This can be done in two ways so it's a simple idea to adapt for those in LDRs (Long Distance Relationships) and also 'normal' relationships, although what's 'normal' really?!
First you can prep it all as a box set (aimed at those in LDRs) or you can give her the DVD as you would any other present and then show her the night that you've already put together (aimed at those in 'normal' relationships). I'll start by explaining the box set and then later on explain the movie night.
The box set idea is really designed to give as a present for a time when you won't be there which is why it works especially well for those in LDRs. Here's a checklist of all of the components of the box set, after which will be some tips on wrapping it up like a pro! You can buy all of the things on the list from the supermarket too so don't worry, you don't have to dash around town into 20 different shops just to put it together!
- A DVD - I know, I'm stating the obvious but I don't want you to forget it when you go shopping!
- A Bag of Popcorn - if you know her favourite then definitely buy that one, if not stick with something safe like sweet popcorn. Try and find out whether she prefers ready-made or DIY microwave popcorn too. If you want, you could also put in some popcorn boxes (see below) for her to put the popcorn in on her movie night.
- A Bar of Chocolate - Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Maltesers. If you know her favourite choose that but again if not, pick something safe like Cadbury Dairy Milk.
- A Bag of Sweets - Haribo always go nicely with movies but you could pick anything like Skittles, Starburst or even Love Hearts if you're feeling romantic!
- A Drink - they now sell pre-mixed cocktails and spirits so they're a nice idea for a vodka/gin/rum drinker (JD and Coke or Mojito) or you could get a few cans/bottles of coca cola or even a couple of Relentless if you're planning an all-nighter!
- A Voucher for a Pizza - I'm not sure that you can buy gift vouchers for Domino's or even Pizza Hut, but you can order online so you could arrange to do that, or even just attach the money for the pizza to the voucher. You could use one of the ones below or if you're feeling creative, make one for yourself. I've done pizza vouchers because that's the easiest and most common takeaway to have with a film but you could adapt the vouchers to say anything - Chinese, KFC, Indian, or just about anything. If you do plan to do that the best way would be to open up the voucher in paint, cover '1 Pizza' with a white box, print and then hand write in the gap '1 Chinese Takeaway' or '1 Chicken Tikka with Rice' or whatever you've decided to go for. If you do print off a voucher then printing them on photo paper makes them look extra professional and are sure to impress her. Just be aware that if you plan to hand write the takeaway choice on then you'll need a permanent marker as biros just ruin the look!
- Tortilla Chips and Dip - this one's really an alternative to the pizza voucher. Depending on her preferences either go for this idea or the pizza, although if you know that she'd happily eat both then of course you can include both.
- Peanuts - despite all the chocolate, sweets and general junk food in this present, if she likes to snack on peanuts during a film then they'd be a great thing to add in too. Don't forget to try and buy her favourite variety!
Well that wasn't too long or complicated. One more thing to say, obviously if you know of any other things she likes to eat or drink when watching films then they'd be great to add in too. We love to know that you pay attention to our favourite things! If you want to add a little sign to the front of the box (see below about wrapping if you're confused by the sudden addition of a box!) then there are three below that you can use. One is a completely prepped up label, one is a popcorn box style sign and the other is a pink ticket shape that you can add your own details to. If you google the ticket to get an idea of how it looks, the two vertical boxes are used for the ticket number but I'd suggest using it to add the date of her birthday/the anniversary and the other details for similar personal touches. Again printing them on photo paper makes them look even better!
Now onto the presentation! I mentioned a box earlier if you were reading closely. For wrapping this up again, there are two options. Open and closed. The open option will end up looking something like a hamper whereas the closed option will be in a box with a lid and so would be easier to send in the post/by courier or just if you have to transport it a fair way. Your decision may also depend on how much you have to fit into the set. If everything will fit nicely into a shoe box then closed may be your best option as you can keep it quite secretive. If you can only fit it in a box with the lid off then the open option is for you. I have done this idea for presents in the past but unfortunately didn't take any photos so I've had to use google just to give you an idea of the finished result. If you want a tutorial for wrapping a box then you can find one here.
This is the closed box, nice and easy. The tutorial above shows you how to wrap the lid and box separately but you could also wrap the box as a whole, like in the picture, and add a simple bow or some pretty coloured plain or patterned ribbon from the haberdashery (that's the fabric/sewing shop boys!). If you are going to add a little 'movie night set' sign then you could put it on top of the lid (does kind of give the whole idea away though), on the inside of the lid, or just on top of the presents inside. If you want to make it look a little classier you could lay some tissue paper across the bottom of the box that's long enough to leave an overhang (see picture below), then scrunch some more tissue paper up and place it on top, add the presents and fold the overhang over on top and add a little tape and maybe even the movie night set sign.
Now to wrap the open hamper. One thing I would suggest would be wrapping the DVD individually so that it remains a surprise until the last minute, other than that nothing needs to be wrapped except the box. So first take a look at the tutorial above to wrap your shoe box and then again, add some scrunched up tissue paper to the bottom for support and extra prettiness! You could also scatter some 'confetti' - you know the shiny little metallic shapes - on top of the tissue paper. You can get this in supermarkets, card shops, ebay and the like so you shouldn't have any trouble finding that if you want to buy some. Add in all of your things, DVD, popcorn, chocolate etc and then procure some cellophane wrap (I know, I should have warned you sooner, I'm sorry!). You can get some online from Ebay or florist supply stores but the best prices are always at garden centres who stock floristry supplies. Your local florist may even sell rolls. Then cut a large enough square/rectangle so that the middle is underneath the box and the two sides meet at a point higher than the highest piece of the box set. Finally all you need is some ribbon or just plain curling ribbon (also found in floristry supply stores) to tie it up. A good tip when you're trying to tie it up is to collect it all together with both hands, then transfer to one and wrap it up with an elastic band or hair band. Then let go, wrap the ribbon around and then remove/cut off the hair band/elastic band. Hopefully it should end up looking like a fancy version of the picture below (google really didn't have much on offer, I'm sorry!).
Now for those of you lucky enough to live with or at least be with your girlfriend for her birthday/your anniversary/valentine's then the movie night experience (as opposed to set) is really aimed at you. You can do this one of two ways (today's clearly all about the power of two!). One, give her the dvd (somewhere that's not the living room/film watching room) and then invite her downstairs to watch it and surprise her with everything already laid out. Or you can present her with a voucher for a movie night and be prepared with the popcorn, chocolates and everything else that's listed above and a few extras that will be listed below for when she decides to cash in!
I'll deal with the easiest option first - a voucher for a movie night. I've given you 13 options but as always, if you're feeling creative, she'll love it even more if she knows that you've designed it yourself.
Next, the pre-prepared movie night. So before the big evening, you're going to need to go to the supermarket. Unavoidable I'm afraid, but if you do put the effort into shaping this movie night as a surprise for your girlfriend then she'll love it and be so impressed with you that you'll forget about the stress of the supermarket! On top of the things on the list above you may want to add/substitute these ideas too/instead.
- Ice Cream - I cannot stress the importance of ice cream when watching films, it's as important as having icing on a cake! If you can stretch to it then a nice tub of Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Dazs would be amazing but something cheaper like Walls with some yummy sauce and sprinkles works just as well.
- Hot Dogs - the above list includes a voucher for a pizza. If you're going to be there then obviously it's a bit different for you to sort out dinner. So you still have the option of organising a takeaway of some description (even better if it's a surprise to her!) or you could buy some easy food like hot dogs, burgers or KFC style popcorn chicken.
- Fruit - depending on how healthy your girlfriend is, or rather her attitudes to pigging out on junk food, you could make up a huge fruit platter. Summer's the best time for buying fruit as lots of things are in season, particularly berries. This means that you could have a huge fruit platter of strawberries, bananas, apple, pear, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, star fruit, pomegranate and melon among many others instead of lots of chocolate and sweets! If you don't want to go too mad with fruit you could just buy some nice berries to go with the ice cream to make yummy (and healthy!) sundaes. If you are going to serve fruit, don't forget that apples, pears, bananas and a few other fruits will go brown if not served immediately or covered in lemon juice.
To add to the experience you could buy some pretty serving bowls for things like tortilla chips and chocolates and sweets. For the popcorn you could even serve them in these retro popcorn boxes, bags, candy stripe bags or just plain coloured bags.
I think this is obvious but try and keep this all a secret from your girlfriend as it'll be much more effective as a surprise! If you think there's a chance she'll go into the living room (or film watching room) then just tell her you're planning something and to stay out. I can't promise she'll listen (I don't!) but you've got a better shot at preventing chance from ruining the surprise! It's also best to present the DVD and the evening separately. If she only thinks she's getting a DVD then she'll be even more surprised by everything you've bought and LAID OUT READY. Do you think I was trying to make a point with the capitals? I was. Get organised and have everything laid out on the coffee table ready for her to walk in, be surprised, love it, sit down and enjoy it! Don't forget that if you do have wine or soft drinks, refrigerate them well in advance so that they're nice and cold when you're ready for them. And if you do buy her a chick flick, don't moan that you have to watch it. For one night only you will have to pretend to genuinely want to watch a chick flick, it's tough but I'm sure you can all cope!
So all that's left for me to say is that I hope you've enjoyed this post, and more importantly that you've listened to me and are planning a surprise movie night soon! If you do try it out, let me know, send me pictures at lovefromlila@hotmail.com and good luck with it. I'm sure she'll think it's brilliant!
Love from lila xx
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