How to personalise your V-Day gifting

Chocolates, teddy bears and roses are routine gifts. Couples are now taking of 'experiential' gifts.  The choices are many: from a package with handpicked items put in a pretty little box to a day out.

As part of buying thoughtful gifts, some find gadgets as a good gifting option. Blogger Nivedith G says, "Since we are living in the gadget era and technology is an integral part of our life, gifting a useful gadget is a good idea. It will last longer than chocolates and roses and it's something your loved one will cherish it whenever they use it."

Abhishek Kumar, the co-founder of Xoxoday' says, Our company is all about hugs and kisses (aka XOXO) and Valentine's Day is a just perfect way to spread the message. We have curated some exclusive experiences and moved a step up from dinners."

The startup has put together a selection of things one can do instead of a usual romantic dinner at a restaurant. They offer experiences like a view of sunshine from a hot air balloon ride at Jakkur, exclusive dinner under a helipad, a chocolate tour, a winery tour and to enjoy the evening under the stars.

But tread with care. The gifting madness can even ruin relationships.  Counsellor Mez Sequeira says, "The whole idea of Valentine's Day has become a cause of concern. Because of peer pressure, many young couples are worried about what to get each other. There's no end to the expenses."  

For some, it is just a conversation over a video call. Akshitha lives alone in Bengaluru as her husband Guruprasad works in Maharashtra.  "It's the second year in a row I am alone on Valentine's Day." They aren't into buying gifts but they like to travel whenever possible. "As long as we explore a new place, we are happy to be with each other," she says.

Then there are couples who don't believe that love should be celebrated only for a day. That's why Harleen Singh and Auditya Venkatesh aren't making any plans. Harleen, an entrepreneur, says, "We buy each other gifts whenever we want to. I'm planning to get a tattoo of Auditya's name."

For those who want to make this day special, Mez advises, "While it's nice to receive a gift, don't do it because you have to. It's not the only way to show how much you care."  Be good to each other, be polite and don't wear a mask. Be yourself, be honest and your relationship will carry you through, she says.

Is your Valentine a gizmo buff?

Here are seven gift picks you could consider:

Amazon Echo, a cloud-based voice service-to play music, set alarms and timers, provide information, check your calendar. Rs 9,999
Valentine's Day Limited Edition phones like Red Honor 7X (Rs 12,999) and One Plus 5T Rs 32,999
Instax mini 9 Instant Film Camera by Fujifilm Rs 4,035
Amazon Fire TV Stick, a streaming media player Rs 3,999
GoPro HERO6, action camera Starts from Rs 30,000
Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones Rs 28,000
Fitbit Wristband Rs 14,999

* Curated by Nivedith G