Make sure you pick out locations that your girlfriend wants to visit and not just that you want to visit. For example, if you really want to go to a ski resort, don’t surprise your girlfriend with a trip to the Alps unless you think she’d also enjoy going skiing on her birthday. If luxury trips aren’t within your budget, consider driving somewhere nearby, such as the closest major city, for a day trip instead.
Make sure both of your schedules will accommodate an outing to a professional sports game before you buy expensive tickets or begin to make preparations.
If you don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen, don’t try to make anything too difficult for you to handle. The simple act of being catered to will be enough for her! For example, if you’re an amateur when it comes to cooking, make something simple like alfredo pasta and peas. You could also take your girlfriend out to dinner at her favorite restaurant or at a restaurant she’s always wanted to try. It won’t be quite the same as cooking the meal yourself, but she’ll definitely still appreciate it. If you cook her favorite food for dinner, set the table with nice tableware as well to make the meal that much more elegant. Some examples of romantic foods to pack for your picnic might include a baguette, some fancy meats and cheeses, and red wine.
If your girlfriend really enjoys the spa, consider buying some lotions and aromatherapy products on your way out of the spa to give her as a birthday gift.
Use a discount site like Playbill. com to find cheap play tickets way in advance. Alternatively, if your girlfriend is more into music than acting, nab 2 tickets for you and her to go to a concert on her birthday. This is an especially good gift if you can get tickets to see a band or artist that she really loves.
For added effect, consider using indoor air fresheners or scented candles to make your home smell nice before she gets back.
If they live nearby and your girlfriend is close to them, invite members of her family to the party as well. This is a great chance for her to spend more time with them, especially if she usually doesn’t get to. If her friends and/or colleagues aren’t able to participate in a party, the next best thing is to have them all wish her a happy birthday individually when they see her at work or school.
For example, if you’re pretty good at carpentry but haven’t told your girlfriend about your skills, consider making her something like a picture frame or a small table. Just make sure it’s something she’ll actually enjoy first! If your girlfriend likes handmade jewelry or accessories, try your hand at making her a pearl necklace or a wooden ring holder. If you’re not that crafty, you can also order your girlfriend a customized gift, such as an engraved picture frame holding a photo of the 2 of you together. She’ll still think it’s a thoughtful gift, even if you didn’t make it yourself.
If you don’t feel like you have the creative ability to make a birthday card by hand, you can also go out and buy one, as long as you remember to include a heartfelt message inside. Don’t feel like you have to fill the entire card with your message. A few short but loving messages will be better than writing a huge wall of text that doesn’t have as much meaning to it. If you’re poetic at all, consider writing her a romantic poem in the card. You can also write her a love letter describing your feelings. [11] X Expert Source Alysha Jeney, MA, LMFTLicensed Relationship Therapist Expert Interview. 11 August 2021.
For example, if you’re taking her out for her birthday, you can surprise her with a gift in the car, then another at wherever you’re taking her, and then another one when you get back home. If your girlfriend has to work for part of her birthday, consider leaving a small gift where she works if you can. You can also send flowers or gifts to her work place, if that’s appropriate at all. Your small gifts can be things like a box of chocolates, a new piece of jewelry, or a bottle of perfume.
For example, if your girlfriend has never listened to death metal, you might really surprise her by giving her a death metal CD for her birthday. However, if she doesn’t like death metal, she probably won’t enjoy the gift all that much.
Alternatively, you can also send her a ticket to come visit you for her birthday, although it will be more of a surprise if you can visit her instead. [15] X Research source If you want to make sure your arrival is a surprise, consider throwing her off your trail by letting her think that you’ll be sending her a gift in the mail instead. Make sure you make arrangements for yourself in case she can’t accommodate you or can’t spend parts of the day with you. Have a place to stay lined up and know in advance what you’ll do with any free time you may have while you’re there.
If you’re not able to use date-certain delivery, you can also mail your girlfriend’s gift the day before her birthday using overnight delivery. Gifts to consider sending her may include flowers, balloons, or chocolates. Refrain from sending her something too expensive in the mail, since there’s always the risk of it being lost in transit.
Be aware of time zone differences if you plan to do this. If your girlfriend lives in a different time zone, midnight for you won’t be the same as midnight for her. If your girlfriend won’t be awake at midnight and doesn’t like being woken up in the middle of the night, you may want to wait to call her first thing in the morning.
