We love Valentine’s Day. Truth be told it is one of our favorite holidays. (And it’s not just because we are Grand Rapids wedding photographers!) But every year when February rolls around and the stores start stocking the shelves with chocolate, social media becomes abuzz with negativity. The naysayers of Valentine’s Day claim the holiday is a corporate scam to make money or “if you aren’t treating your significant other like a queen the other 364 days of the year then you are doing it wrong.” But for us, this just isn’t true or what makes Valentine’s Day so delightful.
In a relationship, you will love and take care of each other every day. Valentine’s Day is this wonderful opportunity to express your hopeless romantic side and it doesn’t have to be very expensive. It’s the only holiday where Josh can go out and buy a bunch of heart balloons and roses for Leidy and nobody will question him! Josh buys these things for Leidy not because he has to. But because that is how he feels for Leidy every day. Valentine’s Day is just another opportunity to express that love. It’s not about spoiling each other for the materials it brings. It’s about celebrating the love that you have created together.
One does not have to be in a relationship to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Love comes in many forms such as the love for our children or the love we feel towards family and friends. On Valentine’s Day, we all love. And when we celebrate that love, this world is a little brighter and a little happier because of it. On Valentine’s Day, the world becomes a better place because we are all willing to go out of our way for someone, whether that is for the love of your life, your children and their classmates, or simply buying the stranger behind you a cup of coffee.
As we write this, we like to think about how some of our 2019 brides and groom will celebrate their last Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple. Maria and Phillip will probably go out because they are adorable and fancy. Taylor and Ricky will have to celebrate like us on a different day because Taylor works and Wentz will get a big bone! Kristin and Tyler will probably stay home, relax, and chill together. There is no wrong way to celebrate V-Day as long as you spend it together and enjoy it!
We have done those things and will do them again! But this year for V-Day, we aren’t doing anything elaborate (like the Valentine’s Day when Josh proposed). We plan to celebrate together by snuggling up on the couch, under some warm blankets. While Leesi sleeps on our laps and we read together or watch a movie. Leidy has a slight obsession with crispy chicken sandwiches and Josh just so happens to be a self-proclaimed professional chef. So rather than going out, we will be eating dinner at home while sharing a glass of wine. From the outside looking in, this might not seem very romantic but it is very much “us” and that is what Valentine’s Day is all about!
So happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Remember that whoever you are, where ever you are, you are loved! Not just on this day, but every day.
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