What Kiwis really want this Valentine's Day

A survey reveals what we're hoping for this Valentine's Day. Photo / Getty

Are you eagerly awaiting a grand gesture of love or rolling your eyes at the onslaught of roses, chocolates and cheesy cards that will herald in Valentine's Day?

A new survery from dating site elitesingles.co.nz has revealed some surprising findings about our thoughts on this designated day for love and romance in general.

For those who assume men are more reserved when it comes to romance, the survey suggests this may not be the case.

Findings shows men are more eager to say "I love you" first with 45 per cent admitting they'd happily use "the L word" after just a month of dating.

Women, meanwhile, prefer a slightly slower pace with only 32 per cent prepared to declare their love by this time.

And when it comes to Valentine's, the survey found 97 per cent of men want to make something of the day, admitting their ideal way to spend this Sunday would involve romantic plans. This is not far behind 99 per cent of women hoping to do the same.

How we like to celebrate Valentine's

The majority of both men and women picked a restaurant date as their top choice, but when it came to suggesting a romantic evening at home, more men put their hand up at the idea of an intimate night in, complete with wine, candles and movies.

This "Netflix and chill" option was less appealing to women.

What we want

When it comes to gifts, men look to be the more sentimental of the genders, citing a homemade gift as their number one Valentine's present.

Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they'd be happy with nothing while 16 per cent listed chocolate as an ideal gift.

For women, more than a third picked flowers as their top present, followed by something homemade. Surprisingly just 18 per cent hold out hope for jewellery.

• Men's top three

1. Something homemade (36%)
2. Nothing (22%)
3. Chocolate (16%)

• Women's top three

1. Flowers (40%)
2. Something homemade (22%)
3. Jewellery (18%)

- nzherald.co.nz