If you’re not yet official with the person you’re dating, Valentine’s Day can be tricky. 

You might not be ready to talk about becoming exclusive, and you’re almost certainly not in love yet. 

So what do you do for Valentine’s? 

Since it’s a day all about celebrating love, Valentine’s comes with a lot of pressure on new couples to be together, share their feelings, and post a picture of a perfect kiss on Instagram. This might not be right for you, and that’s ok. You don’t have to rush into anything, or do or say anything you don’t feel ready for.

Some people let this day freak them out, feeling forced to define the relationship before it reaches that stage naturally. 

But Valentine’s is just another day - it doesn’t have to be important to you.

How To Deal With Valentine’s If You’re Not Official Yet:

Talk About What Stage Of The Relationship You’re At

Relationships go through different stages, and it can be difficult to know where you are in yours if it’s only just beginning.

If you’ve only been dating for a few weeks, it might be too soon for cards and gifts. 

It’s best to talk about it with them and find out how they feel. Send a text asking if they want to do anything - they might surprise you.

But don’t forget about what you want, if you’re really into them and want to exchange gifts or have a romantic dinner, let them know. 

Playing it cool is overrated, so be honest with them and let them know if you want things to get more serious.

Keep Things Simple

Since you’re not together together yet, you don’t have to go overboard and plan something special. 

If you’re going to be seeing each other on the day, you can just go on a normal date out to dinner or the cinema. 

If you do want to get them a gift, keep it simple and tasteful. Don’t get them expensive jewellery, and definitely don’t go booking a surprise getaway - it will only make things awkward if they’ve just gotten you a card.

If you don’t want to get them anything because it’s too soon, make sure they know that you absolutely do not want to exchange gifts, otherwise you might end up with nothing to give them when they surprise you with a teddy bear or something.

Maybe Just Don’t Do Anything For Valentine’s

Of course, if neither of you are bothered about Valentine’s, you don’t have to do anything for it. 

You can spend time on your own, with friends, or with the person you’re seeing, just doing something… normal. 

Valentine’s can send people into a weird frenzy where they go on hot air balloon rides because they feel like they have to. But they don’t. You don’t either. Let’s be real, no one ever has to go on a hot air balloon ride.

Wherever you are in your relationship, and however you want to celebrate Valentine’s (or not), as long as both of you are happy, just relax and enjoy yourselves. 

There’s no right or wrong way to spend the day with someone you care about, and if the two of you talk about your plans, you’ll ensure they don’t get the wrong idea.

Learn what dating means in 2020.

Read about how to date someone new.