Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse in the middle of the long winter months to enjoy a beautiful, romantic evening with the person you love. If you’re trying to plan a soft evening filled with good food, soft lights and sensuous scents, here are some tips to help you pull it off:

* Restaurants are extremely popular for couples on Valentine’s Day, but if you’re more interested in the peaceful quiet of your own home, make sure you set the ambiance for a night of romance. Red is the color of the holiday, so look for dishes, wine or champagne glasses, table linens or red roses to bring out the romantic mood for the evening. Make sure you match your red colors and use white – napkins, a table cloth overlay, place cards or even dishes – to help accent the bold reds.

* Turn on the candles and music. Light every candle you own and use them to accentuate the walkway up to the house and illuminate the dining area. Choose music that has special meaning to the two of you as a couple, and have enough songs preloaded for several hours so you won’t have to get up in the middle of dinner to change a CD or program additional music.

* Valentine’s Day gives you the opportunity to romantically lure your Valentine’s heart into your pocket with your excellent culinary skills. Make sure the meal you plan has plenty of aphrodisiacs – chocolate, oysters, honey and strawberries to name a few – which you can easily serve with a bubbling glass of champagne.

* In addition to champagne, decorate your menu with special drinks to celebrate the holiday. You can dazzle your valentine with your drink creativity, show off your ability to perfectly blend liquor with that fabulous dinner you made and enhance the romantic ambiance you are attempting to achieve.

* You can’t strike out with fresh flowers, so use them to your advantage this Valentine’s Day. Websites like 1800flowers.com can help you with table decorations and bouquets to make the setting perfect for romance. But don’t forget to welcome your sweetheart at the door with an armful of beautiful-smelling flowers to start the evening off on the right foot.

No matter if you’ve been married for many years, or are just starting a relationship, Valentine’s Day gives you the perfect excuse to have a good time with your special someone. For additional ideas on planning the perfect dinner for two, visit Celebrations.com.