Tips for a Valentine’s Day First Date 

A first date always comes with a lot of anxiety and pressure as the negative flipside of the excitement and anticipation. What if they don’t like you? What if you don’t like them? What if there’s an awkward silence? What if you babble on like a complete fool because you’re so nervous?! So imagine what it’s like to have your first date on Valentine’s Day.

It can happen of course. February 14th is just another date on the calendar, so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be an option for a first date. But then again, it’s a date that comes with a lot of baggage.

So, it’s early February. You’ve met a new Bumble connection and things are going well. You’re ready to move on to your first date. Meeting them IRL for the first time. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so do you meet up before the day or wait for it to come around as your first date? Is it a good idea?

One reason why it might be a great plan is that - planning ahead - you’re going to have the anniversary of your first date on Valentine’s Day every year! How cute and also efficient is that?! It certainly won’t be easy to forget your anniversary and you’ll only need to buy a combined gift for the two occasions. Genius!

There’s obviously potential downsides. Valentine’s Day is an expensive time to do something romantic together because everyone else who is already in couples is doing it too. And they’ve probably booked all the good places as well, having had the advantage of already being couples and having actually met each other before.

Something to consider is how you discuss this plan with your connection, making sure you’re open about your feelings about meeting for a first date on Valentine’s Day. You don’t want them to get the wrong idea and think that you’re getting way too serious way too quickly. So keep it lighthearted and let it be a first date with all the magic and terror that comes with it, rather than a Valentine’s Day date.

If you’ve decided to go ahead with it, you’re probably now wondering what to do on a first date on Valentine's Day. It’s a fair question. As we’ve already mentioned, it’s a busy day and often an overpriced day to try and do simple things like eating out in a restaurant. So why not try something different?

Here are some first Valentine’s Day date ideas:

Most of the very formal places will be full of couples doing their Valentine’s Day things. So avoiding those may be a good idea, especially as the atmosphere there will be very full-on for what will be the first time you’ve ever met your date. The flipside is that a lot of the more casual places like bars, bowling alleys and places like that will be quieter than usual, so why not take advantage and take some of the pressure and expectation off at the same time?

First dates should be about getting to know the other person in real life and the best way to do this is to do it while having fun with each other in a relaxed setting. Few people will be playing mini golf on Valentine’s Day ,for example, so why not take advantage and laugh your way around the course, making stronger connections than you would in some expensive restaurant?

Most of all, don’t forget to treat this as a first date, not a Valentine’s Day date.

Another option for a relaxed first date on Valentine's Day is to avoid the crowds altogether by staying at home. You do have to be comfortable with this idea of course, as you’re technically still strangers (even if you have video chatted a few times), but it’s a way to swerve the expectations of a formal date on this day of days and you can keep it much more casual. Here are some tips:

Instead of one of you having the responsibility of cooking for the date, why not see how well you can work together by preparing the food between you? If there’s lots of laughs along the way and you end up with edible food, you’re on to a winner there. If you’ve spent the evening arguing about who was meant to chop the garlic, that’s probably a red flag right there.

A super-fun way to spend a productive first date together while not taking yourselves or Valentine’s Day too seriously, an evening playing board games is just perfect. Again, it’s also a good way to see what kind of personality they have.

What makes good Valentine's Day gifts for a first date? There’s a balance to find here, as you could either go too romantic and look creepy or you could go too casual and look like you’re not really interested. Flowers and chocolates are always a safe bet, but you could also pick a gift related to whatever you’ve decided to do for the date. This shows that you’re thinking of the other person and invested in making this a great night.

This is another area that could go either way. Generally, the best rule is to look at what the date will actually involve. Will it be very casual, outdoors, or indoors? These are all factors to bear in mind.

Finding the blend between looking good and looking relaxed seems like the best option for any first date, regardless of what the calendar date is. Most of all, try not to overthink it just because it’s taking place on Valentine’s Day. Be you, because that’s the most important thing you can ever be.