Have you ever been completely and utterly swept off your feet by an unforgettable romantic experience?

Red roses, chocolates, diamonds (perhaps of the engagement kind!) and, of course, romantic hot air balloon rides are all wonderful ways to show them how much you love them this Valentine’s Day.

Some lucky people have had romantic poetry written about them and we’d be lying if a tiny part of us wished someone would write romantic poems about us too.

Even long before the world’s first music charts were introduced in the 1940s and 1950s, love has been an endless source of inspiration for every songwriter from rock to rap and romantic music remains a staple of modern radio playlists.

Then there are romantic breaks, city breaks in Paris, New York and Rome all popular destinations for surprise marriage proposals.

The enduring romance of a hot air balloon ride remains a popular way to show the one you love just how much you care.

Perhaps the most romantic experience in your life was more like a scene from one of those cheesy romantic comedies when a series of unfortunate calamities come between you before the love of your life turns up at the airport just as you’re about to board the plane to publically declare you’re the only one for them?

But it’s not always the big gestures that show you know how to be romantic and when that’s the case, not even the best romantic comedies can compete.

For some of us, it’s the little things that count, such as being brought a cup of tea in bed or offering to cook tea after you’ve had a long day at work. Even better, if they arrive home with a takeaway and a bottle of wine they’re definitely a keeper!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we asked our team here what the most romantic thing they had ever done – or had done to them – had been.

Helen

Probably the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me was a few months ago when I arrived home and found my boyfriend had left Post-It notes all over the house with lovely messages on them.

There were so many I can’t remember them all but there was one in the hallway that said ‘Welcome Home’, another on the mirror that said ‘You’re beautiful’ and one on my pillow that said ‘Sweet dreams Gorgeous’.

It took me ages to find them all and he’d also bought me chocolates and wine.

To be honest, that's just one of so many romantic experiences he's surprised me with since we've been together. He's definitely a romantic.

Tom

My girlfriend is awesome and definitely the more romantic one of us.

One Valentine’s Day, she bought hundreds of packets of Skittles and spent ages taking out all the red ones.

She then filled up a big box with just those red ones and on top wrote ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ using fizzy Vimto strips, which are also one of my favourite sweets.

It was a really cool thing to do and I really do need to step up my Valentine’s Day game in return!

Maria

It’s rather a long time ago but the most romantic thing anyone ever did for me was back when I was a 20-year-old university student.

It was the first Christmas my boyfriend and I were together. Because we were both going home to opposite ends of the country for Christmas Day itself, he turned up at my house the weekend before with a Christmas cake, a bottle of Cava (he was a poor student so Champagne was beyond his budget!), large box of Maltesers and the remastered Back To The Future Trilogy on DVD.

He told me he thought we could have our own mini Christmas Day that Saturday instead and had already asked my parents if they minded going out for the evening so it was just the two of us. As far as a romantic experience went, I was definitely impressed!

It obviously worked to convince me he was ‘the one’ – almost 14 years later and we’re married with a four-year-old daughter!

Matt

Before we got married, I once surprised my wife with a trip to New York.

I told her I was taking her to London for the weekend to see a show but that we were flying down from Birmingham. I even left our passports in the house until we were in the car about to set off, in case she was suspicious and checked whether I’d taken them with us. I then said I’d forgotten my wallet and had to go back inside, so I could grab them in secret.

Even better, when we arrived at Birmingham Airport because you had to change in Paris to go to New York, we went to the European flight terminal the same as you would for a flight to London, so she was still non-the-wiser until we actually checked in.

When she realised we were going to New York for a week, she promptly started crying and for a minute I thought I’d really messed up - so much for a romantic experience!

But they were actually happy tears, thankfully and she loved it.

Wayne

Neither of us is the romantic type but I proposed to my girlfriend on a beach in Mexico, which I suppose is pretty romantic, isn’t it?

She had no idea at all what I was planning.

We were out there on holiday with friends and they even kept the ring in their apartment for me, so there was no chance of her accidentally finding it.

One night, we went out and they secretly brought me the ring.

I then took her for a walk on the beach, just the two of us, got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.

She was so surprised that she actually asked me if I was taking the mickey before saying yes!

What’s the most romantic experience you have ever had or that you have done for the one you love? Let us know in the comments.

To spoil the one you love this Valentine’s Day, our range of romantic hot air balloon ride gift packages for two make the perfect gift. Find out more how we can help you make love an adventure here.