Nina and Roesner
Where: Loveland, Ohio
Kids' Ages: Teenagers
"I run a nonprofit and teach classes at night, and I was feeling a little discouraged about how things were going with our organization. I was considering quitting. My husband had been part of these discussions with me and in an effort to encourage me, he romantically hijacked one of my classes one night and gave a short presentation on how much he loved me and how wonderful he thought I was. He brought me to the front of the classroom, and began by saying, 'Nina always encourages other people, but few take the time to encourage her. I wanted to let her know publicly just how special she is.' He gave me a charm bracelet, and went through each charm and what they represented. There were about 100 people in the class, and they all went nuts cheering and cried. I cried. It was awesome.”
Jen and Doug
Where: Sebastopol, Calif.
Kid's Age: 5
“I accidentally threw my wallet out in a to-go bag in an office building. The next day, I had to fly out in the morning and needed my ID. My husband called agency after agency to track down where the trash from that office building had gone. It ended up in a city landfill, where he gallantly dug through the giant, nasty trash pile and found the to-go bag, my wallet and my ID. I can’t imagine anything more romantic than a man willing—even offering—to dig through trash to take care of his lady.”
Karri-Leigh and Joe
Where: Los Angeles
Kids' Ages: 4, 6
“My husband and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary last year, and like any father of young children, he was dying to get me away from home for a night. But, knowing me as well as he does, he knew that taking me out of town immediately after work on a Friday would ruin my weekend with anxiety over 'abandoning' my kids. Instead, he booked us the perfect stay-cation. We spent Friday night as a family, in a beautiful hotel suite, of the same chain in which we spent our wedding night. Room service breakfast on Saturday was a HUGE treat for my kids, after which we dropped them off [with a sitter], and enjoyed a beautiful concert, dinner and romantic night to ourselves.”
Christine and Frank
Where: Long Island, N.Y.
Kids' Ages: Three teens
“When I was undergoing surgery to remove breast cancer from my left breast, my husband participated in a feng shui ritual. I purchased an 18-inch red string, and nine days prior to my surgery I cut it in half. One half stayed with me, and the other half went to Frank. We each kept the ribbon on us for all nine days prior to surgery. On the day of my surgery, Frank had his piece in his pocket and mine was tied to my hospital bracelet. The premise behind this ritual was that it encouraged good fortune in health for someone with an illness. The cutting of the string represented our ability to be connected even when we were apart.”
Nedua and Torsten
Where: Cornwall, England
Kids' Ages: 5, 2
“When our two boys were 4 and 1, and at a time when I felt very stressed about future plans of returning to work, Torsten surprised me with a ‘Me Day.’ He had bought me my favorite magazine, and then he and the boys dropped me off at a café so I could relax there on the big sofas, read undisturbed for a whole hour—that does not often happen—and it was utter bliss. However, an even bigger surprise came when I got home again: My husband, with the help of the boys, had made a cake for us to share.”
Lisa and Bryan
Where: Washington, D.C.
Kids' Ages: 4 years; 6 months
“In May 2013, for my 35th birthday at eight months pregnant with our second, my husband surprised me with a birthday weekend. He told me on a Friday to pack my bags, and he whisked me away, child-free, to a hotel in D.C. We went to dinner that night where I was presented with a personalized menu. On Saturday, my hubby showed me video recordings on his computer of family and out-of-state loved ones sharing their well wishes. He also orchestrated a surprise maternity shoot for me that day with a professional photographer at the hotel we were staying. On Saturday afternoon, he surprised me again by having my bestie flown in from Illinois so she and I could spend quality time together. I had not seen her in a year! Sunday was an intimate brunch with my family. Best birthday present ever.”
Jennifer and Karam
Where: Los Angeles
Kid's Age: 7 months
“For our first anniversary, after having had our first bundle of joy, my hubby surprised me with a penthouse suite at a five-star hotel, complete with panoramic views of L.A., champagne on ice, chocolate-covered strawberries, a thoughtful anniversary-music playlist and a trail of red rose petals leading to the master bed, which had a heart and our wedding date written in red rose petals. It completely melted my heart.”
SaKarra and Carlee Bey
Where: East Orange, N.J.
Kid's Age: 3 months
“My adorable man created a night of all my favorite things and fulfilled a lifelong dream. He came home with roses, gifts and a heartfelt card. He also secured a babysitter, and took me ice skating, which I have always wanted to do. Followed by a trip to my favorite restaurant, where I got to have wine, a delicacy for a breast-feeding mom. This was the perfect way to get me out of the house and bring back my spirit.”
Genevieve and Eric
Where: Portland, Ore.
Kids' Ages: 13 years; 4 years; 6 months
“When he saw I was nearing the end of my sanity, Eric took the initiative to cancel his guys' night out, arranged a last-minute sitter and squeezed all of my favorite things into one whole day away from the house: a drive, a movie I'd wanted to see but would probably have been his extreme last choice, a romantic dinner, random stops for coffee or wine, and conversation that did not involve children, but about dreaming of our future."
Avic and Pido
Where: Japan
Kid's Age: 2
“Our daughter had just turned 2 years old when I closed the bathroom door without realizing she had inserted her middle finger into the cracks by the hinge. She shrieked in pain, my heart broke, and I blamed myself for the image of my little girl in so much pain. I cried. Pido, my husband, left a very important meeting at work, went straight to the doctor's clinic, held my hand as we both consoled our little girl and whispered in the most loving way, ‘It is not your fault.’ And for a moment, I knew that there was nothing more romantic than to be seen completely in the eyes of love. This first-time mom, who makes many mistakes in raising a child, is always accepted, always forgiven and always beautiful in her husband's eyes.”
Shiri and Lawrence
Where: New York City
Kids' Ages: 2 years; expecting
“The year my son was born, he was only 3 months old when Valentine's Day rolled around. I was still in the thick of breast-feeding and waking up throughout the night, so I was in no mood to go out. I was content with staying in, watching a movie and ordering in. My husband came home with other plans. He drew a candle-lit bubble bath for me, and while I was submerged in my at-home spa, he was busy preparing a home-cooked meal. I emerged from my bath to a candle-lit room and a fabulously prepared steak dinner. After dinner, he had one last surprise. He gave me the most beautiful diamond stud earrings! It was one of the most romantic Valentine's Days. As a new mom, you give so much of yourself to caring for a newborn. To get a little pampering in return was the best treat ever.”
Jennifer and Young
Where: San Francisco
Kids' Ages: Toddlers
"For my second Mother’s Day, my husband recreated the Greek breakfast we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Santorini. He laid out flowers, Greek yogurt, amazing cheese, olives, soft bread with honey and a few slices of ham—arranged on a tray just the way it was served during our blissful honeymoon. It was a nice reminder that the romance we enjoyed pre-baby was still going strong!"
Tomi and Todd
Where: California
Kid's Age: 3
“We have a 3 1/2-year-old son and my husband works from home, so often he makes videos of their day together to share with me when I get home from work—anything from silly, to sending me a message to (pleasantly) interrupt my day.”
Liz and Jeff
Where: Fishers, Ind.
Kids' Ages: 9, 6
“The most romantic thing my husband does for me is something he does every single day. He chooses to love me, he chooses his commitment to us and to our family. Grand gestures and extravagant gifts might make some women's pulses quicken. For me, a husband who carries half of the burden of family life, who sees himself as an equal partner, who supports me in my career and personal goals … that's what actionable love is all about. Few things are more romantic for this mom. His commitment to me and to our kids, and to our lives altogether, is what's sexy as hell.”
