Having a romantic dinner is one way to cherish your loved one. You can simply go to a fine dining and luxurious restaurant. But a better and more romantic option is one set up at home. It only takes a little creativity and lots of love.

Whether it is meant to propose marriage or an anniversary, birthday or holiday celebration, having a romantic dinner at home is guaranteed to be an unforgettable celebration of love. To ensure a successful surprise romantic dinner, here are a few tips.

Shop for ingredients and other important things way ahead of time. Avoid cramming. Don't forget wine and flowers to complete the romantic mood.

Prepare a menu that both of you really like. It is better to plan a full meal, with appetizers, main course and dessert. If you have time, practice cooking it so that it will taste perfect on the actual day. Research on the desired taste of your lover. Some like foods to be spicy; others want it to be sweet.

The purpose of your romantic dinner is to somehow imitate the ambiance of a fine dining restaurant. So, place fresh flowers, a newly ironed tablecloth and candles on your dining table. Also place some candles around the room. Play the favorite music of your partner or play a love song for background. This will definitely set the mood.

Of course, prepare all this early to have enough time to freshen and dress up. Greet your partner as he walks in and play a romantic music at the background. Normally, for a romantic tune, the instrumentals are preferred. But you can also choose from a wide selection of slow songs.

If you both have a theme song, that will be more meaningful. Or if you don't have one yet, it might be good to choose a song that you will want to be your theme song afterward.

Serve dinner. Turn your lights low or just let the candles set the romantic ambiance. Then, play some of your partner's favorite songs again. Make sure it is not too loud so that you can still hear each other when you talk.

Surprise your partner with the dinner you made. During the course of the meal, you can go on talking about what happened to your day. You may also reminisce about how you two met. The important thing is to just relax and enjoy the flow of conversation.

Be creative and do other things that you are sure your partner will like and appreciate. If you both love to dance, you can dance after the meal. Or you can sit back and relax while watching your favorite movie on DVD.

Setting up a romantic dinner at home is not to be compared with having it in a restaurant. In a restaurant, everything is prepared already for you. At home, what counts more is the effort exerted to make the event as memorable and romantic as possible. It is more personalized and customized to the interests of your partner. Thus it is more appreciated.