by Lorene Troyer

Created on: December 14, 2009

Whether you are planning a Valentine's Day dinner to raise funds for your church or simply want to invite a few couples into your home, with a little imagination you can create a memorable, fun-filled evening.

After you have a general idea of who your guests will be, decide what you want the evening to look like. Take some time to brainstorm. As you go about your day, jot down any ideas that come to you. Would you like a photographer to come in and shoot pictures of the couples? Would you like to have the room decorated with red and pink balloons? How about giving each woman a rose to take home with her or putting a truffle at each place setting. Don't put any limitations on your ideas. We'll do that later.

Some more ideas of ways to make the evening special:

Use long stemmed glasses and serve sparkling grape juice

Play romantic music

Ask each couple to dress up or wear a certain color

Decide on a theme and coordinate everything such as the invitations, the tablecloth, and the napkins

Strew silk rose petals on the floor

Give each couple a small gift to take home

Let your guests eat by candlelight

After you have a few pages of ideas, it's time to get realistic. Do some research and find out how much your ideas would cost to implement. Consider how much time and energy it will require. Is there someone who could help you?

If your budget is limited, get creative. Instead of hiring a professional to take pictures, ask a friend who is good with a camera to help you out. Instead of buying helium-filled balloons, use regular ones. Instead of serving steak, serve chicken.

Next write out all the details. Where will you buy the sparkling grape juice? What type of music will you play? Do you have all the ingredients you need to bake those heart shaped cookies? Write yourself a note so you'll remember to ask your mom if you can borrow her white tablecloth.

Last put everything that needs to be done on your schedule. What day will you go shopping for the food? When will you make the dessert? How soon will you send out the invitations? Writing everything down will free your mind so you'll be able to focus on what you're doing and will help decrease your stress levels.

Whether you are planning a valentine's day dinner for a charity or simply want to invite a few couples into your home, with a bit of imagination you can create an enjoyable night your guests will always remember.

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