Planning A Date
First, is this the first time you and your date have gone out? You might want to run your plans by your date ahead of time. An ocean side seafood restaurant might be romantic, but not if your date is allergic to seafood. You might love listening to live jazz in a smoky bar, but what if your date hates smoke? A simple run down of the plans will keep you from having any embarrassing situations with a date who does not want to participate in what you have planned.
Before you plan a date, spend some time talking to the person you are going out with. Find out what they like to do. If they casually mention that they love a certain restaurant, or a certain dance club, you might win bonus points for taking them there.
If you have gone out many times, you might want to consider cooking dinner for your date at your home. Can’t cook? Many restaurants offer take-out service now. Although it is probably not a good idea to pass off the cooking as your own! Then your date will wonder later why one day you can prepare filet mignon and the next you can’t boil an egg. A quiet night playing board games can be fun and romantic.
If possible, try to plan a date on a weeknight versus a weekend. There will be less people out and you are likely to be able to talk more and wait in lines less. If you are planning on going to a particular restaurant, make sure you call ahead to see about reservations. You also should let your date know what activities are planned so that they can dress appropriately. You don’t want your date to be wearing jeans and flip flops if you are going to the opera and you don’t want your date in high heeled shoes if you are taking a five mile nature hike.
The night before your date, you might want to do some personal planning too. Make sure you have the outfit selected that you want to wear. Try it on and make sure you are happy with it. You don’t want to realize that your perfect date outfit has a huge stain five minutes before you need to leave. Make sure you have directions to where you are going and your date’s phone number in case you get lost or have to cancel.
It doesn’t matter if you are man or a woman, always bring enough money to cover all of your expenses. Don’t assume your date will pay for your meal and then get stuck in an uncomfortable position because you didn’t bring any cash. Also, if your date picks you up, you might want to consider bringing money for a taxi in case the date goes really bad! It is also smart to pack a few pieces of gum in your pocket or purse in case the date goes well and you want a good night kiss!
Ron Zvagelsky has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2006. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of PlanJam – where you can find ideas for a fun date and then plan a date.
