7 Things to Know before Your First Double Date

Double dating may seem like fun and the ultimate way to hang out with people of your age group; however, it can get pretty complicated when four individuals with different personalities spend time together. With the possibility of insecurities, touchy issues, incompatibility, and weirdness cropping up, double dates can turn into double trouble unless you’re prepared for it.

Familiarizing yourself with a few unspoken double dating rules can help you know what to expect and how to act in order to have a good time.

Here are seven things you and your bae should be aware of before going out with another couple, thereby making the double date a delightful experience for all.

1) It Helps to Know Your Fellow Double Daters

Though it’s thrilling to meet new people, double dates get easier if everyone knows each other, thereby enabling couples to skip the introductory formalities and focus on having fun. Moreover, not knowing enough about the other couple can brew an awkward situation, especially if they find it tough to open up in the first meeting.

Consequently, it is wise to do some prior digging and know more about the people you will be meeting and understand their personality traits, tastes, economic status, and preferences. For instance, if you learn that the couple you are meeting is particularly picky about their diet and cuisine, you can book a multi-cuisine restaurant so everyone is comfortable and enjoys their time together. Likewise, avoid choosing an eatery that is beyond the other couple’s standard budget.If you share interests or activities, you can include those in your date, thereby enabling you and your partner to mingle with the other couple. Engaging in group activities during the date helps people open up, thus acting as an excellent ice-breaker. Once you get to know about the other pair’s preferences, you can suggest a few group activities, such as hiking, go-karting, and bowling, thereby enabling the group to overcome shyness and bond easily.

2) Making Everyone Feel at Home Is Important

Focusing on topics that very few people understand or aren’t interested in can be disastrous for your first double date. By spending too much time on talking about yourself, you run the risk of alienating the rest of the group.

Moreover, cracking inside jokes and dwelling upon situations and occasions that aren’t relevant to others in the group can make them feel left out. Hence, refrain from spending too much time on topics that make sense to a limited audience.Since you are meeting them for the first time, it is best to ask questions that will help each member open up easily. Make group members feel welcome by talking about their hobbies and likes and dislikes. Show genuine interest in their stories, maintain an eye contact, and listen to all what they have to share, thereby making them feel important.

3) Getting Too Personal Is Unacceptable

Asking too many personal questions about the other couple’s relationship status, the house rent he/she is paying, or his/her financial status is extremely distasteful and can prevent them from opening up to you.

Moreover, if you are meeting your best friend’s partner for the first time, avoid disclosing sensitive information about their relationship your friend may have shared with you but not him/her. For instance, if your best mate told you that his/her partner is looking for a job, avoid enquiring about it on the double date. Most people feel annoyed when they learn that their personal life is being discussed by others behind their back. When you get to know your fellow double daters better, you may feel the urge to share your personal information and stories with them. However, it is important to remember that getting too personal in the first meeting may land you in an awkward situation later.Also, cursing and using secret signals and dirty humor with your partner in public is extremely off-putting, spoiling the fun-filled dating atmosphere.

4) Too Much PDA Can Ruin Your Group Date

Without a doubt, dates are about romance and making romantic gestures; however, when going on a double date you need to be a little more considerate and take extra care to make sure everyone is comfortable. Moreover, if the other pair is new in their relationship, too much public display of affection (PDA) can make them feel uneasy.

It is nice to make your partner feel special, but getting too intimate on a double date can ruin the time you desire to spend with friends.

5) No One’s Interested in the Minute Details of Your Relationship

Talking incessantly about how much you love your partner, the trips you have planned together, your plan to get engaged/married and have kids can make the other couple uncomfortable. Moreover, if you and the other couple are at different stages in your respective relationships, such contentious conversations may cause them to fight later. When on a double date, make sure you don’t go overboard in sharing the microscopic details of your love life.

6) Binge Drinking Is a Recipe for Disaster

When on a date with another couple, it is best to go slow on the alcohol intake. You don’t want to be the only one ordering vodka shots and talking gibberish when the others in the group are sipping their drinks leisurely. It can be quite embarrassing and frustrating for them (especially your bae) to manage a person who is sloshed or has passed out after too many drinks.

Moderate your alcohol intake to avoid awkward situations. Also, avoid trying out concoctions and cocktails that you haven’t tried in the past. This is definitely not the time to experiment.

7) Going Dutch Isn’t Awkward

Settling the bill after a double date can feel quite awkward owing to the presence of two couples who are unsure of the double-dating etiquette. Since both the couples shared the meal, it is only fair for them to split the amount, thereby ensuring no one feels ripped off.

A double date can be either an exciting social event or the single-most awkward encounter for the foursome involved. If you and your beloved are stepping out with another couple for the first time, make sure you consider the above-mentioned points, thereby enabling yourself to have a fun-filled double date.