Your Patio

Your patio doesn’t just have to be the site of friendly Sunday brunches with neighbors. With just a few updates, you can make a beautiful little alcove for romantic dinners and stargazing. Here’s our checklist to turn your everyday patio into a couple’s haven.

1. Create Privacy

Nothing kills the mood faster than a nosy neighbor seeing you from next door and deciding now is the perfect time to catch up on the chit-chat. Add a little privacy to your patio by planting hedges or trees or putting up fences. It’s not as private as a house, but it helps create the illusion that you two are the only ones in the world.

2. Choose the Right Lighting

If you’re creating a romantic getaway outdoors, your outdoor patio lighting should be soft. You want enough light to see each other but gentle enough that you are both at your most flattering. Think candlelight dinner. That’s the ambiance you’re going for with these lights.

3. Install a Speaker System

What’s a romantic date without the right music? Sure, you could use your iPod and an old portable speaker, but go the extra mile and install a small sound system. This can be expensive, but we promise you it’ll be worth it. Whether you’re playing classical for an elegant dinner or R&B for a sexier vibe, you’ll love how instantly the music sets the tone for the night.

4. Think About Extra Features

While you don’t need to go overboard with these, consider adding extra features to your patio area, such as a hot tub or a fire pit. Choose something that feels the most inviting and romantic to you, and it’ll add a little bit of your personality to any date.

5. Create a View

Whether it’s a beautiful garden, a fountain or a clear view of the stars, you want something romantic and beautiful to visually set the tone. It also gives you something to look at during dinner or when you’re snuggling together outside afterward.

6. Provide Comfortable Seating

Speaking of snuggling after dinner, you need a place for that to happen. Make sure you have a comfortable lawn chair on the patio or a hammock in the trees nearby. If it looks inviting enough, it’ll seem like the most natural thing in the world to collapse into it together and cuddle — the perfect end to a perfect night!