The Age Old Dilemma – Where to Go on a First Date?

The hours spent perfecting your free online dating profile have paid off. You’ve got past the ‘winking’ stage, exchanged a few messages, and finally plucked up the courage to ask your new match out on a date. Don’t flunk out at this crucial stage by making the predictable offering of a film then dinner.

What Do You Want From A First Date?

What do you need your first date environment to offer you:

• Peace and quiet so you can hear each other speaking.
• A warm friendly atmosphere so it doesn’t feel as if all eyes are on you two.
• Something fun and original that will make you stand out from other dates.
• A common goal, or experience to base your conversation on.
• Something that naturally concludes after around two hours, so neither of you need to feel awkward about knowing when to end the date.

Some Ideas To Get You Started

Bowling:

Add a competitive element to your first date and you’ll really see the other person’s true colours. Do they turn into a snarling win-focused sportsperson, or will they relax and enjoy the opportunity to laugh at themselves?

Bowling offers the perfect combination of a warm atmosphere as you are surrounded by other people enjoying themselves, and privacy, as the other visitors are concentrating on their own game. You have the opportunity to sit down for a lengthy chat, or just exchange a few sentences between bowls.

Aquarium or Zoo:

Taking a stroll around an attraction like a zoo or aquarium means you always have visual prompts for the conversation. It can also encourage you both to talk about things other than the usual humdrum work, family, friends chat.

Tourist For A Day:

Imagine you are a visitor to your local area. What are all the must-see attractions? Chances are there will be some that neither you or your date have been to before. If you live on the coast, have a fish and chip supper on the beach, before feeding your coppers into a slot machine on the pier. If you live in a city, take a tour on an open-top bus.

Golf:

A full 18-hole round of golf may be a bit stressful for you both for a first date, but either crazy golf, or the golf driving range gives you a quiet public space to meet-up, something to focus on, and plenty of opportunity to talk.

Do Your Own Catering:

Put a twist on the classic dinner date, and go for a cookery workshop instead, where you can both learn how to make a gourmet meal, then eat what you’ve prepared. If that sounds like too much work, look into chocolate making, cocktail mixing, or wine tasting sessions.

Experience Days:

A night of dinner, drinks and a film will cost you upwards of £100. If you want to try something a bit different, put that money towards an experience day doing something a little crazy, like a Segway racing session, or a tree-top walking adventure. If you met through a shared interest dating site or event, you’ve got a heads-up about what your date likes.

Final Considerations

Once you’ve got a good idea for the location of your first date, here are a few minor details you need to consider:

• The atmosphere of your venue will depend largely on when you go there. For example a late night game of crazy golf in the dark can be great fun, but battling your way through tantruming teenagers on a Saturday lunchtime will not be quite so romantic.
• We live in Britain, so it is essential that you have a wet weather contingency plan.
• If you are booking something in advance, it’s best to check with your date first, rather than spring a surprise on them. You don’t want to find out half way through a hang gliding lesson that they have a fear of heights.