How soft romance is replacing grand gestures

For decades, popular culture has glorified love in its loudest forms: dramatic declarations at train stations, over-the-top proposals, and spontaneous trips across continents.

- DR CHANDNI TUGNAIT

Grand gestures were once seen as the gold standard of romance, proof of passion and devotion.

But in recent years, something quieter has been taking root. A new kind of love language is emerging, one that doesn't rely on spectacle but instead blooms gently in the everyday.

This is the new era of soft romance, which isn't about settling or scaling down; it's about shifting from performance to presence. As relationships evolve in a world that's louder, faster, and more emotionally overstimulating than ever, soft romance offers something increasingly rare: emotional safety, intimacy, and mindfulness.

Dr Chandni Tugnait, MD (A.M) Psychotherapist, Life Alchemist, Coach & Healer, Founder & Director, Gateway of Healing shares some of the ways it's showing up and why it's resonating more than ever: