You really should’ve started planning earlier. Now, here you are, sweating it out, trying to snag the last of a fast-disappearing pool of reservations for the evening, your pulse racing as you promise an unforgettable Valentine’s Day celebration.

Even if your dinner plans are sorted, this year, Valentine’s Day lands on a Saturday, meaning a full day-long itinerary of love, romance and tons of plans…that you totally have figured out. You just have to get a card, some chocolates, a floral bouquet and a gift that strikes a balance between functional and sentimental.

It’s time to knuckle down and start making plans. You can still ace Valentine’s Day this year. Here’s how not to wind up single on February 15.

Breakfast: Valentine Coffee

Where else? It’s cute, and the coffee is for real. You won’t find bows and arrows all over the walls or a diapered cupid floating in a corner, but this recently opened East Side coffee shop is a cozy starting place with a fitting name. You’re easing into the day with an expertly crafted cup of coffee for you and your partner, too. It might not be the type of steamy romance that they write about in romance novels, but it’s a start.

Boswell Books

Turn the page and set your sights for romance on Downer Ave. The cozy, independent bookstore will have you looking for love in all the right places, as you talk about your favorite reads, find new releases from your top authors and maybe peruse the romantasy section for the latest tome of that series you’ve been reading. In a world of chocolates, roses and jewelry, you could be the couple that starts your very own book club.

More Bookstore Ideas: Downtown Books, The Well Red Damsel, Niche Book Bar and Wonderland Books

Build Your Own Bouquet at 414loral

Roses are red, violets are blue, this is a floral bouquet activity for two. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, 414loral is hosting a build-your-own bouquet workshop. This no-reservations event turns a classic V-Day gift into a romantic couple's activity. Roam the Bronzeville shop and pick from their selection of seasonal stems, building a bouquet that’s as unique as your relationship.

Lunch: Comet Café

Shoot for the moon at this classic brunch stop. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the hopping rabbit logo of Comet Café. The East Side staple operates on a first-come, first-served model, so you might have to wait a bit, but we promise it’s worth it. Inside the cozy dining room, you’ll find the low lighting and fixtures of a classic diner, with little Wisconsin touches like a live trail cam and a menu of drinks so unique and clever that you just have to try them. Comet also boasts a menu of inventive breakfast, brunch and lunch bites like the Stendler (Slow-cooked corned beef, scrambled farm eggs, hashbrowns, cheddar cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with hot sauce). Be sure to grab a slice of pie to share to cap your meal.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Love is in the air, and where else can you experience the range of beauty of Valentine’s Day than inside the galleries of the Milwaukee Art Museum? Telling stories of love and loss, history and culture, and the whole human spectrum, while the museum’s Slow Art Saturday takes place at 10:30 a.m., you can still wander the galleries and pay attention to the finer details for as long as you like, then snap a photo with the “Love” sculpture outside to seal the day with a priceless memory.

DIY Dinner

If you haven’t already made your Valentine’s Day reservation at your favorite restaurant, odds are pretty slim that you’re going to find one. But that’s nothing a little home cooking can’t fix. Gourmet dishes made with love? That can be better than a good meal out on the town. Stop by the recently reopened Glorioso's Italian Market on Brady Street for all the ingredients to make an out-of-this-world homemade pasta that’ll make it seem like you had this day planned out all along, and don’t forget a bottle of wine designed to pair and bring out the flavors of your new specialty plate.

If you need a little extra help, be sure to check out Milwaukee Flavor: The Cookbook for ideas and inspo.

Dessert: Chocolates

You can ditch the heart-shaped box of grocery store chocolates. Milwaukee’s got more than enough chocolatiers ready to make your partner’s day, with chocolate strawberries, chocolate hearts and sensational sea salt dark chocolate that will wrap up dinner with a touch of indulgence. With two locations, Indulgence Chocolatiers has a sweet selection of specialty chocolates that you can mix and match to curate a cocoa crate that’s perfect for your partner. And over in Wauwatosa, you can find heart-shaped chocolates, caramel turtles and all sorts of sweet treats at Ultimate Confections, a local staple for over 30 years.

Dessert II: Grebe’s Valentine’s Day Pack

Think out of the box this year and pick up a box of Grebe’s Valentine’s Day cruller hearts. For the quirky couple looking to make V-Day their own, this collection of heart-shaped mini-crullers is dunked in chocolate and dashed with sprinkles, starting a tradition and an inside joke that’ll bring them a smile every time.

Gifts

Valentine’s Day has reached a crucial crossroads: The Gift. You’ve sat through dozens of ads from jewelry companies, planting ideas of what you should get them to mark this special occasion. And while we can give you the playbook on how not to wind up single on February 15, we’re not the mighty clairvoyant groundhog. You know your partner best (we hope), and now’s the time to leverage that mix of passion and sentimentality to find the perfect gift.

If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got some ideas. Boutique stores have jewelry, gifts and little luxuries that your partner will love. Stores like URSA, The Flannel Fox, The District Row and Shop Privy all have a curated selection that’ll catch your eye and make your partner ask where did you even find this? (In a good way).

Get your gift wrapped and delivered right to your door with speedy service from The Waxwing, an online-only seller of artisan goods from local makers.

Finally, don’t forget the card! A good card can express how much your partner means to you. Whether it’s funny or heartwarming or somehow in-between, Broadway Paper has rows and rows of cards that’ll help you say exactly what you mean.

Bingo Loco

You’ve heard of dinner and a show, but have you heard of dinner and some bingo?! It’s the classic game that you know and love, only it’s not. This is a three-hour-long interactive stage show, complete with dance-offs, lip sync battles and confetti showers. You can trade the quiet night in for this absolutely wild take on the game for one night only at Turner Hall Ballroom.

A Simply Swignin’ Valentine

On the more traditional front, you can treat your partner to a night at the theatre, the sweet, swingin’ sounds of an orchestra and all that jazz. Dress your best and head to the Bradley Symphony Center to see A Simply Swingin’ Valentine, performed by Steve Lippia and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as they perform love songs from Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet and more.

Post-Show Drink: At Random

Love has been in the air all day, and now it’s in your drink…or more specifically, your bowl. After the show, head over to At Random in Bay View for the one and only Love Bowl. The massive, tiki-inspired drink for two is served with slices of pineapple and a flame as white-hot as your passion for your partner. Sip your way to the dream end of V-Day 2026 and melt into the leather booth, knowing you aced Valentine’s Day.

You did it. You survived. You won’t be single on February 15. And it’s all because of this guide.

You’re welcome.