Eating | Going Out | Buying | Weddings

Eating

In the Mood for Love (and Truffles): What Local Restaurants Are Doing for Valentine's Day
We just got an e-mail from the reservation site OpenTable with the subject line “Last Chance for Valentine’s Reservations.” Better get moving! Here’s our guide to V-Day offerings at local restaurants, from luxe tasting menus rife with aphrodisiac ingredients to feasts of fun-to-share small plates. All dinners take place February 14.

Lose the Whitman's Sampler: Creative Ways to Celebrate V-Day
Not everyone wants a multicourse dinner with Champagne and chocolate soufflé on Valentine’s Day. We’ve got ways to keep the romance simple without the formality and big tab.

Restaurants for Romance
Where to eat when you’re young and on a budget, romancing a boy toy, single and on the prowl, and more.

Chocolates: Sweet-Nothings With Lots of Style
Beyond Godiva: Which local chocolate-makers craft the best Valentine’s treats? We find out.

Doing

What To Do on Valentine’s Day—From Mixers to Music to Romeo and Juliet
Not everybody wants to spend the night at some stuffy restaurant cooing sweet-nothings. Sometimes, it’s better to go out and have a little fun. We’ve got a list of parties and events, from an anti-Valentine’s Day poetry slam to a scavenger hunt to shopping events to dance nights.

Going Out While Staying In: Book a Valentine’s Getaway at a Local Luxury Hotel
If you want a special Valentine’s Day celebration but don’t want to go out on the town, consider having the best of both worlds: Make a night of it at one the area’s luxury hotels.

Buying

Valentine’s Gifts on a Budget: Fun Finds for Your Sweetheart
Valentine’s Day can be stressful for the overworked and underpaid twentysomething. Chocolate, flowers, and dinner can quickly add up and, in turn, cut down on one’s budget for that perfect gift. But don’t fret—we’ve compiled a list of trendy and thrifty gifts—for $50 and under—from some of our favorite stores so you can make the most of the day without going broke.

Buying Flowers: Beyond Red Roses
Roses are red, violets are blue—what other Valentine’s Day floral options are out there? Area flower and garden shops help the stumped lover unearth ideas for creative, fragrant gifts in the name of love.

Valentine's Day Gifts to Warm Your Home and Your Heart
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be the same without teddy bears clutching a heart-shaped box of chocolates or flower deliveries to the office. But this year, why not treat your Valentine to something that won’t melt or wilt—and that will make your home more romantic?

Hot Lingerie
Want to buy your sweetheart some lingerie for Valentine's Day? Here are some tips on where to find the sexiest, trendiest items.

Weddings
Popping the big question? Planning an upcoming wedding? Just in the mood for wedded bliss? Check out our brand-new Wedding Guide, which will help you choose the best wedding vendor, find that perfect dress, throw a great bachelorette party, and more. See our Wedding Guide.

Want to read some of the most entertaining wedding news and stories out there? Then you must check out the new Bridal Party Blog. We follow a so-called "Reluctant Groomzilla" as he goes through his engagement process; a newly-engaged Washingtonian planning a wedding 600 miles away writes about her trials for us; we interview wedding planners and host online chats with them where they answer your burning wedding questions; and tons more.