A first date can be a thrilling experience yet it often comes with an awkward feeling or anxiety. You want to have an enjoyable and fun-filled experience while making a good first impression on your potential significant other. Yet, having a fantastic first date is not as difficult as one may think with the right strategies and mindsets in place.
Physically meeting someone you have been talking with for the first time should be fun and interesting. It should be an avenue to get to know them better and set the stage for something more serious between the couple. Having a fantastic first date can make you begin plans for the next date and a more serious relationship right away.
On the other hand, a negative dating experience can put a long pause on your dating life as you might want to wait longer to find someone who would not make you relive the same negative experience from the last time.
Fortunately, whether you are a seasoned ‘dater’ or this is your first-ever first date, these tips here will help you have an enjoyable first date and pave the way for a remarkable romantic journey thereafter.
How To Have A Fantastic First Date
1. Setting the Stage
Setting the stage involves finding someone who would make a good date partner for you. You should meet someone who connects with you as much as you connect with them. This way, you can be sure that the whole date experience will be more enjoyable than if the connection is being forced.
In this modern era when many people find love on the web, one great way to achieve this is to use a reliable dating app that is free from fraudulent people who are disguised as date partners. It can be an awful first date experience if your date never shows up.
Another important way to set the stage is to use a good venue that allows you to be as comfortable as possible while trying to know your date better.
2. Stay calm and be yourself
Having a fantastic first date does not require you to stress unnecessary things. You just have to keep calm and collected. Do not get too mindful of what people around you might say or think, instead decide in your mind to focus only on the needs of your partner during the date.
To have a successful and enjoyable first date, be yourself. Being too mindful of what you will do or say, or what other people might think can create a disconnect between you and your date, thus, making the overall experience unsatisfactory in the end.
3. Prepare a list of topics to discuss
Nothing can be worse than awkward silence on a first date. Not knowing what to ask can make you and your date partner uncomfortable, and that can make the date an awful experience.
To avoid this, prepare a pre-list of topics you would like to discuss, say three to six depending on how long you want the date to last. Having something to say throughout the date can make it very enjoyable for both of you, making you want to plan the next date almost immediately.
The topics should revolve around getting to know your partner, their interests, hobbies, preferences, travel experiences, and others. This information may already have been provided from the social media or dating app where you met but they are worth discussing over the date.
Lastly, you don’t have to write these on paper. That makes it too weird and mechanical. You can simply find a way to keep this list in your head and let it flow out normally.
4. Learn to sustain the conversation
Keeping a list of topics in your head or writing them down can make you more nervous than expected. This is because you are worried that you might forget one or fail to understand what you meant for any of the topics.
To avoid that and make your first date more fun and interesting, learning to sustain a conversation is key. The secret is to take every last statement as a cue to the next.
One common mistake people make when engaging in a conversation is having to go back to the last two conversations when another new statement has already been made. It is always good to follow the flow rather than being very logical in the conversation with your date.
5. Don’t set too high expectations
As part of setting the stage, you want to know as much as you can about your date before meeting them in person. But avoid setting too high expectations to avoid getting disappointed when your date is less attractive than you expected.
To avoid getting disappointed at your date’s real look, make sure you have asked them for unedited photos or checked their social media feeds for pictures that show their real look as much as possible. Forming unrealistic expectations about your partner can make it an unpleasant and unsatisfying date experience.
6. Plan the date together
Even though the planning input is not expected to be equal on both sides, you should try to involve your date as much as possible. Things like first-date ideas, for example, horse-riding, mountain climbing, surfing, or a visit to the beach, are fantastic ideas but your partner may not like it.
You should find out from your date in a subtle way what they would like and then add your own surprise spice to the picture. Finding a mutually satisfying place ensures that both of you feel comfortable when you see each other for the first time.
7. Strike a balance between being official and familiar
By default, you are happy when your date partner is happy. This is why most of the efforts spent planning for a first date are geared towards trying to make them happy. You have to strike a healthy balance between being official and familiar.
It’s true you might have been talking before but that does not mean you can say or ask any question you want. Attacking your date partner with too personal questions on the first date can put them off and make them express their displeasure, further ruining your fun too.
Respect your date’s privacy and personal borders. Listen attentively and try to understand what topics they won’t want to discuss, and avoid asking the same question twice if they prefer not to say. Remember that you have enough time and more dates to gradually become more familiar and comfortable with each other.
Final words
While there are many more ways to improve your first date experience, these seven tips above will be very helpful. A successful date is one where both partners go home happy and satisfied, and this is largely dependent on how well you reduce the awkwardness and anxiety often experienced on first dates.
Lastly, you can get creative on your first date to further spice up the overall experience but you should be careful to carefully understand what your date would not like before going ahead. Whatever the case is, being confident and able to control the situation will make your date more comfortable and at ease throughout the date.
