1. The Movie Theater
This one is the most common mistkae for a first date simply because there is little-to-no opportunity to have a conversation. Movie theaters are known to be quiet spaces for people to enjoy their movies, thus leaving no possibility of sparking up conversations unless you want to hear constant “shhhs”. It may sound great to go out for a movie and dinner but having to sit with a stranger next to you for a couple of hours can be a bit awkward. It may be best to opt out of the movie or simply get dinner beforehand to get to know each other first.
2. Any Fast-food Restaurant
Nothing says “I put little to no effort on this date” than taking your partner to a fast-food restaurant. Though it is affordable, it is not the most romantic place to go to. Unless there is a high preference and a mutual decision to go to a fast-food chain as your first date, then by all means go for it. However, a casual or higher-end restaurant is most likely to impress your date.
3. Home
Going to each other’s houses for a first date is not ideal. You don’t know each other yet so it could raise alarms if you invite your date to your house. It may be best to meet up on neutral ground like a coffee shop, bar, or restaurant.
4. Your Parents’ House
Meeting the parents on the first date can be very awkward, you barely know enough about your date and suddenly you are presenting them to your parents? This is simply a recipe for disaster – it may be worth waiting some time (after a couple of dates perhaps) to take your potential new partner to officially meet your family.
5. A Wedding
A wedding isn’t as terrible, but you are surrounded by your date’s friends and maybe even family where the whole topic is love. It can be a bit cumbersome as you try to put yourself out there by being social with everyone you meet at the wedding and sharing an intimate experience with a person you barely know. Though I’m not saying a wedding is completely the worst first date idea, it may just be a bit much to take all in.
6. Sporting event
This one is very similar to the movie theater, though in this case, you do have the opportunity to have more conversations; however, the loudness of the crowd and the game going on can be quite distracting. A sporting event is one of those situations where you may spend more time watching the game than you would getting to know one another. This is a great down-the-line date in my opinion though not as terrible as a movie theater date.
7. The Gym
I’m not sure how I would feel wearing workout clothes and being sweaty on a first date. A gym is not really the first place that comes to mind when you think of a first date and neither do leggings as an outfit – for me at least. At the gym, people are not trying to impress anyone therefore women for the most part do not wear makeup to the gym, talk about being sweaty and having a full face of makeup. A gym session as a first date is a big fat no thank you!
8. A Funeral
Self-explanatory. You would think…
9. Concert
Again, similar to a movie theater date, concerts may not be the best for a first date since it may be hard to listen to each other speak. It may be great to share listening to your favorite artist in person with your date; however, it leaves no room to get to know each other and have meaningful conversations.
10. Hiking
Hiking and a gym date go hand in hand, though some people may prefer a hike on a first date. Sure, it’s casual and the walk can be nice; however, it is one of those activities where you may get sweaty, it can be a long-time commitment, and it may be safer to establish trust on the first date in a public setting. Some people may beg to differ, I personally would prefer dinner over a hike on the first date.
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