If you want to know how to write a love letter but you don’t know what to say, don’t worry. We’re here to help you construct one that they’ll never forget.
Do you and your lover have an anniversary looming, or do they have a landmark special occasion or birthday coming up? Whatever the reason, the fact is this: you might want to learn how to write a love letter.
Because what could be more perfect to spoil your girlfriend or boyfriend with, on their special day, than a handwritten love note?
With the age of the internet destroying physical communications with others, or at the very least making them somewhat scary, a handwritten note is a rare find and marks the ultimate sign of romance in the digital age.
Yet, no matter how much someone may love their partner or know everything there is to know about them, many still get stumped on what to say or how to express their feelings when sitting down to write their note.
There are countless tutorials on the internet with step-by-step instructions on how to write something sweet for your sweetie. But that seems a little impersonal, doesn’t it? [Love letter examples: How we met]
Why we need love letters
Surprisingly, most people underestimate the power of a good love letter.
To many, writing a love letter is nothing but a way to pour out what’s in the heart. But why do that when it’s quicker and more convenient to do that over the phone or in the middle of a conversation?
But that’s where we lose the whole point of a romantic love letter. When you write a letter, it’s a one-sided conversation, expressing one’s romantic feelings to their special someone. [Read: Committed relationship – 59 signs and ways to show your commitment in love]
A love letter is more than just words. Knowing how to write a love letter is like understanding the art of seducing and melting a heart with precious words. And yes, it has to be in a letter, because that way you can pour all the love that you hold inside without any interruptions.
Love letters are sometimes complicated affairs
No, they’re not! And why should they be? Well, it’s understandable if you have a hard time getting past a few lines once you begin, but that’s what all of us face.
Even the biggest poets and literary scholars too have had their share of problems with the pen. If you can’t get past the first page of a love letter, it just doesn’t mean you’re not in love or that you’re a bad writer. [Read: 32 fun ideas to build and grow intimacy in a relationship and feel more loved]
It just shows that you can’t really explain what you’re feeling at that moment. That’s perfectly natural. After all, there are so many different things you can say, and you just don’t know where to begin.
In this feature, you’ll find the most important rules for writing a love letter. Use these tips on how to write a love letter to help you pen down the perfect love note that you’ve always yearned to write.
The romantic setting
If you really want to understand how to write a love letter, you need to picture your love; really feel it. [Read: How to propose in the perfect way]
Let’s try imagining something. Have you watched a horror flick or a nerve-throbbing action film lately? How did you feel after the movie? Excited? Or did you want to pound a few people yourself?
Now let’s reminisce about the movie ‘Titanic.’ Wasn’t that such a touching movie? You may have watched it so many times that you probably ended up feeling drowsy midway, but the movie has a certain charm in it that still grips your romantic heart, doesn’t it?
Now that’s exactly how you need to feel when you write a love letter. You just can’t write a touching note whenever or wherever you want. [Read: 38 small changes to better your love life and improve the relationship 10-fold]
You need to feel the love flowing through your veins. If you watch a chick flick or a mushy movie that pricks the chords of your heart before you pen your thoughts, you’d be able to bring out words and feelings that would not just be romantic but also intense.
Another great way to feel the love and have the creative buzz on a high is by sitting in a place that makes you feel romantic.
A lawn, a balcony on a clear moonlit night, or a slab of stone beside a stream is a perfect setting to put loving thoughts on paper. [Read: How to find love]
One of the most important accessories that can help you write a love letter is music. Romantic, soft music can help you collect your thoughts and put them on paper in a very touching way.
So, before you start writing, make sure you sit in a romantic place and wait until you feel an overwhelming surge of love, and once you feel it, don’t stop writing!
How to address a love letter
For starters, the first two or three words that you use in a love letter are the most special. And as you know, a letter starts by addressing your lover. [Read: Cute pet names for lovers]
Choose the first words carefully. What is the most special thought you get when you remember your lover? Is it beautiful or precious, or are you happy to use their first name with sweet loving words?
Some of the perfect examples are ‘my dearest love,’ ‘my precious husband,’ or even ‘my beautiful *name*’…
Let your lover know how much they mean to you within the first few words of your letter. [Read: What is true love? 58 signs and ways to tell if what you’re feeling is real]
Another important requirement in a love letter is your letter should have the date when you wrote it. It will be read and reread for many years to come, so why not help your lover remember the day when you wrote the love note?
The first few words of a love letter
Now, here is where it gets tricky. You know exactly what you want to write but don’t know where to begin.
What we suggest is that you start writing in your own words and just go on. Very soon, you’ll be able to notice the flow of words and the building of the structure yourself. [Read: How to know if you are in love]
The best way to start any love letter is by explaining clearly what you’re feeling at that very moment. Are you sitting up watching the stars and thinking about your beloved late into the night?
Then start off with something that goes like this: “I have been tossing and turning in my bed, wondering what it is that takes my sleep away and fills my heart with bliss and happiness, and I can think of only one thing; your love…”
When you’re getting stuck trying to figure out what to write in a love letter, talking about a circumstance is the easiest way to start a perfect love letter. [Read: 36 ways and questions to fix a broken relationship and rebuild it with love]
Matters of the heart
To write a beautiful love letter, you need to understand that for every perfect start to a letter, you have to fill in the bulk of the letter with the perfect matter. The best way to do that is by talking about the special moments you’ve shared together and how much they mean to you.
The most special thoughts that you could use in a letter may include special events, occasions, anniversaries, etc. Talk about how your life has changed for the better since meeting your sweetheart.
Recall the times when the both of you were just friends or were wooing each other, write about how much you miss your lover when you are apart, or explain how special and loved you feel when you are around them. [Read: Infatuation vs. love – how it feels and 28 differences and ways to turn it into love]
The list of things to write about is endless and unique to each person, so we would advise you to write about anything that you strongly feel and appreciate about your lover.
Any letter written from the heart will always be beautiful and perfect as long as it isn’t too light-hearted or casual. A love letter is a very special way to pour out your feelings, so don’t shy away from intensity.
Be courteous and polite all through the love letter, and use the letter to convey your deepest feelings that are difficult to explain face-to-face. [Read: First kiss stories]
Most importantly, you need to remember that a love letter is written to make your lover fall more in love with you, not hold on to their stitches and roll over, laughing. So be sincere and true, and above all romantic, in the words you choose.
Words and accessories
Understanding what to write in a love letter might seem confusing at the beginning, but as the words appear on paper, it’ll get easier by the minute. But even after writing the note, you’re not really done working on the perfect love letter.
Your words may be the most precious part of the love letter, but you have to go one step further to really show your love. [Read: What falling in love feels like – 20 true-love feelings you would experience]
Drop a few petals of your lover’s favorite flower into the envelope, dab a bit of perfume on the page, pick a perfect bouquet of roses and place your love letter in it, or prepare your lover’s favorite meal, and place the letter in an envelope along with the dessert.
It just goes to show how much your lover means to you, and they’ll definitely appreciate the effort you’ve put into the letter.
A few good words and thoughts
Having the will to write a love letter will come naturally, but don’t be overwhelmed by thoughts. Talk about one instance or one emotion at a time, and soon enough, you’ll find that knowing what to write in a love letter isn’t hard at all. [Read: 103 heartfelt signs to know if you love someone or are falling in love]
Choose beautiful words when you write a letter. If you have difficulty finding the perfect words, use a thesaurus. And keep the letter neat. If you scratch out more than a few words, rewrite it again.
A sneaky and perfect way to write a love letter would be to write it first on a rough sheet and then rewrite it on a beautiful sheet of paper. It may seem painfully slow, but trust us, a love letter is one of the most cherished possessions anyone would want to have. You don’t want to ruin it with sloppy presentation.
Tips for writing a love letter for your partner
How do you like to dress up when you have to go out on a date? Of course, you want to look your best. The same goes for love letters. [Read: 50 signs a man is falling deeply in love with you and he can’t help himself]
Pick up the best stationery you can find; handmade soft paper in neutral colors, a smooth writing fountain pen with black or brown ink, and a beautifully crisp, clean envelope.
Word documents and printouts never really have the same effect as a manually written love letter.
Remember, a love note is something that will be treasured forever. So, keep it beautiful and neat, and most importantly, personal. [Read: Emotionally invested – 18 things you MUST know before going all-in in love]
Luckily for you, we’ve readied some great tips on how to write the perfect love letter for your beau.
1. Compliments will get you everywhere
You heard that right. It doesn’t matter the gender. Men and women love to be adored, so make sure you mention something *or several things!* you absolutely adore about your lover. [Read: 25 compliments your guy will never forget]
2. Speak from the heart, not from a pre-written outline
Speaking from the heart is easier said than done, isn’t it? But, strangely enough, expressing yourself to your partner may be one of the hardest parts of writing your letter.
Sure, you can say that you love your mate, appreciate them, never want to live without them, tell them they’re pretty and that they make you laugh… but then what?
Those compliments aren’t exactly going to fill up an entire page’s worth of cursive. [Read: 28 committed relationship rules and signs to make love last forever]
This is why people commonly search the Internet for a template for letter writing. While this may work for wedding thank-you cards or sympathy notes, looking for a pre-written love letter is a big romance no-no!
3. Use storytelling
One of the best ways to connect in your letter is to mention a specific experience you’ve gone through together and how it made you stronger, made you laugh, or moved your heart.
Not only will this give your partner something fond to look back on, but it’ll show that you wrote a letter that’s not just full of sweet yet generic niceties but filled with things specifically about them. [Read: What to write in a love letter – The perfect examples to write about]
You can talk about your wedding day, your first date, the funniest thing that happened to you, or your most romantic moment. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure that you recount the story in as much detail as you can.
4. Use a fantastic quote
Quotes are the perfect romantic addition to any letter. It’s a lovely little way of throwing some poetry into your letter without giving up what makes it personal.
If you can’t think of a romantic author or poet off the top of your head, then go for F. Scott Fitzgerald. The 1920s author had a soft spot for writing beautifully romantic stories, so he’s highly quotable. [Read: 15 warm ways to respond to “I love you” if you don’t feel like saying it back]
His romantic gems, such as, “They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered” or “You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known – and even that is an understatement,” are sure to have your lover swooning.
If old writers aren’t your thing, use funny or romantic quotes from shows or movies you both enjoy, like Woody Allen’s lighthearted narrative: “I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love, or I had smallpox.” [Read: 55 funny quotes that are all about love]
5. Talk about their achievements
Make sure you mention at least one of their achievements in your letter. If your letter is congratulating them on a new job, talk about all the hard work they put into getting to where they are now in their professional life.
Or if the letter or card is for their birthday, throw in something funny like: “I can’t believe you’re still kicking around after *hilarious inside-joke.*”
If you are writing a letter or card because of an anniversary, talk about anything they’ve sacrificed, be it family relationships, fights with friends, putting up with your bad habits, or serious conditions. [Read: 49 ways to rekindle a relationship or marriage and spark romance with love]
Mention key things they’ve done for your relationship, and be sure to tell them how much you appreciate it.
6. Don’t force yourself to write a novel
If you want to write your partner a letter, but you aren’t a man of many words, then, by all means, keep it short.
Even if you simply tell her you love her and the last “X-many-years” have been the happiest of your life, she’s sure to love it, so long as it’s from your heart. [Read: What does it mean to love someone? 21 good and bad ways to define it]
Don’t feel the need to write an expansive letter just to prove your love. Odds are, if you’re forcing it, she’ll be able to tell. Keep it short and sweet if that’s your style.
7. Find a letter of inspiration
If you have no idea where to start, then try to find an existing love letter for inspiration. There are endless ones you can find on the internet that you can model yours after.
However, don’t copy it word-for-word. Make it your own. If they find out that you copied it, then it loses its meaning. Plus, it won’t have the authenticity or the integrity that the perfect love letter requires. [Love letter examples: Remember our love story?]
Also, decide on the type of writing style you want to use. Is it going to be humorous, poetic, or something else? You should make the style consistent with who you are as a person. That way, your partner will know it was written from your heart.
8. Be ready to get vulnerable
The whole point of writing a love letter is to express your feelings of love for your special person, right? Well, you can’t do that very well without getting vulnerable.
Being emotionally available when writing your love letter will make it much more touching when they read it. [Read: What does it mean to be vulnerable? 15 ways you can open up more]
Tell them things that you haven’t told them before, things you’ve never told anyone before. Sharing this private information will make them feel even more special than they already do.
9. Write a rough draft
Remember when you were in school when your English teacher told you to write a rough draft of your papers before turning them in? They told you that for a reason. Rough drafts are very useful.
It’s not easy to get your thoughts and feelings down on paper. And so you might not get it right on the first try. [Read: Definition of love – the true meaning of love and what it should feel like]
Just write it out without worrying about how it sounds. Then, go back and change anything that you want to improve upon. It might take you several drafts before you get it right. And that’s good. Make sure you work on it until you know it feels the best to your heart.
10. Start out the letter with a personal greeting
In the era of texting and social media, most people have lost the art of how to begin a letter properly. You don’t want to just start out writing. Instead, you have to greet them in a loving way.
For example, you can begin with “My dearest love,” or “Dear Bunny Boo,” *or whatever your nickname is for them*. Whatever you do, make it lovey-dovey and formal. [Read: Do I love her? 48 signs you’re slowly but surely falling in love with a girl]
11. Write out the “whys”
Don’t forget to tell them all the “whys.” Why you love them, why they are special to you, why you can’t live without them, why you have so many fond memories of them, tell them all of it.
You can even structure your whole love letter around the “whys” about them and your relationship if you feel comfortable with that. It would show that you put enough thought into the letter to come up with a creative theme.
12. Tell them why you love them
If you don’t want to revolve your whole love letter around all the “whys,” you should at least include a lot of information about why you love them or being with them. [Read: Does she love me? 39 sweet signs she’s deeply attached and adores you]
What are their special qualities? Why do you love them more than anyone else in the world? How is your relationship unique and better than any other relationship you have been in?
13. Relay hardships that made your relationship stronger
Most relationships aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. And yes, the good times are the best, and they are fun to reminisce about in a love letter. However, it’s also a good idea to look back on all the challenges you have faced together and how you’ve overcome them.
This will remind your partner that your relationship is strong and you can weather any storm together. [Read: Chemistry of love – how hormones make you feel love the way you do]
14. Mention the future
Whether you have been together for 5 months or 50 years, your partner wants to know that you are thinking about your future with them in it.
When a relationship is new, it would be exciting for them to read that you think that they are “The One” and see a permanent future together. And even if the relationship isn’t new, it’s still a loving gesture to talk about how you can’t wait to make even more memories with them.
15. Close the letter warmly
Just like how you need to open your love letter with a loving greeting, you should also close it with one too. Don’t just leave the letter unsigned and assume they know who it’s from *although they usually do*. [Read: Loving someone too much – what it means and why and how it’s bad for love]
You can say things like, “Your loving boyfriend,” “Yours forever,” or “Your biggest fan in life.” Whatever you chose to say, don’t forget to write your name at the bottom of the letter.
16. Take your time
If you’re writing a love letter for a special occasion, you don’t want to rush through it. So, if you want it done by Valentine’s Day or their birthday, start writing it with plenty of time to spare. You don’t want to be freaking out about it the night before.
By writing some rough drafts, re-reading them, and adding to the letter, you will eventually come up with the perfect things to say. But this takes a lot of effort and deep thought. So don’t hurry – just take your time. [Read: Passionate lovemaking – 23 secrets and ways to make sex lustful and steamy]
Little gimmicks to make letter writing easier
Gimmicks may seem impersonal at first, but trust us, they work.
Have you been with your partner for years now? If so, they’ve probably received dozens of cards from you. Unfortunately, after a while, a simple love note just won’t contain that “wow” factor anymore.
Instead of sprouting out a plain and simple “Happy Anniversary!” on a note card, try something a little different this year, such as:
1. “I love you in every language” card
Celebrating your two-year anniversary? That’s 24 blissful months of love and togetherness. Instead of a card, why not write a love letter displaying the phrase: “I Love You” in 24 different languages? [Read: 25 super sweet gestures to make your partner swoon]
At the end of the card, write something personal, and then say, “I love you in every language.” Obviously, feel free to bump up or down the months or languages, depending on how long you’ve actually been together.
2. Scrapbook letter writing
Girls love scrapbooking, so if you’re writing a love letter for your girlfriend, take up scrapbooking! Simply grab some card stock with a pretty pattern and glue your notebook paper over the top of it so that it takes up only a small portion of the page.
After that’s set, start gluing personal trinkets onto the page, such as photos of the two of you, the receipt from your first date, ticket stubs, or anything sentimental between the two of you. [Read: Couples bucket list – 32 must-do things to create experiences together]
3. “52 reasons I love you” deck of cards
Take a standard deck of playing cards and grab a sharpie. On each card, write a different reason why you love your partner. After all your reasons are done, start gluing different pictures, stickers, and trinkets to the card.
For example, write, “I love it when you call me Pooh-Bear!” and stick on an adorable picture of Winnie the Pooh. It’s cute and sweet, and though it can be a little embarrassing to show other people, your partner will definitely look back at the cards when they are feeling down.
4. Puzzle piece letter
This is a simple spin on a regular letter. Once you’ve finished your love letter, glue it to some card stock. [Read: Adorable ways to say “I love you” to someone special]
Once dried, draw out a series of puzzle pieces on the back of it as a guide, and start cutting out your letter. When your lover gets the note, they’ll be able to piece it together like their own special jigsaw puzzle.
The last few words of a love letter
When you’re writing a love letter, end the note by telling your lover that you’ve said everything you wanted to, for now. Let them know that you feel a lot happier and loved now that you’ve penned down everything that you felt deep within your heart.
You can choose your words and end it just the way you like. But here again, the last few words have to end with a note of never-ending love. Just like the entirety of your letter. [Love letter examples: Meaning of love]
“Forever yours,” “In your heart forever, where I belong,” and “With all my heart” may sound cheesy at first. But your lover will be a lot happier to read those loving lines instead of basic lines like “take care,” “see you when I give you the letter!”, “miss ya!” etc.
Final thoughts
Don’t wait for a special day to show how much you love your mate. If you feel like it, write a love letter today. And always remember, there’s no better way to express your love than by writing a love letter.
[Love letter examples: Meaning of love]
Knowing what to write in a love letter can seem like a difficult art to master, but all it takes is a lot of love and the patience to take one step at a time to talk about one circumstance or emotion at a time. You’ve got this!
