The environment sets the mood! Here are a few ideas of where to go on a date.
Go Casual
Don´t make your first date be the most fancy dress event you can think of, in a pressured situation at a ritzy restaurant. Go for something casual – a walk on the beach, a night at the movies. You both will be nervous enough without having to worry about all the extra overhead of a stress-filled environment.
R.S.V.P.
To make that date extra special, send her an invitation. Find a romantic postcard, or invitation and give her all the details of your date. This will show you´ve put time and effort into planning your date.
Dinner and a movie
If you´re planning on dinner and a movie, go to the movie first so you´ll have something in common to talk about. Or if the timing needs the dinner to come first, make sure you know about a coffeehouse or bar that’ll be open afterwards, to go talk at. Choose a movie you know is good, and comedies are your best bet. Many dates have fizzled because one person loved a movie the other one hated, or because one of the people was upset by the movie.
Quiet time
If you´re choosing a restaurant for a first date, look for a quiet setting. Getting to know each other is harder if you have to yell over all the noise, and it gets very frustrating to keep having to say “What??” You don’t want the first date to be frustrating!
Inexpensive fun
Bowling, mini-golf, arcade, pool hall, batting cages and the local swimming pool are all places to have fun together without spending a fortune. Plus it gets you having fun and laughing together, which is KEY in the first dates.
Karoke
A fun first date is a trip to a Karoke bar. Whether you participate or just listen, you´re going to have something to talk and laugh about. No singing love songs to a first date though…save that for a follow-up visit.
Be a kid again
Go to your local park at night and play on the swings, go bowling, wish on stars together. You can learn a ton about a person by just letting loose and enjoying life.
Snow Fun
Playing in the snow isn´t just for kids! Create a snow couple, make snow angels, and have a snowball fight!
Twilight Rowing
Take a rowboat out on a lake at sunset. Talk about a romantic way to be alone!
A Roaring Fire and You
Cuddle up in front of a fire and sip hot cocoa. If you don´t have a fireplace, cuddle up on the couch, wrapped in blankets.
Close to home
The picnic spot might be your own backyard, but it doesn´t have to look like it. Especially at night, when the world is quiet. Turn home into a tropical getaway with tiki torches, aromatic incense, and island rhythm. While your palates are still tingling, pull your sweetie up for a dance or take a timeout to star-gaze.
Life´s a picnic
A picnic is an inexpensive way to spring for dinner and it´s as romantic as the most expensive french restaurant. A french loaf sliced lengthwise filled with your favorite fillings, fresh fruit, wine and a perfect secluded spot will give you a memory to last forever.
Backyard Camping
On a hot summer night, get out some sleeping bags and take her outside for a night under the stars. Nothing could be more romantic. If there´s enough privacy, make love!
Weekend Romance
Take her away for the weekend without breaking your budget. There´s almost always a bed and breakfast in a town nearby. Take her there and play the tourist for the weekend: visit museums, go to the beach, etc. Or spend the whole weekend in bed!
How long after the first date should you call?
A lot of times when people go on dates they wait a few days before making a follow up call, because they don´t want to seem too “eager”. If someone called you every 5 minutes to ask how you were doing, you might think he (or she) didn´t have a life and was desperate, and that isn´t a positive image to be giving out.
On the other hand, waiting just “because” if you really enjoyed yourself is really silly. Why torment the other person for days and days? If you had fun, call and say thank you. You don´t have to say “Let´s date again on XXX day,” just say you had fun and you´ll stay in touch. If you didn´t enjoy yourself, call anyway, say thanks for the evening and that it might be good to keep seeing other people.
It´s ALWAYS better to be honest than to lead someone on for weeks and weeks.
What if you´re waiting for a call? Be patient. Sometimes people wait a week or more before calling back to say they want to date again. Also, sometimes people really do lose phone numbers!! I know I´ve done it. Give it a few days, and then call yourself to see how things stand.
Also, if you´re a girl, there´s nothing that says it´s the guy who has to do the second call. Most women I know make the second call because they´re too busy to sit around waiting for a guy to get up the nerve. Don´t just sit by the phone, call up to say thanks and to see what the next step is.
Good luck!