My Ideal Date Nights

Date nights are essential to every relationship. Creating space and time for one another builds intimacy and keeps the spark alive!

Everyone’s circumstances are different, and certainly every couple has different definitions on what a ‘date night’ is. Some couples expect more from one another, while others expect less!

Lately, I’ve been feeling like a lot of relationship expectations are set through the way people live (or pretend to live) through social media. Many women and men see things on social media and begin to demand the same time, money, gifts, dates, and standards that they see (or think they see) others adhering, from their partners in real life.

This is wrong, unrealistic, and it’s a complete set up designed to leave us disappointed and subsequently alone.

Whatever the case may be, it’s important that you and your partner are on the same page about date expectations. More importantly, it’s essential that you take the time to consistently show gratitude towards your partner.

In this article, I’d like to highlight a few of my favorite and most ideal date nights! Hopefully, this can spark some inspiration for you and your partner, give you new ideas, or you can add these to your list of things to do when you find the perfect partner!

I’d first like to start off with a quick disclaimer and that is: I am very low maintenance. From time to time, I enjoy trying new dates and activities (that aren’t too far out of our normalcy), but for the most part, I’m content with the smallest things. The best part about being this way is that I feel absolutely no shame about it!

That being said, my very first ideal date night would definitely be…

An At-Home Movie Night

An At-Home movie night is probably one of my absolute favorite date nights! It gives you the opportunity to step outside of the typical date routine, while still spending quality time with one another.

Another reason why I love at-home might nights is because of the variety it offers.

Here are different variations that you and your partner can add to your movie night:

• Beforehand, cook a homemade meal together and count this as part of your date.

• Going to get take-out together.

• Choosing a movie marathon to start so that you’ll have an incentive to have multiple movie nights (so that you can finish the marathon).

• Adding movies of different genres to popsicle sticks in a bowl and letting the other person pick.

• Having a themed movie where you wear matching pajamas and themed snacks.

• Make decorated snack boxes for each other- but allow it to be a surprise, don’t tell each other what you want inside the boxes.

There are many different ways to spice up this particular date to make it more fun and personable.

Personally, I feel that one of the best times of the year to have this date is during ‘cozy season’ in the Fall/Winter months- but really, it can be customized to any time of year!

Moving on, my second most ideal date night would probably be…

Going To Restaurants

Going out to eat (in moderation) is one of my favorite things to do in general- whether it’s alone or with my loved ones.

For a date night specifically, this is the perfect opportunity for you to slow down and catch up with your partner over a nice meal!

Going out to eat is a win/win in the intimacy category because you can either keep it traditional and go to one of you and your partner’s staple restaurants that you know you’ll enjoy or you can try a new restaurant and create space to bond over something different!

Additionally, for me, going to restaurants is a personal favorite because it is often a precursor to the bigger activity that is taking place within the date. After all, you really can’t have fun on an empty stomach!

Trying new restaurants or consistently sticking with your old favorites doesn’t have to be overly expensive or fancy! Remember, the most important part about going on dates with your partner is to keep intimacy, connection, gratitude, admiration and love alive- not how much money you can spend on each other and not how aesthetic it looks for social media.

That being said, my third and final date night would be…

Trying A New Activity

Painting with a twist, arcades, go karts, comedy shows, concerts, escape rooms - whatever you and your partner have never done before! Trying a new activity for your date night can be very exciting and maybe even become a staple date in your relationship.

Going to a new place that you both have never been together, whether it be somewhere you both agree on or a surprise, opens the door for you to be filled with gratitude and admiration because you’re experiencing something new as one.

Trying new activities for every date night doesn’t have to be a thing.

As you recall, my personal preference is to do things simple and familiar. However, from time to time, I do like to switch it up to try new activities! This gives us the opportunity to add new ‘date night staples’ into the rotation, while at the same time, naturally letting go of older, less fun dates. I will say though, that if every time date night rolled around there was a new activity to go and do, I’d definitely get overwhelmed and start missing some of the usual dates I’m used to!

What are some of your ideal date nights? Let me know in the comments!