Five Steps to Creating a Romantic New Year's Eve

So who says the only way to ring in the New Year is at a crowded party? If you and your beloved want to go with something that is more intimate and exciting, here are some tips to make your private celebration something the two of you will remember all year long.

Step 1 - Decide together what you want to do with your private evening.

Does a romantic meal for two at home sound good? How about an early dinner at your favorite restaurant. New Year's Eve is a time to have things you want, so forget diets and other practical stuff. Create a memory both of you will remember fondly for the rest of your lives.

Step 2 - Prepare the space.

Even if you go out, there are still a few things you need to have handy, such as candles, soft music and maybe a movie or two that both of you enjoy. Chill thechampagne for midnight and if your relationship has reached a certain level of intimacy, put clean sheets on the bed and sprinkle rose petals all around.

Step 3 - Cut yourself off from the rest of the world.

That means the cell phone is shut off, calls made to the home telephone roll to voice mail, and nobody goes online to check email. Murphy's Law dictates that all these devices will demand attention at the least appropriate moments. Get around the law of probabilities by making yourself inaccessible.

Step 4 - Build up to that enchanted midnight hour.

Finish your dinner, watch the movie, and settle in to either watch the ball drop on television or step out onto your balcony to watch the local fireworks display. Keep the pace relaxed and unhurried; after all you will only celebrate this particular New Year's Eve this one time.

Step 5 - Make that first kiss of the New Year one to remember. Take your time, starting out easily but with small hints of what is to come. As the kiss progresses, you can get a little more intense, and finally allow the kiss to move on to whatever else the two of you are comfortable with. If you start off with the right kind of kiss, neither of you will have any idea when all the cheering, screaming, and fireworks stop as you will be too busy creating your own.

Tips & Warnings

Celebrating New Year's Eve, like any holiday, is meant to be fun. If you and your beloved lean more toward the non-traditional, then go for it. The important thing is the two of you are together for the holiday, so celebrate any way you please. In order to prevent hurting the feelings of friends and relatives, let them know in advance that the two of you have decided on a simple celebration for two. This will minimize the chances of being contacted with an invitation and having to decline.