Tips and tricks for your first date

First dates can be awkward, embarrassing and make you quite nervous. All of us have experienced this at some point in our lives. Meeting someone for the first time in person, or even just meeting a friend with romantic intentions might make you scared, but having some clear tips and tricks that you can depend on might help you get out of the scary zone. 

Having a strategy where you know what kind of a location you are looking for and having a simple checklist you can follow while preparing for your first date might be the thing you need to keep your cool. By being prepared you can avoid some of the awkwardness and you can enjoy the date itself without being overwhelmed. 

Below are some key points that you should focus on. 

Keep the location simple

Preparing for your first date should be simple and you shouldn’t overcomplicate it, because that could create some stress for you. If you have already chatted before with your date, you might already have some ideas in mind on where to meet up. If they love books you could head into a bookstore and then grab a cup of coffee afterwards, or they might love animals so you plan a zoo-date. Keep in mind though that you are not expected to come up with the most amazing first date, you just need to be yourself - since that is what they are interested in. As you will get to know each other you will know more about each other’s likes and dislikes, based on which you can make more elaborate activities. If you are struggling to come up with a first date idea you can check out our list of first date date ideas here.

Prepare some conversation topics

Meeting in person can be quite intimidating, as you might be worried about awkward silences and not being able to come up with an interesting topic to talk about. We get it! It happens to the rest of us as well, that is why we have compiled a list of questions that can help you fire up a conversation or at least bring you some inspiration. Check out the list of conversation starters and first date questions here

Try active listening

You will have to strive for the perfect balance of give and take during your conversation. Try to ask follow-up questions on the topics that they have mentioned, this will allow you to deep dive into the more general questions. So if they talk about how many siblings they have you might want to ask about their relationship with them, or maybe you could ask about a fond memory they have about their siblings. By these small questions they will know that you are paying attention and it also makes the first date a little bit more interesting than just going over the standard stuff.

Strive for a great first impression

A first impression only takes a few seconds, but they can lead to the other’s opinion that might be hard to change afterwards. Below are a notes you should consider:

• Clothes - clean and appropriate
• Appearance - make sure you are clean and without anything within your teeth
• Smile - the ultimate tip for a first impression
• Be on time

Splitting the bill

Oh yes, the awkward moment when the bill arrives. At this age, there is really no rule anymore - you should listen to your gut. If you are unsure you should ask whether you should split the bill. Or if you are confident you might pay and say “you can take the next one”, and with this you may continue your conversation about the next date.

The ending of a date

If you are one of the lucky ones you have felt spark, connection and you would like to continue dating this person. Try to make sure that the person knows you are interested, try to mention what a great time you had and you would like to meet again. Hopefully they will want the same and you can look forward to your second date. If you are unsure what to do next you can check out some of our second date date ideas here.

Meet the author, Anna, a passionate advocate for love and romance. Finding her soulmate at a young age, she counts her blessings daily. Anna and her partner believe in keeping the spark alive, continuously crafting exciting date ideas to inspire others. Her love for romance extends beyond real life - she's an ardent fan of romantic comedies in movies, series, and, especially, books. With an unwavering optimism, Anna consistently seeks the silver lining in all aspects of life.