Valentine’s Day is our traditional day of letting someone you love know how much you love them, but that doesn’t mean you have to be traditional when it comes to date ideas. In fact, turning the holiday on it’s head a little may be the perfect way to let your loved one know that you care enough about them to put some extra loving thought into the matter. So, feel free to ditch the dinner and a movie and do something exciting ’n chill instead. Here are a few more interesting ways to make your Valentine’s Day love shine.

Unique Chauffeur

You don’t have to even go all out with a professional chauffeur and a limo. Maybe your favorite ride share driver will give you a lovers-only discount, or one of your friends who doesn’t mind can stand in instead—providing they keep it strictly professional, of course. Now, instead of concentrating on the distractions of the road, and traffic, you’re free to look deeply into the eyes of your someone very special and make the most of being in the backseat.

Go Somewhere Else

You can make the date feel super special by having it take place at a restaurant you’ve never been to, an arts performance you usually eschew, or if money is no problem, in another town entirely! Or, forget about a restaurant and go someplace you usually don’t that will remind you both of you where you met or why you are together. The important thing is don’t do the same old thing in the same old place. Make it memorable.

Put Your Lover on a Pedestal

For reals. Just for the night, carry along a stepstool and place it down for your lover to clamber up wherever you two arrive. Announce the ascent as if introducing royalty. You can even request applause as your exalted lover towers above the crowd magnificently, a shining reflection of your well-placed devotion. Then, take the stool back to the car, or place it otherwise out of the way until the next arrival. This works best if you know your valentine very well, say longer than a year at least. If you do it on a first date, it may be a stretch to expect a second one.

Individualized Gift

Flowers and candies are fine for regular date time, and so is a bottle of wine of course, but we’d never recommend anything except searching high and low so you can present your love with a token something that serves as a unique symbol of your special attraction. Whether that’s a piece of jewelry or a recipe book from which you’d love to cook your date a dinner, a thoughtful gift not only makes you look great when the door opens, but gives your special someone something to remind them of how special you are.

No “Dutching”

It doesn’t matter your gender or preference, “Going Dutch” does NOT exist on Valentine’s Day. If you asked the person out, then you take care of all the details! It can be an ideal and lovely way for passive partners to turn the tables and take control. Cupid favors those who make their passions known, so don’t sit and wait. Look to the ideas on this list for ways to make the evening great. Do not mention how much you are paying or how much effort went into planning your day and/or night – your date is highly aware you paid and admires you greatly for your humble generosity.