not your ordinary valentines: lovin' it around the world

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope yours was a day filled with love and kindness. <3

So since I had no date yesterday I decided to treat myself to a sundae. I headed to the nearest McDonald's and got myself a berry sundae. While I was happily consuming my humble v-day treat, our local "I'm lovin' it" McDonald's jingle on the store's radio. 

If you might recall, McDonald's launched a global campaign called "I'm lovin' it"some years back which was adapted into each locality that McDonald's was present in. In Germany (where the campaign was actually launched), it was "ich liebe es". In France, it was "ce'est tout ce que j'aime". In the South Americas it was "me encanta". Here in the Philippines, it was "love ko to'". 

Yes, being the advertising/marketing geek that I am, this was what I was thinking of as I enjoyed my v-day treat. And these very thoughts gave birth to the inspiration for today's post. 

top L-R: biplane skywriter card, frame centerpiece decor, Holland clogs, wooden Japanese doll, Big Ben replica, Eiffel Tower miniature, Mexican maracas, table number holder
bottom L-R: I Love You Wall, international buffet, tin suitcase favors, heart shaped luggage tags

Weather you are a long distance couple, an intercultural couple, or a couple that simply loves to travel, I think this theme is perfect for your valentines wedding. 

Take inspiration from this card from Etsy for a simple and straightforward way to combine the concept of valentines and the different destinations.

Welcome your guests into your reception venue with a replica of the I Love You Wall. The I Love You Wall or Le Mur Des Je T'Aime, is a mural located in Montmartre, Paris. It is a huge wall filled with inscriptions of "I love you's" in different languages. Or you may even make your own version of the wall by placing a blank canvass by the entrance and letting your guests write their own verses of love for your and your spouse. 

Since a global/international concept will probably require more details, keep the rest of your venue decors simple and classic. Focus on your table centerpieces to tell the story of your theme. Instead of using usual table numbers, assign a specific country or place for each table. Then, just like the McDonald's campaign, use "I love you" or love translated in the local vernacular of the assigned country or place as the table name. For instance, if you choose France for one table, use "je ta'aime" as the name for that table and so on. Amp up your table decors with a symbol that represents each destination. If you and the future spouse are globe trotters, dig up your souvenir stash and add them to your table decor. For instance, put that miniature Eiffel Tower on the French table and that kalesa (a horse drawn carriage typical in the Philippines) figurine beside your Filipino table's floral arrangement. If your tables are still feeling bare, add a small frame containing a trivia card with some local valentines trivia. For example, in Slovenia, St. Valentine was one of the patron saints of spring, when plants start growing again after winter thus the saying "St. Valentine brings the keys of roots."

Don't just stop at the table settings. Take your guests on a journey around the world by having them sample different dishes from different countries of your choice. You can have a Greek salad for starters, a steak and some paella for the main course, some macarons for dessert, then match it with some sweet Italian wine. For the after parties, serve some margaritas and some Irish stout. As a night cap (for those who have burned the dance floor) have some kapeng barako (a coffee variety particularly grown in the Philippines), English tea, or some Mexican hot cocoa ready to serve. 

At the end of your global shindig, gift your guests with those cute little tin luggages filled with a mix of international treats such as Jordan almonds, chocolate bonbons, macapuno balls (sweet coconut candy), etc. Or you can get those heart shaped luggage tags with personalized labels.

And there you go! You have a unique valentine wedding that you and your guests will surely be lovin'! <3