It’s a comforting thought that love is something universal. We all have – or strive to have – loving relationships with partners, family, friends, pets, and others in our lives. Something that isn’t universal is the ability to put that love into words. There are countless ways to say “I love you,” but it’s still really hard to express those feelings in a way that feels just right. You want to celebrate your love with a card or gift, but end up staring at a blank page!

Why not get some help figuring out how to say “I love you” by borrowing a love quote from celebrated authors, poets, or artists? Timeless quotes about love can beautifully express how you feel about your loved one. Transcribe your favorite love quotes inside Valentine’s cards, wedding photo books, calendars, and more to make personalized photo gifts truly exceptional.

Below is a collection of powerful quotes to help you express your love.

Love Quotes for a New Romance

New love is so sweet, from nervously figuring out when and how to say “I love you” for the first time, to falling deeper in love as you get to know each other even better. Love in this stage can also be hard to express, so consider these heart-warming love quotes that are perfect for new romance.

"We're all a little weird, and life's a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it LOVE." – Dr. Seuss
“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” – John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
“I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self-respect. And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. I love her and it is the beginning of everything.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.” – Pablo Neruda, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
“He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
"He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can.” – Bob Marley

Long-Time Love Quotes

When you’ve been by each other’s sides for decades, through thick and thin, ups and downs—your love grows and evolves. Yet, still it can be hard to express your feelings in words. You never stop wondering how to say “I love you,” even after years of writing Valentine’s Day cards and anniversary notes. Look to these love quotes to remind your long-time love that your feelings only grow stronger year after year.

“Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says: ‘I need you because I love you.'” – Erich Fromm
“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” – Maya Angelou
“Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.” – Nicole Krauss
“Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be.” – Robert Browning
“I would rather spend one lifetime with you, then face all the ages of this world alone.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.” – Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations”

Love Quotes from Movies

Do you enjoy watching movies together with your love? Movies are more than just a timeless idea for a date night, they’re also an excellent source of inspiration for quotes about love. Movie dialogue includes some of the greatest love quotes in popular culture. Here are a few favorites:

"You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down." – George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life
“Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.” – William Goldman, The Princess Bride
“I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly.” – Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.” – Moulin Rouge

Funny Love Quotes

Humor is an important part of any loving relationship, and if you’re lucky—you share laughs together often. Cherish the memory of laughing together by recreating the moment inside romantic gifts, such as travel photo books. In this way, you can remember your recent getaway, even sweeter with a few funny love quotes thrown in as captions.

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. ” – Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
“I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner
“Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you’re offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone’s feelings.” – David Sedaris
“Love is a lot like a backache, it doesn’t show up on x-rays, but you know it’s there.” – George Burns

Love Quotes from Songs

Whether it’s a line from "your song" at your wedding or an old classic, musical lyrics are some of the greatest sources of “I love you” quotes. Rewrite one of these famous quotes into a page of your personalized photo gift to express your love in just the right tune.

“Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you” – Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
“You’re still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, you’re still the one I want for life” – Shania Twain, "You’re Still the One”
“’Cause all of me, loves all of you, love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections” – John Legend, “All of Me”
“When the evening shadows and the stars appear, and there is no one there to dry your tears, I could hold you for a million years, to make you feel my love” – Bob Dylan, “Make You Feel My Love”
"If I could I would give you the world, but all I can do is just offer you my love.” – Prince, "Diamonds and Pearls"
“If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.” – Led Zeppelin, "Thank You"

Love and Friendship Quotes

Romantic love is not the only love worth celebrating with cards and gifts. Friendship love can be just as valuable, but it can be even harder to put into words. These quotes about love and friendship might be the best way to say “I love you” to your BFF.

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” – Elbert Hubbard
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” – Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
“A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand” – Kahlil Gibran
“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” – Anais Nin

Still Wondering How to Say “I Love You”?

No matter how new or old, how intense or gentle your love has become—it’s always a challenge to figure out the best way to say “I love you.”

Personalized cards and custom photo gifts offer a special way of putting your thoughts and feelings onto paper. Demonstrate your love through thoughtful placement of your own photographs and sprinkle in some of history’s best quotes about love.

Here’s one more inspiring love quote from none other than William Shakespeare, "I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say 'I love you.'"

Take it from Bard—craft your custom gift for your loved one with Mixbook, and simply say those three words: “I love you!”