Ways to Have an Awesome Blind Date: Getting set up on a blind date is pretty exciting and nerve racking at the same time. This is simply because you may have recently gone through a divorce or breakup and you want to put yourself out there on the dating line again. Sometimes, the blind date doesn’t always turn out right or your potential new romance might leave you feeling giddy and delighted.
However, meeting someone new or going on your first blind date could be nail biting as you will be thinking of who and how is the person that you are going to meet or what to ask in a blind date or what to say in a blind date?
You can never be more prepared if you set your perceptions and expectations neutral on your blind date rather than getting disappointed. So if you are preparing yourself for a blind date with someone you haven’t met before, here’s some good tips to help you have a smooth ride.
When you call her to ask her out have a plan of what you would like to do on the date. “Even if you are just meeting for coffee, have a plan where you would like to go for coffee. When she sees you have taken the time to plan the date, it makes the woman feel special. If you ask her to plan where to go, she may think you are not able to make any decisions,” says Elliott Katz, author of Being the Strong Man a Woman Wants: Timeless Wisdom on Being a Man.
A great first impression is crucial in getting a second date. “Make sure your clothes are nicely fitted, ironed and clean! Clean up your haircut, nails and make sure any facial hair is nicely trimmed,” says Amanda Rose, founder/CEO of Dating Boutique.
“Assuming you are meeting your blind date for a drink at a bar or dinner at a restaurant my go to outfit would be a button down shirt in a print, like a navy and white check or plaid, not the plain white or light blue one that you wore to the office that day,” says Nicola Harrison Ruiz an image and style consultant and founder the of Harrison Style. Roll the sleeves a few times. Pair if with dark, slim fitting jeans, a brown belt and brown shoes. This looks dressed up but not business-like. “If you want to take it up a notch add a layer such as a quarter-zip mock-neck sweater that lets the shirt peek out, or a thin quilted zip vest — I like the ones from Barbour. Layering always makes an outfit look more intentional and put together,” says Ruiz. Save the suit and tie for a night at the theater, and save the T-shirt, jeans and sneakers for date three of four, when you go to a football game.
“The biggest mistake I see men making that can make them look overweight, sloppy and unstyled is that they buy clothes too big for them. I’m not suggesting you wear skinny jeans or skin-tight dress shirts but even if you’re a bigger guy either get some custom shirts that will be made to perfectly fit your proportions or get measured and try on the trim-fit or slim fit shirts. Too often I see guys wearing shirts that look like balloons and when they get properly fitted they look about 10 pounds lighter,” says Ruiz.
You want to be the first one there so you get the home field advantage. “Get comfortable in the surroundings, and do something normal — like checking for email messages on your cell phone or checking Facebook,” says Chad Stone, author of The Love Magnet Rules: 101 Tips for Meeting, Dating and Keeping a New Love.
Nerves ruin more blind dates and first dates than anything else. “If you’re not having fun, neither is she. And if she isn’t having fun, you will never hear from her again,” says Stone.
But cut your date a little slack if they aren’t relaxing. Some people (maybe even you) aren’t instantly comfortable and charming when meeting someone new. If there’s any kind of spark at all, give it a chance to grow brighter, says Stone.
You are going to meet a person. That’s all. “Don’t think it’s going to be a waste of time, don’t think it’s going to be the universe bringing you your spouse. This is simply law of attraction at work. See the blind date meeting as information from the universe telling you what your vibe is like. Like attracts like so pay attention to your blind date. You can end up seeing a whole lot of truth about where you are in your life,” says Lisa Concepcion is the founder of LoveQuest Marketing, a personal development firm that applies proven marketing techniques and tactics to teach people how to find, give and keep love.
Instead of having the surface “Where are you from?” or “What kind of music/movies/activities do you like?” you can break the ice with a fun question that will get both of you thinking while simultaneously opening the door to lots of interesting conversation, suggests dating expert Laurel House. Stuff like: “Two truths and a lie. I’ll start.”
“The reason that you need to start first is because you need to be the example of your expectation. Tell two interesting truths that have a bigger story to them. When your date tells her two truths and a lie, and once the lie is exposed, ask her first about the lie — where did that idea come from? Her creative imagination can often say just as much about her as her actual life experiences. Now don’t just move on from the topic, dive into her two truths. Ask her the ‘why’ behind them. What is the story, the passion, the impetus, the lesson, the history, the feeling, the takeaway from the experience or fact,” says House.
Your date doesn’t want to hear about your ex-wife or your ex-girlfriends — she wants to get to know you. You probably shouldn’t ask very personal questions on a first date. “What you want to do is to see whether you have any common interests, whether you laugh at the same things, and whether your values and goals are similar. If your date is interested in something that you don’t know much about, ask her questions about it to show your interest in understanding what excites her. Don’t be judgmental; be a good listener. Also, stay away from conversations about other women,” says Laura Lieff, president of Accentuating Service.
Good or bad, you always want to leave the date on a high note rather than when conversation goes dry or when the date has lasted more then an hour and a half.
Your date has taken a lot of time off from their life to spend it with you. Respect that thought and your date. Even if you find your date boring or someone who’s on the opposite end of your perfect definition of a lover, don’t treat them with disrespect. Be pleasant and finish the date with a happy memory, even if it wasn’t a perfect fairytale ending.