a quantity of Mead (or Honey wine) for the first month (Moon) of marriage. Exactly why is not known, but theory suggests that it was to increase fertility.

Longest Marriage
Canadian hunter and trapper Joseph Henry Jarvis (b. 6/15/1899) and wife, Annie (b. 10/10/1904), have been married for 79 years.

Marriage In Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome there was no legal ceremony by a priest, minister, or civil servant or any 3rd party to solemize a marriage and there were no formal records of the marriage. The couple agreed to live together and they became recognized as married by the fact they lived together, or by actions such as the man referring to the lady as his wife, or by evidence of a dowry, or by the general acceptance of their life-style as representing a husband-wife relationship. Divorce was by agreement or by simply leaving the household on the part of either partner.

Mating Birds
It was believed that birds chose their mates on February 14th and because doves mate for life, they have become a symbol of fidelity.

Median Age for Marriage
In 1970, brides were on average 20.8 years old when they married, while grooms were 23.2. Americans are now marrying later in life. In the year 2000, brides were on average 25.1 with their grooms averaging 26.8.

Morning Kissing
Studies indicate that a man who kisses his wife good-bye when he leaves for work every morning averages a higher income than those who don't. Husbands who exercise the rituals of affection tend to be more painstaking, more stable, more methodical, thus, higher earners. Studies also show that men who kiss their wives before leaving in the morning live 5 years longer than those who don't.

Oldest Bride
Minnie Munro became the world's oldest bride when she married Dudley Reid at the age of 102 on May 31, 1991. Reid, the groom, was 83 years old.

Oldest Groom
Harry Stevens was 103 when he married 84 year old Thelma Lucas at the Caravilla Retirement Home in Wisconsin on December 3, 1984.

On Bended Knee
One in 5 men proposes on one knee.

Phone Proposals
6% of men proposed to their girlfriends over the phone.

Red Roses
Red roses are the most popular flower to give on Valentine's Day and although they may all look the same to the untrained eye, there are actually more than 900 different varieties of dark-red and medium-red roses.

Roman Romance
Juno, queen of heaven and partner to Jupiter (a.k.a Zeus, the king of gods) rules over marriage, the hearth and childbirth. The month of June takes its name from her, making it most appropriate for weddings.

Romance Novels
Romance Novels are more popular than ever. 53% of all mass market paperback books sold in this country are Romances. Romance novels earn more money in the USA yearly than baseball! So, what's the national pastime?

Sex Manuals
The oldest sex manuals were published in China 5,000 years ago.

Sweetest Day
It began in Cleveland, Ohio during the depression years to give a "small token of friendship orphans, shut-ins, the underprivileged, and the homeless." Today the holiday has expanded and become more commercialized as a romantic holiday.

Sweetest Day Origins
While sweetest day is not known in all parts of the country, it is extremely popular in others. Some speculate that it's simply a Hallmark invented holiday to get more money out of our pockets. Do you know how it really came about?

The Longest Engagement
Sixty-seven years, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The happy couple finally wed at age 82!

Tying the Knot
The expression, "tying the knot" dates to Roman times, when the bride wore a girdle that was tied in knots - which the groom then had the fun of untying.

US Marriage Rates
The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. Census Bureau research, reports that the U.S. marriage rate is significantly higher in the Mountain States (thanks primarily to Nevada's wedding industry), along with the East South Central States of Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. The Northeast region of the country has the lowest marriage rate.

Valentine's Day Cards
Approximately one billion Valentine's Day cards are sold in the United States each year, according to the Greeting Card Association, which makes Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.

Valentine's in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Marriage License Bureau is open around the clock on February 14th.

World's 2nd Largest Box of Chocolates
For Valentine's Day 2000, a liqueur manufacturer created the world's largest box of chocolates. The heart-shaped box, assembled in New York City, measured 15 feet high by 15 feet wide and weighed some 1300 pounds. It held the record until November of 2002, when Marshall Fields broke the record with a 2,002 pound box of chocolates in Chicago.

Your Hand in Marriage
Only 4% of men ask for the parent's approval for their bride's hand in marriage.

(Source: www.romancestuck.com)

Top 10 Romantic Date Ideas

Romantic date ideas can cement a new relationship or put the passion back into an old one. They can heal the wounds of recent arguments and take away the stresses of your day.

So we've taken all the date ideas we've heard of and after fierce debate we've cut it down to the top 10 soppy and romantic date ideas. Expect candles and roses for every one! (what? candles and roses are romantic!)

Coming in at number 10 is:

10. Cuddling up with a book together on a cold day

Sometimes the simple things are the most romantic, on a freezing cold day then snuggling up in each others arms on the sofa in front of the fire with a good book can be very intimate and romantic evening.

Enjoy the closeness of each other bodies, the warmth, their perfume/aftershave, savour the quiet and the peace of just being there with the one you love. Grab some warm drinks and either read parts of a book out to each other or just read page by page silently together, just make sure to turn the page over before your partner has finished to wind them up and start a play fight ;)

9. Candlelit dinner and bathtub recollections

Spend the night getting all wrinkly! Have a nice candlelit dinner together, then head up to the bathroom, go for the full monty, candles everywhere, superhot bath, a whole bottle of bubblebath, maybe some relaxing music (battery radio - nothing in the mains please!).

Then grab yourself some red wine and both of you get into the bath together, go for the 'debating' style double-bath where you are on either end of the tub, or the 'lovers embrace' (my fave) where one of you sits in between the legs of the other and leans back into their loving embrace.

Then spend a few hours (yes hours, top up the hot water as you need to) reminiscing about your old dates, maybe about how you met as well. Try to remember good and bad dates and try to remember ones you partner has forgotten about.

You will have a laugh and joke and remind each other of all the good times you have had together, by the end of the bath you'll be all loved up, definitely relaxed, and you'll have strengthened your bond together.

8. Star gazing

There is something romantic about looking at the stars, whether seeing the infinite size of the cold and dark universe around us makes us more appreciative of the people we love, or whether we just enjoy them because they look like little sparkling sky diamonds, either way, they ARE romantic.

So grab yourself a blanket and the duvet off your bed. Head out into your backyard, put the blanket on the ground as a groundsheet, then climb onto it under the duvet.

While you're out there try to get some candles going for added effect ;)

Then lie back with the one you love and look at the stars together while entwined in each others arms. Open your minds and start to take in the sheer scale of what you are looking at, light that is billions of years old hitting your retina from a far away galaxy, stars that dwarf our sun, infinite variety and wonders just out of our reach.

Then snuggle up closer and appreciate you managed to find your perfect shining star (awwwww - tell them that for added brownie points).

Competition is getting more fierce now, we're looking for date ideas that capture the imagination or bring your closer together, so coming up the inside to position number 7 is:

7. A wine and good times special

Simple but effective, grab yourself a bottle of wine and all your photo albums, you know - the ones you have so painstakingly crafted over the years but never 'had the time' to look at again. Preferably if you can then dredge up childhood photo albums of you and your partner as well.

Then put some soft music on, grab some of that wine for each of you, snuggle up on the sofa and go through the albums slowly by candlelight. Savour the moments you have enjoyed together and laugh at the awful photos that are a part of every photo album!

6. Capture the moment

Ok, we've spoken a lot about going over all the good times you've had in your relationship so far. Well this date takes it a step further. During the day dig a hole in the backyard...

Then in the evening grab some wine again (I'm not addicted to wine, honest...) and make items for a time capsule of your relationship. Put in a newspaper clipping of the paper for that day to show the date and current news of the day you did it. Write letters to each other that you do or don't read to each other before they go in (my preference would be not to).

Draw pictures for each other, takes photos to put in there, put little keepsake items in there, anything you want ,write poems to each other. Please bear in mind that it needs to be an airtight container, airtight tupperware will do it, but you can buy inexpensive time capsule kits to do it as well - anything else means in a year or two the contents will be mush.

The when you're both slightly tipsy from the wine go out with your sealed capsule (make sure it's sealed!) and bury it together and go back in and watch a soppy film (by candelight to make it romantic... getting sick on candles yet??!)

Then in the future you can either uncover it after say 5 years, or 50 years, or you might uncover it accidentally one day if you have forgotten about it.

Just try to remember it if you are going to move house...

We're getting more adventurous now for number 5:

5. Champagne hot air balloon trip

Hot air balloon trips are just another of those things that are instantly romantic, maybe it is the pageantry of them setting up this huge contraption just for you two, or the silent ascent into the heavens? and effortlessly gliding over the landscape below?

Well turn it into a sunset trip with champagne then you have a really memorable romantic experience! Until you have experienced your first balloon ride then you don't know what you are missing!

Now we're into the top 4 romantic date ideas, expect sunsets, candles, the works!

4. Romantic camping

Alright, camping is not everybody's idea of romantic, so you can substitute the camping part for a swanky hotel near a beach if you want!

The idea is that your head off away from your local area to find a spot near a nice beach that not a lot of people visit (touristy beaches are just going to be full of noisy people even at night). Camp somewhere nearby (or get a swanky hotel) and then at sunset go down to the beach and sit there together watching the sun set over the ocean as the last rays of sunshine melt into the distance...

Then head back to your camp/hotel for a night of telling ghost stories round the campfire/ordering room service and telling ghost stories in bed with the lights off!

3. Private dining room

A candlelit dinner at a restaurant is ok, but we've all done it right? That means it loses its effectiveness, you can't make it to number 3 with just a normal candlelit dinner out somewhere. Instead find a restaurant that has a conference/meeting room for hire, now on a Friday/Saturday night not many people want meetings so it will be free...

Phone up the restaurant and ask them if they are willing to let you hire it for a meal, they just need to clear the room and put a tabel for two in the middle of it and put some candles around the room for you. It is important if you are going to do this that you go to check out the room before you agree to anything, it will show you are serious when you turn up in person as well. You want a room that will be romantic when lit by candles and emptied of all the meeting stuff, not something with whiteboards on the wall etc!

Trust me there are plenty of places out there that have something perfect for this - or find one that has a private dining room, but do it during the week when not many people want to use it so you get it cheap, I had a private dining room all to myself midweek with a swanky 3 course meal and more candles than you can shake a stick at for $100!

Go out for a few drinks first, and then arrive for the best meal ever! (I mentioned roses at the start, as I haven't included them anywhere yet then get some put on the table for this date!)

Try this for an anniversary for added effect.

A cheaper but even more potent version follows later, but at number 2 is:

2. Sunset picnic

Sunsets are romantic right? They are like giant candles and candles are romantic ;) Picnics are also romantic... so combine the two!

Grab yourself a picnic, all your and your partner's favourites, then look up the sunset time online, most weather sites will tell you. You need to have scouted out a hill near you first that has a good view all round and is quiet :) Try one on a local footpath like I did, so you have permission to be there!

Then knowing how long it takes you to get there... set out at the correct time to get to the hill 10 minutes before the sunset time. Set up your picnic and enjoy a glass of champagne together along with the picnic while watching the sun go down.

Don't worry about finding the west, that is why you need a hill with clear view all around, so you can find the sunset when you get up there!

(You also need a clear sky preferably, hence why this is number 2 as it can be fiddly!)

And finally...

1. Recreate your first date

The sheer soppiness of this date makes it shoot to number 1, even though the actual places you go might not be that romantic.

There are two options here, either recreate the first date exactly, or recreate it how it was meant to go... like if one of you was late, then do you turn up late again to make it authentic? If you ended up going for a walk in the park instead of that drink in the bar as one of you was turned away for having the wrong dress code, do you turn up properly dressed and have the drink you were supposed to have instead? The choice is yours!

There are also two ways to act, you can act like you are both on your first date, a bit of roleplay to give it an exciting edge... get to know each other all over again and one of you try to steal that first nervous kiss...

Or you can go into it as you are and laugh and talk about the parts of the date you are on at that moment and what happened and how you felt on the night. This can be a great bonding experience as when you went on that first date you wouldn't have discussed all your fears and all the things that went wrong that the other person didn't notice - you get to reveal them now and see the first date from a fresh perspective, what went well and what didn't!

There you go - the top romantic date ideas for you to enjoy!

(Source: www.myromanticdateideas.com)