Whether you’ve met your perfect mate or you’re still searching, we all look forward to date nights. Excitement is in the air as we anticipate how things might unfold. We hope for an opportunity to create new memories with someone through intimate and bold encounters. Sure, dating experiences might not always work out as planned. But the potential is always there. That’s what makes date night so exciting and something we cannot wait to enjoy.
Unfortunately, creating the perfect date night in a world in lockdown is challenging to say the least. Without large events and big social gatherings, options are more limited. As a result, many couples prefer to have their own dating experience in the safety of their own home. But how can one plan a spectacular date night while quarantined at home? More so, how can you create a bold dating experience when a virtual encounter is all that is available? (For more on the importance of relationships in a Bold Life, check out Ed Kopko’s book PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success, out soon!)
Fortunately, all it takes is a bit of creativity and a bold effort on your part. Just because you’re in lockdown mode doesn’t mean date night has to suffer. There are a number of great dating experiences you can recreate whether it’s in your living room or remotely. With a bit of planning and some strong imagination, anything is possible. And to help spark some ideas, here are 8 awesome dating experiences you might consider for our current times.
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Recreate Your Favorite Restaurant
Perhaps one of the most special dating experiences involves going to your favorite place to dine. It might be somewhere you fell in love. The restaurant might bring back great memories. Or it might be a place that you both know as intimate and romantic. In any case, recreating the atmosphere, décor, and recipes for a date night is a great way to recreate the mood. This date experience can be done together at home or virtually with enough planning.
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Plan a Spa Evening for Two
If you’re looking for something a little more intimate, how about a spa experience while in lockdown? After a long day of working at home and dealing with COVID stress, a spa could be just the thing. Set the mood with soothing music, sweet aromas, and fresh flowers. And then offer a hot oil massage, bubble bath, or other relaxing treat. Certainly, this would be ideal if both of you were at home together. But even remote spa date experiences can work with some creativity.
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Paint Your Partner
At first, you might be hesitant to test out your creative painting skills. But in actuality, nothing is more intimate than you and your date painting one another. Inherently, each of you must study the other’s unique physical features. This naturally promotes engagement and an opportunity to connect at a very personal level. If this date night is too much, you might consider choosing something you can paint together. Either way, this can make for a wonderful dating experience when social outings aren’t feasible.
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Wine, Charcuterie, and Paris
How about a date night that invites some worldly culture into your lives? One option is to create your own charcuterie chess board with all the niceties. Combine this with a nice wine sampling and a virtual exploration of a foreign country together. Almost immediately, it will feel that your date experience has travelled abroad to the romantic destination of your choice. Tuscany, Paris, Lisbon and a variety of locations might be considered depending on your preferences and desires.
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Date Night at the Cinema
Most of us have had our share of date night experiences watching a movie at home during COVID. But this dating experience involves more than simply turning on Netflix and snuggling on the couch. Instead, create an outdoor cinema in your backyard with gourmet popcorn, self-created tickets, and more. Even if your partner is away, they can still participate through platforms like Netflix Party. This lets both of you watch the film in a synchronized fashion and text-chat throughout. This is a great variation on an old dating theme.
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Intimate Book Club
One of the most interesting dating experiences can involve having you and your partner read to one another. Not only will this provide entertainment and a subject for deeper conversations. But it will also focus your attention on one another’s voice, intonations, and facial expressions. An intimate book club date night is thus a great way to spend some quality alone time together. Likewise, it’s a nice way to explore new reading lists together. And of course, this can be done together or virtually depending on your circumstances.
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Backyard Picnic and Treasure Hunt
If you’re looking to mix up your dating experiences with a bit of fun, a backyard picnic is a good option. Cozy up to one another on a blanket and watch the sunset. Or create a fun picnic dinner together that you both can enjoy. To make things more fun, you might consider creating a treasure hunt for one another. Treasures can be a variety of items from actual gifts to activities after the pandemic is over. These types of activities along with other games can create a memorable date night that is both fun and engaging.
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Romantic Dancing
While going out for dinner and dancing is difficult currently, you can still create the same dating experience at home. If your date night is virtual, you can plan an evening listening to music and showing off your dance moves. And if you’re together, then you can truly improve your dance skills while getting to know your partner better. For many couples, dancing is a great way to connect while having a fun time. And it’s certain to create some wonderful memories that will help you look on these times more favorably.
Make Your Date Night Your Own
The ideas for awesome dating experiences above are just a few creative considerations you might explore. But each couple is unique, and every date night offers a chance for something new. Understanding this, there’s no limit to the creative ideas you might explore when planning your next date night. Be bold, be innovative, and have fun. This is a great way to take advantage of the unusual relationship opportunities this pandemic brings. These might just turn out to be some of the greatest dating experiences you ever had.