Who says romance is just for men? See men can love romantic just as much as us women. So how can you surprise your man? Looking for romantic gestures for him? Then, here’s our top 20+ romantic things to do for your boyfriend; or romantic things to do for your husband even.
See, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together. It’s just all about upp-ing your game to show him you love him – in the ways that mean the most to him.
From big romantic gestures to small, sweet surprises. Your challenge? Have a read and pick one that you’ll do today. Uh huh, that’s right – there’s no better time than now! Don’t just read this article, but put it into action and apply it.
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How To Think of Romantic Things To Do For Your Boyfriend
So, when it comes to thinking of romantic things to do for your boyfriend, keep it simple. Ask yourself:
- What would he like?
- What WOULDN’T he expect?
- How could I surprise him?
Start with an idea, weigh it up, then build on it from there. Remember these romantic gestures don’t have to be perfect – the most important thing is that the thought and effort is there.
So let’s jump in with some ideas to get you thinking, to then help you create your own romantic gestures for him, too.
20+ Romantic Things To Do For Your Boyfriend
In no particular order, here’s our top 20+ romantic things to do for your boyfriend to start you off and get that inspiration flowing. See, why not…
1) Make Him Breakfast In Bed
Has he had a tough week? Is he having a little bit of a lie in on the weekend? Good for him! Then this provides the perfect opportunity to do a little romantic gesture for him.
Get up before he does and get yourself busy in the kitchen, whipping up his favourite breakfast.
Want to make it extra romantic? Squirt a love heart out of ketchup, or carry it in on a tray with rose petals. Little things like this make all the difference!
Not big on cooking? Then you can always pop to a local cafe to pick something up or order something in. (Some say it would be “cheating” but we don’t think so!)
If all else fails – a cup of coffee and a kiss in bed is a nice start! But see how high you can up your game. The bigger you go – the better a romantic gesture it is, for your man!
And hey – if he likes it, you may find it becomes a popular, regular morning date idea!
2) Cook His Favourite Dinner
Another simple romantic gesture for your boyfriend, is cooking up his favourite meal for when he gets home from work and “serving it with a smile!”, on a super cute fully-dressed table, packed full of romantic candles! (Ah, so sweet!)
Do you usually get in before him? Usually eat before he does?
Then by simply making the point of waiting to eat it together – you’re making that effort and you’re therefore making it a kind, loving gesture.
Because it’s just a small simple change, this is actually one of the easiest romantic things to do for your boyfriend, and something you can easily do more.
Pour out a small glass of wine, grab him a beer, and sit down together, finding time for quality time, even within a busy week.
The alternative? Making a reservation at his favourite restaurant, getting all dressed up and taking HIM out for a meal. Insist on paying.
Again, it’s all about the gesture. But you have the added bonus of turning it into a romantic weeknight date idea. So, it really is a win-win when it comes to simple, romantic things to do for your boyfriend!
3) Give Him a Massage
Now believe it or not, but men love to be pampered – just as much as we do!
So a nice little romantic gesture for your boyfriend, especially after a hard day or long week, is to give him a full body massage – without wanting anything in return!
Again, light the candles, set the scene, get some aromatherapy going on in the room (I personally have an electric aromatherapy diffuser like this and I honestly couldn’t recommend more!)
And don’t forget about the massage oil either. This will make sure it goes smoothly… literally!
4) Make Him Feel Special – In Even The Smallest Of Ways!
If you want to add a bit of romance – focus on how to make your boyfriend feel special.
Consider giving him a pet name, something that’s unique between the two of you. Here, have a look at these 50 Cute Nicknames For Your Boyfriend to get the inspiration flowing.
Or why not make, sending him a cute morning message – your thing?
Here’s 120 fun & original “good morning” texts for him, so you’ll never be short of ideas!
Switch them up every day – but make sure you start every day, showing him that you’re thinking of him and aiming to put a smile on his face!
Also make sure to be fully present when you’re around him. Put down your phone. Focus on quality time. Really actively listen to him, be there for him, engage with him.
Show him he’s your man, and to you – he’s one in a million.
How To Make Him Feel Special…
BRAINSTORM TIME: What else can you do to make your boyfriend feel special? What big or small things have worked before? Or what things have you never done, which you know he’ll like?
Feeling unsure? Then ask him! Tie them into these “how well do you know me questions” to – casually – learn more about how to make your man feel special, treasured and adored… As if it was a game!
He’ll then not suspect a thing, but you can utilise your new-found knowledge, putting it into action to create your own romantic gestures for him.
5) Make Him a Candlelit Bath
Similarly with the massage, making your partner a nice, hot, candlelit bath is always a lovely romantic surprise. Spice it up a bit by offering to join him in there!
Uh huh, be a little more playful in your relationship… And have the confidence to do so.
There’s plenty of ways to feel confident in the way that you look, so that you can “get fully involved” in the romantic things you are doing for your boyfriend, like this.
6) Leave Little Love Notes
Another super simple yet romantic thing to do for your boyfriend is to leave him a love note.
It can be by the side of his bed, on his car windscreen, in his lunch bag, in his coat pocket, on the fridge – so many places, so many options.
In fact, there’s plenty of cute and creative notes to leave your boyfriend (that I promise you – he will absolutely love!) We’ve outlined our top 100 in that latest article.
From sweet little good morning notes to notes for when he gets home from work, right the way to funny punny cute notes you can leave around the house.
(Because hey, you don’t have to be super “soppy” with this – cute love puns work well too and are guaranteed to bring a smile to your boyfriends face!)
But if you’re going to do just ONE romantic thing for your boyfriend today – choose one of these notes to leave your boyfriend. They’re perfect! And incredibly fast and easy to do.
7) Create an Appreciation Jar
Next up, I want to throw out the idea of creating a DIY appreciation jar. It actually doesn’t take too much, but will honestly mean the world to your partner in crime. What you need to do?
- Simply grab a small glass jar like this.
- Decorate it with ribbon.
- Create a heart out of card and write “Reasons I Love You”. (Attach this to the jar with a hole punch and your ribbon.) Or, as a more advanced version, use a clever little cricut joy to make this as a sticker, you then just pop on the front.
- After this, you’re all set to write little love messages on folded-up pieces of paper, ready for your boyfriend to read!
The idea behind it, is whenever he needs a little boost of love, or if you’re ever apart (making it a great long distance relationship gift), he can go into the jar and read a personal little message from you.
Write things like: why you love him, what you love about him, what you want him to know, how much he means to you.
Here’s 100 different ways to say I love you, if you’d like a few more ideas. But remember – the more personal, the better.
As that’s what makes these romantic gestures for him, extra special.
8) Wash His Car
So it’s a stereotype, but what do men typically love? CARS! In fact, there’s psychological reasons why men love cars.
A romantic thing you can do for your boyfriend or husband, is therefore to wash his car – inside and out! Especially if it’s his pride and joy!
Spruce it up. (And maybe even leave a cute note within it then, for a double-whammy of romantic things to do for your boyfriend!)
At the end of the day, it saves him a job and will be sure to surprise him!
9) Buy Him Something You Know He Wants
What next? What next, then? Well, if you want to do something cute to surprise your boyfriend, you could always buy him something you know he wants or likes. For example:
- His favourite chocolates? Get them in for him.
- That gym bag he liked when you went shopping? Go back and buy it for him.
- Those tickets to an event he was speaking about? Splash out! Get him to it!
The best things you can buy when it comes to this one – are things that he’s spoken to you about.
It then shows that not only were you really listening, but you remembered and cared enough to go and get it.
This makes it one of the most thoughtful and romantic things to do for your boyfriend, and it’s a great way to make your boyfriend happy.
It’s not something you have to do every day. In fact, if you don’t ALWAYS do it, when you then do, it means even more. But it’s certainly a great romantic gesture for him, every now and then!
10) Buy Him Something He Needs
Following on from our last suggestion then, another romantic thing to do for your boyfriend, is buy him something that he doesn’t necessarily know he wants, but which you know he needs.
- So for example, let’s say his car windows are always frosting up in the morning – grab his a little cloth to make clearing it easier!
- Or perhaps his football boots are falling apart but they’re pretty pricey – treat him to some new ones!
It could be something big or something small, and often – the things he needs aren’t the “sexiest” items. But it’s the gesture itself that makes it romantic. Clever, huh?
Romantic Things To Do For Your Boyfriend
We’re halfway through the list already! What romantic gestures for him, are you thinking of doing already? Any preferences? Any favourites? Have a think, and we’ll keep the ideas coming!
11) Make a Love Den
Whilst we’re on the topic of romantic surprises, another thing you can do for your boyfriend is to get busy creating a little love den!
We love this idea; in fact, we love it so much, I think it’s actually our all-time favourite romantic gesture for your boyfriend!
Simply, set it up in the living room for when he comes home from work and welcome him home with a warm embrace!
This is an especially good romantic gesture because it takes EFFORT! But actually, it’s super fun and easy to do. What you need?
What You Need To Make a Den
- Cushions – lots and lots of cushions. Pillows too!
- Something for the structure. I used a selfie stick tripod – which couldn’t have worked better because of the forked stand at the bottom. You can also re-use this to take epic couple selfies.
- Tables – ones you can move, and ones to form the base of it.
- Pegs. Pegs are your lifesaver! Grab some clear ones like these.
- Rugs, blankets, sheets, towels – the more of these you have to work with the better.
- Heaps of fairylights. I bought these ones and had 200 of them!
- LED tea lights are also a bonus – those ones already come with batteries which is perfect.
- You may also like to add some rose petals (gold silk ones are my personal favourite) or any extra little touches to set the scene!
How To Make a Den
Once you have all the essentials, you can then get cracking with the building part. When it comes to how to make a den, all you need to do is:
- Find your starting point. I transformed my home office, using 2 chairs and 2 desks to create the base layer. You can also use furniture and a sofa – the higher the base, the better as it creates more space. Once you have the structure, lay sheets over the top, securing with your pegs.
- From there, use your selfie stick stand (or equivalent) to raise the height of the den. You may then like to decorate this with lights, or hide it with a sheet (or both!)
- Inside the den then, you want a blanket / rug floor base, you also want to drape sheets / blankets around the edges, and layer up your pillows and cushions.
- Decorate the top and inside with fairylights. I also recommend electric candles and rose petals for the inside. But get creative! See how it looks!
- The last piece of the den-making puzzle is to then complement it with food, drinks and games. Here, start with this one: The Ultimate Couples Question Game. Or to create some giggles, go for our Funny Relationship Question Game, mixed in with some weird and wonderful Couples Hypothetical Questions! (There’s plenty to choose from!)
12) Create a Cute Video
Technology hey, hasn’t it changed things? The way of the world is different now, but what it does provide is more opportunities…
Opportunities to create CUTE VIDEOS, which leads us onto our next suggestion.
- Find your favourite song – a song that is special to the two of you, or reminds you of your relationship whenever you play it.
- Then pair this with cute photos or video clips.
This is a super romantic thing to do for your boyfriend on your anniversary, but you can do it anytime really.
Post it on socials as a public appreciation post for your boyfriend, or send it to him if you’re currently apart. (Particularly if you’re looking to make him feel special in a long distance relationship.)
You can also present it to him when snuggled up on the sofa at home. You decide! But that’s the best part about doing it in person – you can then see his reaction and watch the love fill his face!
13) Create a Memory Book
A bit of a “soppy” one now then, but if you want to really up the romance and get the two of you reminiscing – a cute thing to do for your boyfriend is to create a memory book for the two of you to cherish.
My favourite couples memory book is this one: the “You Are My Greatest Adventure Scrap Book”. Adorable or what?!
Once you have your chosen book, you then simply gather up all your photos, get them printed, pop in old receipts and tickets, and then not only present it as a gift, but cuddle up on the sofa that evening and look through it together.
Relive those special moments, really appreciate what the two of you have!
See, there’s plenty of fun things to do as a couple, but the things that you do that then – in turn – only help to bring you closer – they’re the best of them all!
Want to go one step further? Work your way through these cute relationship questions whilst you’re making it. It will make the moment even more special!
14) Plan a “Day For You”
What other romantic things can you do for your boyfriend?
Well, you can plan a day entirely for him – full of the things that he loves, even if it leads to some crazy date ideas. Think of what would be his IDEAL day, then make it happen!
You can be super creative with how you reveal this to them too…
- For instance, you might like to leave a trail of notes with clues, or write a little love letter to reveal what you have in store.
Or you could think even more “outside the box”.
- So for example – on my boyfriends birthday, he opened a box, scanned a QR code which then set off Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” song.
- From there, there was a fortune teller date present, followed by a series of cards (with cute little pictures) revealing where I was taking him away.
You could do the exact same thing – just tweak it to make it fit for the occasion, or tell him you’re doing this, “just because!” He certainly won’t be complaining!
15, Do His Chores For The Day
What kills the romance? CHORES! So another surprisingly romantic thing to do for your boyfriend is taking these away from him for the day.
Uh huh, “practical” things can work as romantic gestures for him too, you know!
Let him put his feet up, do his jobs for him or surprise him by already having them done.
It’s all about doing kind, thoughtful things. Not every day, of course. You’re not his maid!
But when you want to do a little romantic gesture for your boyfriend – this is a super simple and easy one to do.
16) Watch The Footy With Him
Next up, next up- watch the footy with him (or anything that he enjoys that you don’t typically pay an interest in.)
In fact, if you want to make it more of an occasion and a bigger romantic gesture – go all out.
Get a cute football shirt or kit on, make some hot dogs, maybe even grab one of those giant foam hands for when you’re cheering his team on. Get into the full spirit of it!
This is an especially great thing to do for your boyfriend and if you’re not really into the football it makes it EVEN BETTER because it shows him you’re willing to do the things he enjoys, for him.
And hey, if it’s really not your thing – just remember, it’s quality time. So this one may not actually be as bad as you think!
17) Make a Romantic Playlist
Love is in the air, everywhere I look around. Love is in the air, every sight and every sound. And I don’t know if I’m being foolish. Don’t know if I’m being wise. But it’s something that I must believe in. And it’s there when I look in your eeeeeeyes.
Sorry, sorry, lost me for a moment there, but this leads me onto my next suggestion for romantic things to do for your boyfriend…
If you’re feeling creative and want to go down the gesture route then why not make him a cute playlist!?
This is perfect if he has to do a lot of driving as part of his job, or simply if he’s into his music. Pull together romantic songs, cute funny songs, create it on Spotify and then share it with him.
He’ll love the effort, it will make him smile and actually mean far more than you know!
18) Dance The Night Away
Keeping with the music theme now then, why not plan a romantic night in for him?
Set the scene – again, with candles, rose petals, etc. Then just play some fun and romantic music, have a little dance, have a little sing, have a few drinks if you fancy it.
In fact, if you really want to step it up a notch, use these fun & flirty couples dares.
Make it a night to remember – doing the simplest of things!
Uh huh, that’s right. See you don’t actually have to do anything complicated to still be able to sweep your partner off their feet! (Almost literally!)
It also shows your fun, lighthearted side, and allows you to keep your relationship fun and exciting, even in the comfort of your own home.
19) Cosy Up In Front Of The Fire
Talking of free home date ideas, we’re heading towards the end of our list now, but not before I squeeze in a classic cuddles & S’Mores date.
This is perfect, no matter what the season. It’s also possible no matter what your set up.
If you have a garden, grab a little fire pit. (If you don’t already have one.)
If it’s cold outside, or you have no outside space – grab a miniature indoor fire pit. I have that one and I honestly can’t get enough of it!
It’s one of the simplest yet romantic things to do for your boyfriend.
You get the sweet treats, the cosy-ness, the conversation. You can also use it as an opportunity to tell your boyfriend exactly how much you love him – express how you feel.
It’s the perfect “scene” to do so and really builds intimacy. So pair it with these intimate questions to ask your partner, and give it a go!
20) Give Him Little Love Coupons
Last but not least, if you’re looking for romantic things to do for your boyfriend but you’re unsure what he wants or would like – put the power in his hands.
Buy a Love Coupon Book like this, or make your own with this.
Your boyfriend then has HEAPS of romantic treats that he can redeem whenever he wants, making it one of the ULTIMATE romantic gestures for him. Uh huh, he is one lucky man!
You could also make things a little more interesting by playing romantic games in order for him to earn them. (What a way to spice things up!)
You decide. The power is in your hands, my friends!
That’s All For This One
So there we have it – 20 romantic things to do for your boyfriend; the ultimate list of romantic gestures for him, to fill you with ideas.
Whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, Valentines Day, or just because you want to keep that spark alive.
Remember, the more you put in, the more you get out.
Always focus on being the best partner that you can be because that is what will create the happiest, healthiest and strongest relationship.
Have fun! Take care.
Love,
Ell_xx
