How To Make Sex More Romantic Without Being Totally Cheesy

With Valentine's Day coming up, paired-up people are likely looking forward to an incredible night full of love, romance, and sex. But sometimes it can be hard to bring the romance from your special date night into your sex life — without feeling way too cheesy.

Lining the bed with rose petals might be a go-to romance move in the movies, but in real life it just feels like a bit too much. Plus, think of the mess! Do you have sex on top of the rose petals? Or do you throw them on the floor and worry about cleanup later?

Just skip the petals and the overly sexual songs (sorry, Marvin Gaye), and put in the time and energy to make the night special for you and your partner, says Megan Fleming, PhD, a sex and relationship therapist.

And don't just do this on Valentine's Day; do it on any other day of the year, too. It's important, especially if you're in a long-term relationship, to make time for romantic sex every once in a while. "Ordinary sex is packaged between life," says Jane Greer, PhD, relationship expert and author of What About Me? Stop Selfishness From Ruining Your Relationship. "You’re having sex between...going to work and doing laundry, so the time for romance falls by the wayside."

Valentine's Day is a perfect time to reboot, she says, and bring a little bit of non-cheesy romance back to your sex life. Read ahead for seven tips on how to make sex special — no rose petals necessary.

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