How to Write a Love Letter

Writing a love letter shouldn't be that difficult. All you have to do is open your heart and let the words flow, right? But finding the right words to profess your undying love can be a daunting task. Here are some simple tips to help you get those romantic feelings down on paper.

1. Set the mood. Just as you would want a private place to have an intimate conversation, you should also have a quiet place to write your love letter. Don't attempt to do it while sitting in the middle of a lunchroom or while bouncing along on the bus on your way home from work. Find a quiet place, put on some romantic music to put you in the right frame of mind, and relax.

2. Use the proper tools. Your love letter is a personal message to someone special, so your method of writing it should also be special. Forget the computer. For this endeavor, you'll need to hark back to the old days of pen and paper. It doesn't matter if your handwriting is imperfect; it's more personal than 10 pt Arial font on a sheet of computer paper. Get some nice stationery and a matching envelope from your local office supply store or look online at FineStationery.com.

3. Open with a romantic salutation. "Dear [Jane or John]" is too common to start a heartfelt love letter. Choose something more loving, such as "My dearest Jane" or "My darling John." You can also start with a loving salutation that doesn't include your significant other's name, such as "To My True Love" or "To My One and Only." If you have a pet nickname, that's a good option, too, as it sets an intimate mood for the rest of your letter.

4. Tell your loved one why you're writing. You may want to start out by saying, "I've been thinking of you nonstop since..." or "I thought of you today when... " or "I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time..."

5. Express your love. Tell your significant other why you love him or her. There are many ways to do this. You might want to recall the first time you knew you were in love with this person, or list some of the things you love about him or her. You can also explain how you feel when you're together, and include your hopes or plans for your future together.

6. Include a romantic quote. Love is such an overwhelming emotion, it's hard to explain all the wonderful things about it in a simple letter. So borrow some words from a professional wordsmith. A romantic quote can sum up a plethora of feelings in just a few phrases.

7. End with a romantic closing. "Sincerely yours" or "Best wishes" are fine valedictions for an everyday letter to a friend, but a love letter needs something more heartfelt. Try closing with a phrase such as "All my love," "Yours forever" or "Your Loving [Girlfriend, Boyfriend, Husband, Wife, etc]" and then sign your name.

8. Present your letter to your loved one. Find a romantic way to present your letter. Lay it on the pillow with a long-stemmed rose, send it in a bottle, or go out for a romantic walk or intimate dinner.

Here are some romantic salutations to open a love letter:

My dearest ___
My darling ___
My beloved ___
My lovely ___
My previous ___
My sweet ___
My beautiful ___
My handsome ___
My cherished ___
My wonderful ___
To the love of my life
To the woman/man I love
To my love
To my true love
To my sweetheart
Darling
Sweetheart
Honey
Sweetie

Here are some romantic valedictions to close a love letter:

All my love
Yours forever
With all the love in my heart
Your beloved [husband, wife, etc]
Your loving [husband, wife, etc]
Romantically yours
Love always
Until the end of time

Your love letter should be your own personal message of love, but a romantic quote is a great addition to any letter. Here are a few of my favorite quotations about love.

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.
- Unknown

Multiply it by infinity, take it to the depths of forever and you'll still only have a glimpse of how much I love you.
- Unknown

My love for you is a journey;
Starting at forever,
And ending at never.
- Unknown

You could put all the hearts together in the world and that still wouldn't describe how much I love you.
- Unknown

If your honey is across town or across the world and you're planning to send your love letter through the mail, you can add some romance to your envelope with a custom stamp. Zazzle offers a wide selection of real U.S. postage with creative designs. Here is an example of some of the postage available:

Now that you've written your love letter, you'll want to find a romantic way to deliver it. If you don't need to deliver the letter immediately, consider ordering a message in a bottle from TimelessMessage. You can select from a variety of bottle shapes and sizes, as well as different types of stationery. Use the letter you just created or select one of theirs to personalize. Then send it directly to your recipient or to yourself to deliver in person.

What is it about accents that make women (and men, too!) want to swoon? There's just something so sexy and romantic about listening to someone from another country speak. Of course, not everyone can have an accent like Antonio Banderas or Celine Dion, but with a little practice, you can profess your love in another language. After all, it's just a few words. So if you want to add a little foreign flair to your life, try including one of these phrases in your love letter or whispering them in your loved one's ear while you hand him or her your letter.

How to say "I love you" in Spanish
Te amo (TAY AHM-oh)

How to say "I love you" in French
Je t'aime (Juh Tehm)

I Love You

You'll also find some of the information above on my HubPages article, How to Start a Love Letter: Romantic Salutations You Can Use.