It’s a picture moment every lady dreams of; those few precious minutes where you’re enwrapped in the arms of the man you love, with your favourite song playing, and everyone that you love smiling at you. Yep – you’re going to have to do a first dance. It’s one of those unavoidable things that happens at a wedding.

Surprisingly, it’s harder than it seems. How do you pick just one? How do you know you’ve picked the right one? But why is picking a first dance song so hard for some couples? Well, you only get one try. It can set the tone for the rest of your reception. And let’s be honest, some people get panic attacks at the very thought of all eyes on them. That’s a lot of pressure for something that should be so easy.

Well, durrrh. You probably know by now we sell personalised gifts. But have you ever wondered how and where our gifts are actually made? The truth is we make a lot of the stuff we sell ourselves. Here’s our story...

This is GoneDigging Towers – where we live during the week.

Just so you know, our products aren't mass-produced. They don’t come from the high street shops. Nor do they come from the back of a bus (phew!). As well as being made with love (that goes without saying!), all the products on our site are handmade – yes, really – right here in Harpenden. Well, not by the guys and gals at the office, but by the lovely chaps at Batford warehouse, just down the road from our digs.

Some places in the world radiate an air of passion and romance. Got your Valentine’s getaway sorted? No? Luckily, we’ve put this list together, including some of the most famous romantic cities of all time, just waiting for you and your beloved this year.

Earlier, I asked the guys ‘n’ girls at GoneDigging HQ. So, without further delay, here’s their pick of the world’s best spots for a romantic trip.

Venice

In at number one, we have Venice – a crumbling city of glory, reflected in its crisscross canals and breathtaking architecture, not to mention the cafes with their sumptuously dark hot chocolates. To visit, you’ve got St Mark’s Square and Basilica, the Rialto Bridge and, of course, the Grand Canal – all of which are free to visit. And would could more romantic than a gondola ride down a canal, or a walk over narrow bridges, getting lost through narrow lanes, and ending up at monumental squares? If you don’t fall in love with this fascinating city of fairytale canals, cobbled backstreets and winding bridges, there’s something wrong with you.

Thinking about writing a love letter to your darling for Valentine’s Day? I’ve put together some of my favourite tasty tidbits from famous love letters written by well-known people. Why not use them as inspiration for your own romantic love letters?

Right, let's roll.

King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

Back in the day, King Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary, but, in reality, it was Anne he liked. However, much to the English royal’s dismay, Anne refused to be his mistress. She wanted to be Queen. Unluckily for Anne, in 1536, the volatile King ordered for her execution. In 1527, this is what Henry VIII wrote to Anne:

In a relationship? Every now and then, all you need are sweet romantic gestures to let your partner know there’s still a lot of love floating in the air. After all, a successful relationship doesn’t need expensive shows of affection all the time. In our opinion, all that matters are sweet romantic gestures that make your lover go “aaawwww”...

Whether you’re the wife, hubby or even boyfriend or girlfriend, often a sweet gesture can make your lover's day, even if it’s in the smallest way. What matters is that you care enough to remind your other half you’re still madly in love with them.

Personally, I don’t know what I’d do without my mum. Life just wouldn’t be the same if I couldn’t see her regularly or if I wasn’t able to deliver a gift on March 10th. Apparently though, I’m in the minority.

69% of Brits have admitted to missing at least one Mother’s Day, while as many as one in five (20%) have confessed to missing it more than five times. When asked why Brits are missing Mothers Day, almost half (45%) blamed distance as the main reason – with other excuses for not making the effort including work commitments (18%) and falling out with their parents (7%).

How are you feeling today? The likelihood is you’re probably feeling a bit pants. A bit down in the dumps… gloomy… depressed… miserable… and so on. You’ve probably got a case of “Blue Monday”.

This morning, ladies and gents, you’ve woken up to what has become known as ‘Blue Monday’ – a day on which folks, far and wide (including the guys 'n' gals here at GoneDigging!), feel at their most vulnerable. Seemingly, the third Monday of the year hasn’t got much going for it at all.

You’re most likely feeling the post-Christmas “poverty” and, just to top it off, you’re barely seeing any daylight at all. As for New Year’s resolutions, they went out the window, and the summer seems a lifetime away.

So, you’re scratching your head, chewing your nails or even tearing your hair out as you desperately rack your brains for Valentine’s gifts ideas for the special person in your life, whether it’s your hubby, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend.

Want to stay out the dog house this Valentine’s Day? ‘Course you do. We’d like to introduce you to our friendly, furry friend here at GoneDigging HQ, Dugg the Dog, who’ll be on hand – or should we say “on paw” – to help dig up the perfect pressie for your valentine.

In fact, he’ll be manning the GoneDigging Twitter page every Friday lunchtime between 12p.m. and 1p.m. as from Friday 18th January... and for the three Fridays after that: Friday 25th January, Friday 1st February and Friday 8th February.

Embed this Christmas infographic on your site

<a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/christmas-gifts/"><img src="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/infographics/christmas-toy-story-gonedigging.jpg" alt="A Christmas Toy Story - Infographic" title="A Christmas Toy Story - Infographic" width="553" height="5669" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/christmas-gifts/">GoneDigging... for Christmas Gifts</a>

Whether you’ve biscuits to bake, gifts to wrap, trees to trim or just want to put your feet up and elate in the spirit of Christmas, then we’ve got your soundtrack.

A decent Christmas compilation should have the following – a collection of classics to warm your cockles by the fire, some typical pop hits to sing along to in the pub or at the Christmas party, some sentimental ones along with a couple of oddities thrown into the mix to keep everyone on their toes. And that, folks, is exactly what you get with GoneDigging’s Christmas playlist 2012.

So, it’s someone’s birthday. What do you write in their card other than the proverbial “Happy Birthday?” Yawn.

Nothing works better than the gift of laughter. So spread a little joy with these funny birthday quotes and make your loved ones’ birthdays unforgettable.

These Happy Birthday quotes are guaranteed to remind ‘em of their majestic existence...

If you’re reading this, then I’m assuming you (or someone you know) is about to hit the half-way mark. It’s not so ‘midlife’ as you might think. I could tell you about the fab 50th birthday gifts we’ve got going on (there are loads up for grabs!), but for now, I thought it’d be more fitting to enlighten you about some of the benefits of turning 50. Aside from actually enjoying hearing about other people’s operations, getting into heated discussions about pension plans not to mention the wrinkles and grey hairs, there are a few benefits about turning this ripe old age. Here are some things to keep in mind as you (or someone you know) enter the half a century era...

Embed this St Patrick's Day infographic on your site

<a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/ireland-gifts/"><img src="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/infographics/st-patricks-day-gonedigging.jpg" alt="Ireland & St Patrick's Day - Infographic" title="Ireland & St Patrick's Day - Infographic" width="690" height="2070" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/ireland-gifts/">GoneDigging for St Patrick's Day Gifts</a>

Embed this Mother's Day infographic on your site

<a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/mothers-day-gifts/"><img src="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/infographics/mothers-day-gonedigging.jpg" alt="Mother's Day Facts and Stuff - Infographic" title="Mother's Day Facts and Stuff - Infographic" width="690" height="1895" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.gonedigging.co.uk/mothers-day-gifts/">GoneDigging for Mother's Day Gifts</a>

It’s no secret that here are GoneDigging, we’re big fans of voucher codes. Well, aren’t you? ‘Course you are. In these times, there’s nothing better than the sound of discount. If you don’t know already, (but we’re sure you probably do!), we’ve got a fair few Gone Digging voucher codes up for grabs. “Really?” we hear you holler, as if you didn’t already know. Yes really...

Have you yet to join the bargain-hunting bandwagon? Well, chaps and chappesses, you can start now, ‘cos there are gazillions of Gone Digging voucher codes to be had. At the mo, we’ve got a terrific 10% off everything you buy on our splendorious website.

Picture the scene peeps. The lights are dimmed, the curtains are drawn and the candles are lit. There’s an amazing three-course meal in store and plenty of Valentine’s gifts waiting to be exchanged. Even the TV’s been turned off. All that’s left is to find some suitably romantic music to accompany your Valentine’s dinner. Now, hands up if this means rolling out the cheesy ballads, clichés and loved-up pop. Yes? Sound familiar? Well not on GoneDigging’s watch! Here, we’ve picked five songs from five albums that do away with the cheese without ruining the ambiance…

‘Old Pine’ from the ‘Every Kingdom’ album – Ben Howard

So, you’ve had your romantic meal and you’ve exchanged your Valentine’s gifts. Time to crash onto the sofa with a decent Valentine’s film. Trouble is, if you’re anything like the boys and girls at GoneDigging, agreeing on a movie you’re both happy to watch is easier said than done. She wants some dreadful rom-com, he’s after guns, explosions or, if nothing else, a bit of toilet humour. That’s why we’ve put together five suggestions that should keep both of you awake for the duration…

Juno

True Romance

Lost in Translation

GoneDigging love Christmas. We love decking the place with tinsel and baubles. We love sticking on loads of corny Christmas songs. And we love swapping Secret Santa gifts. Okay, so it’s also a properly busy time of year for the company’s little helpers, but at the end of the seasonal run we get to kick back and chill out for a few days. Like most people, that means scoffing our faces with stupid amounts of sweets, wrapping and unwrapping lots of lovely presents and relaxing with a fun-filled festive film or five. On that note, here are our top Christmas flicks picks…

I remember my first time. It was a magical day. We’d spent time becoming nicely acquainted beforehand and then, when the time felt right, I took the plunge. We both wanted it. Next thing I knew there was a rush of excitement, like I’d just injected with adrenaline through a straw. It was a sensation like nothing I’d ever experienced. As I sat there taking it in, I couldn’t help but feel I’d spent all these years missing out. After all, who’d have thought a car’s Sport button could provide such joy?

Despite what you might be thinking, this wasn’t a driving experience day. Rather, it was my new motor, complete with its ‘crazy’ button. I’d had to wait until I was on the M1 before giving it a go, but once I had, I soon realised it would be a button reserved for special occasions. It instantly stiffened the suspension, the engine jumped and the revs rose. You’d need to top a ton before considering fifth. For someone who could never afford a supercar in a million years, this was a driving gift from God!

Football gifts take many forms. There’s the sort you give someone as a present, like the latest replica shirt. There’s the sort of football gift that a hapless defender hands on a silver platter to the lethal opposing striker. And there’s the kind you get involving shady Far Eastern businessmen and brown envelopes. Okay, so the latter is somewhat more sophisticated nowadays, but you get where we’re coming from.

For the purposes of this article, we’re going to look at the biggest football gifts that one team has given another. So make yourself comfy and check out our Top Five own goals ever…

My Mrs hates Jackass. And yet when I started writing this piece on buying an off road experience, all I could think of was Jackass’ off-road tattoo with rock star Henry Rollins. Basically, Steve-O had a smiley face inked on his arm while travelling over bumps and divots in the back of a high-speed Hummer driven by Rollins. The result can best be described as messy. Funny film though.

Anyway, if you’re after a 4x4 experience – less the tattoo – you’ll be pleased to hear you’ve got a range of options. Arguably the best of the bunch is an off road driving experience that’ll test both you and your vehicle to the very limit. Under the guidance of your fearless instructor, you’ll battle your way through natural and manmade obstacles, including water, mud and super-steep slopes. It’s a similar scenario at Silverstone, where you’ll do battle inside a Land Rover Defender.

Okay, so you’ve only just met, but the chemistry is so powerful, you can almost see the sparks flying. You reckon she could very well be “the one”. But then – BOOM. It’s her birthday, (or worse still, Valentine’s Day!). So what the hell do you get her?!

You’re confronted with a quandary: Is it too soon to buy her a gift, or is it a wonderful opportunity to show her just how perrrrrrfect you are for each other? Buying gifts for her is never a walk in the park, but seeking the perfect girlfriend gift is a whole other level of problematic. Here’s our guide on getting it right.