Photographed by Lauren Maccabee.
When I think about romantic texts, I automatically think of a certain ex, the smoothest talker I've ever known. Although the relationship wasn't perfect, the dude knew how to pull at the heartstrings with poetic SMSes. If I was mad and wanted to stay that way, I wouldn't dare look at my phone because I knew there would inevitably be a message in my inbox from him that would make me melt into a gooey puddle of love and forgiveness. Some of his soliloquies made my insides feels so freaking fuzzy and warm, I screenshoted them and saved them in a folder on my computer that was once named "aw" and is now named "let it go you sappy bitch."
Advertisem*ntADVERTIsem*nT
I hadn't revisited the folder in years, but went back to it for inspiration as I embarked on a journey to help you, my fellow friends on the Internet, beguile your SOs the way I was once charmed. Unfortunately, none of those screenshots could be adapted for the purposes of this article because they were all very personalized — which is actually a great tip: Specific is better than general, and if you can weave in something like “I love you more than you love [insert their favorite food],” all the better. But, we have some more universal copy to get you started.
We laid out some of the sweetest, most romantic texts you can send different partners in any scenario — some funny, some serious; some pulled from Reddit, some from the brains of the Refinery29 team, and some adapted from real-life experience.
Romantic texts for newer couples
(In order, from "still casual" to "already saying ILY")
“I have so much fun when we hang out... I also always leave feeling hot and bothered.”
"[Insert name] I should probably not tell you this, but I'm more excited about you than I've been about anyone for years." — blendedchaitea
"I feel like I’m floating on freaking air right now." (after a date)
“You know I don’t like smoking because it’s hazardous but let me just tell you, you are smoking and I’d let it kill me.”
“I’m glad it’s Friday, but I'd be even happier if I was seeing you.”
Advertisem*ntADVERTIsem*nT
"Let's get pizza and watch Dragon Ball Z." — poserhontas
"Good morning my Aphrodite 😍" — Stephalopod--
A simple “Good morning, beautiful” — helpspassthetime
"I love you. No big deal." — Swing23
“I was just listening to old school Birttany Spears and ‘Lucky’ came on. I was thinking how now one is as lucky as me because I get to hang out with you all the time.”
"You're very intelligent, you make me laugh, you're so nice and extremely pretty. you've been a good friend to me and you're quite important. don't forget that." — superawes0me
"Hey babe, I thought I’d shoot you a text before bed to let you know how much I like you… which is a whole freaking lot.”
“You belong with me more than that Oscar belonged to Leo.”
"I still can't believe that someone so perfect for me was so close to home. <3 I'm so happy to have met you and fallen in love with you." — Luminaria19
"So I'm about to get up and get ready for work. I can't tell you how much I hate leaving your side, and how much I just want to hold you while you sleep. You're the most wonderful thing in my life, [Insert name] and I wish everyday was our day off together. I'll see you later in the afternoon. I love you very, very much.." - ladypage16
Romantic texts for long-term relationships
“I’m going to order Chinese food. What do you want?”
Advertisem*ntADVERTIsem*nT
"I'm gonna snuggle the f*ck out of you when I get home. Then make dinner." — @cupcakeinvestigator
"Love doesn't even begin to describe it. You are my everything" — monotonouslullaby
"I rly do mean that you're the greatest part of my life. I honestly can't imagine living a life without you now. You make life so much better. You're the one I trust above all others. The one who always makes me smile. The one who I feel is always there beside me. You rly are the world to me. And I couldn't be happier. Nobody will ever come close to the place you hold in my heart. I know you are the girl I want to spend my life with." — Luminaria19
"I’m so lucky I get to do life with you.”
“I”m so glad we’re spending forever together, although it really doesn’t seem long enough.”
“I’d rather live in a world without dogs than a world without you.”
"I love you so much, sometimes too much." — Fart_attack420
“Our love story is one for the ages, baby.”
"When you're 92 and I'm 93, and everyone asks us how we made it all these years without killing each other, I'll say it's because I'm married to the most patient, thoughtful, beautiful person."
“I'm dying to rip those pj pants off but I'm not going to because I know you're tired and have to get up early for work. Instead I'm going to snuggle against you [when I get home]. I love you." — deleted account on Reddit
Advertisem*ntADVERTIsem*nT
"Fyi, you're an awesome wife and I don't know what I'd do without you." — kmhalvie
“He sent me this quote: "Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weakness." Which was followed by his own message. "I want to be more like this for you. You're perfect and the best. Love you, peaches!" - deleted account on Reddit
Romantic texts for long-distance couples
“You bring joy to me.” — sweetoldetc
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, and I’ll be thinking about you and your fine ass the whole way home.”
"i f*cking miss you, okay?" — deleted account Reddit
“I miss rubbing your feet.”
“"Check your email. ~Finds itinerary for him visiting.~ — bdoz779
“I can’t wait to hug you —and dry hump you.”
“Every day without you is hell.”
“Sometimes I scroll through my phone and look at pictures of us because it makes me feel like we’re back in the moment together.”
“I knew I would miss you but not this much.”
"What rhymes with piss? MISS, cuz that's how I feel. I MISS YOU BB <3" — pm_me_your_baguette
“I shouldn’t have called you just now because now I want to see you a million times more.”
"you're pretty amazing you know that? I miss you so much" — deleted account on Reddit
“I’m going to jump on you when I see you next, and I probably won’t let go for a while.”
"Loving you is like breathing, even though it's easy and sometimes forgotten about. The moment you don't have it, you start to wither away and life seems to fade. Without you, my life is nothing. I can't wait until you are by my side again." — cammiesonthefloor
