Dating Tips

20 First Date Conversation Ideas

Keep dating conversation flowering

First dates can be nerve wracking for all concerned and it’s normal to feel a bit lost for words at times. There’s nothing worse though than awkward silences when you can’t think what to say and your date goes quite too, or conversations that start off well, but falter and end very quickly.

Asking questions is always a good way of promoting discussion, but simple questions that can be easily answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ aren’t ideal, as they can stop before they really get started. The key to good conversation is to ask leading questions – questions that someone else needs to get stuck into answering with a sentence or two, rather than a short response, and ideally when they’re able to share information about themselves or their views in the process.

To help you achieve the most from your first date, learn about the interests of your date and avoid any awkward moments, here are 20 first date conversation ideas. They’re all leading questions that you can use to get to know your date and fill in quiet moments – just don’t forget to give him or her the chance to ask you questions too!

1. What hobbies do you have?
2. What’s your favourite way of relaxing?
3. What do you like to do at the weekends?
4. What music/bands do you like?
5. What would your perfect day consist of? (Note: You could try and make this into a future date!).
6. What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had?
7. What places would you love to visit?
8. If you found a £50 note on the pavement, what would you do with it?
9. What was your first car?
10. If you had the chance to be granted three wishes, what would they be?
12. If you had superpowers, what would they be?
13. What did you want to be when you grew up?
14. What do you like most about the job you do and what do you dislike?
15. If you won the lottery, what would you spend the winnings on?
16. What do you like most about women/men?
17. What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve ever had?
18. What’s your favourite meal?
19. Which food or drink could you not live without?
20. What’s your most annoying habit?

If you don’t get through all these questions on your first date, then hang onto some for your second date. Take note of relevant thoughts and ideas that you glean from the answers that get shared and see how you could incorporate them in romantic days out, trips or further dates. Above all, have fun and enjoy your date!

Tags: chat, chatting, conversation, first date, ice breaker, talk, talking

4 First Date Preparation Tips

First dates are all about making a good first impression and this is especially so when you’re moving from chatting online to meeting in person. As well as looking your best, successful date preparation involves being organised in other ways too. Read on to discover our four top tips for essential first date preparation.

1. Swot Up on Emails Before Your Date

It’s not unusual for people to be in contact with several potential dates, especially if using an online dating site. Before your date, make sure you swot up on the emails and messages you’ve exchanged – it is not a good first impression to start mixing people up and can be a real conversation and date killer.

2. Choose an Appropriate Date Setting

Use the knowledge you’ve gained about your date from chatting online to pick an appropriate date setting. Meeting in a club may seem fine to you, but if your date has commented that they don’t like noisy clubs and prefer quiet locations, then the date will be a dud before you even get there.

3. Speak On The Phone

If you’ve only ever exchanged emails or texts, it’s helpful to have at least spoken to your date on the phone once or twice before you meet for the first time. You may find that you don’t like the sound of him, you can’t understand his accent or that she doesn’t get your jokes.

You might want to still give the date a go anyway, but if you don’t fancy it anymore, then at least it will save you both time, effort and money.

4. Be Clear About Where You’re Meeting

There’s nothing worse than waiting for ages for your date to turn up, only to discover you’re been waiting in the wrong place. So in your date preparation, be clear about exactly where you’re meeting and make sure the other person knows the details.

Some stations have two or more entrances and exits, for example, and there may be bars or restaurants with the same name, but in different locations. In case of confusion, give your date a postcode or email a link to a streetmap, so you’ll know they’ve got the right information before you set off.

Tags: date tips, first date, preparation