Love notes: letters, songs and words for two

In an age of quick messages and emojis, a handwritten love note has become something rare and precious. It takes time to write, it can be held, reread and kept, and it carries the handwriting of the person who wrote it. Couples who exchange letters, even occasionally, often find those pages among their most treasured possessions.

A very old form

People have been writing love letters for as long as they have been writing. Wikipedia's article on the love letter describes it as an expression of love in written form, which may be anything from a short and simple message to a lengthy description of feelings, and notes that a love letter has no specific form, length or writing medium. It traces examples back through ancient India, ancient Egypt and imperial China, and explains that the Middle Ages saw the formal development of the art of letter writing, including the art of the love letter from opening to close.

That long history is part of the charm. When you write a love letter, you join a tradition stretching back thousands of years.

Why write one?

A letter lets you say things that are hard to say out loud. It can be read again and again, in moments of doubt or distance. It holds a moment in time: how you felt, what you noticed, what you hoped for. And it takes effort, which is itself a message of love.

Writing a love note while travelling

Travel is a wonderful time to write. Your senses are sharper, everything is new, and there are quiet hours on trains, planes and terraces. Some ideas:

• A letter to open later. On your honeymoon, write each other a letter to be opened on your first anniversary. Seal them and keep them somewhere safe.
• A postcard to your partner. Send a postcard home, addressed to the person you are travelling with. It will arrive after you return, a sweet echo of the trip.
• A shared journal. Take turns writing about each day. Years later it becomes a record of the journey in both your voices.
• A note hidden in a suitcase. If you travel apart, tuck a note into your partner's luggage.
• Words from the place. Write about a moment you shared that day: the colour of the sea, the sound of a market, the taste of something new.

How to write one

There is no wrong way to write a love letter, but a few simple ideas help:

• Be specific. Mention a moment, a habit, a detail only you would notice.
• Write as you speak. Honest, simple words are more moving than grand phrases.
• Remember, then look forward. Recall something you have shared, and something you are looking forward to.
• Use good paper and your own hand, even if your handwriting is untidy.
• Do not worry about length. A few lines can say everything.

Music as a shared memory

Music has a remarkable power to carry memories. A tune heard in a café on your honeymoon, the music at your first dance, the song playing in the car on a long road trip: hearing it again years later can bring the whole moment flooding back. Many couples have one piece of music they think of as "theirs".

On a trip, pay attention to the music around you. Local musicians, a festival, a street performer or the radio in a taxi can give you a soundtrack for the journey. Some couples make a playlist of the music they heard while travelling, to play at home when they want to remember. For music on the wedding day itself, see wedding music.

Keeping your letters

Store letters somewhere dry and safe, in a box or folder, away from direct light. Some couples tie them with a ribbon, keep them with wedding photographs, or add them to a scrapbook of their travels. Every few years, read them again together. It is a lovely way to mark an anniversary; the guide to anniversaries and vow renewals has more ideas.

Love in literature

If you enjoy the romance of words, you may also enjoy exploring the great love stories of literature and history. The legendary lovers feature looks at some of the most famous, and the places associated with them that couples can visit today.

A love note does not need to be poetry. It only needs to be true. Pick up a pen, and let the person you love know it, in your own words.