Let's be honest, most of you love birds celebrate Valentine's Day with the usual red roses, chocolates and greeting cards. Nothing wrong with that. Perhaps you just have a thing for fluffy teddies holding love hearts…But perhaps (just perhaps) you might lack the time, imagination, or resources to do something different. If this may be the case, or if your’e just looking for something a little less usual, here's 6 fresh ideas for those who want to think outside the Valentine's box:

1. Recreate Your First Date

What better way to celebrate your love than to stroll arm in arm down memory lane? Be it a cheesy movie, a dinner date, or a stroll on the beach, recreating your first date can bring back those feelings of jitterbug and excitement, with perhaps even a cute little hint of awkwardness. The more details you get right in recapturing your first date, the more successful it will be.

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2. Get Matching Ink

Beauty is pain and for various couples, tattoos are a symbol of eternal commitment, beauty, and love. Couples brave enough for some ink to skin therapy are willing to take their relationship to the next level “permanently.” If you, too, believe in the forever kind of love, getting a couples tattoo may be a great idea.

3. DIY Romance

We’ve all seen those saccharin nineties movies where crafty couples make out in paint-splattered overalls. Well, you don’t have to go all Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore on us, but a little DIY project can be a fun and original way to bring you together. Upholster that old love seat? Paste a Junkanoo costume together? A driftwood coffee table perhaps? Or repaint the bedroom - sometimes a touch of colour is all you need to liven up your love life. And don’t worry if you’re not the DIY type - there’s always You Tube!

4. Go For A Walk

It may sound simple, but when was the last time you went for a walk hand-in-hand with your partner? And we don’t mean power-walking with a stick in one hand to ward off the odd potcake. What we are referring to here is the simple act of strolling, taking in the scenery and shooting the breeze with your better half. And if your excuse is that “there’s nowhere to walk,” then think again; we may not have miles of city sidewalks but we do have miles of breathtaking beaches. If you’re in Nassau, try Clifton Heritage Park for some great little walking trails that wind up at a series of private coves - perfect for watching that Valentine’s sunset.

5. Swim With Sharks

There is nothing more memorable than doing something thrilling, especially if you share the thrill with someone you love. Of course, we all have our own definition of “thrill” - one person’s “cliff jump” may be someone else’s “rock hop” and another person’s “shark dive” may be more of a “dolphin encounter.” That’s fine. The activity itself may only last a short while, but the memories will last a lifetime. For an trust-building adventure in Nassau that you won’t forget, try learning to rock climb with Real Rock Chickcharney.

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6. ESCAPE TO THE OUT ISLANDS

As Nassuvians, we’d rather go shopping in Miami for the umpteenth time, than jump on a puddle hopper to one of the 700. Maybe we have lingering memories from childhood of visiting aging relatives on sweltering, mosquito-infested Family Islands. But time’s have changed. There’s AC, internet, “glamping,” and a host of boutique hotels dotted around our breathtaking archipelago. And if you feel the need to go full “Castaway,” then we salute you - what could be better than freshly-speared Snapper on the beach bonfire, washed down with real, home-made sky juice?