What is dating etiquette? Well this will give you a basic rundown of some do’s and don’ts on a date.
1) Call her and tell her to come outside.
2) Honk your horn till they come outside.
3) Yell out the car window for her to come outside.
Should I Get a Gift?
One question that has been asked is if a gift should be given on the first date. I don’t believe in gifts on first dates unless it is their birthday. If it is a birthday a card should be sufficient. Spending money on an extremely nice or expensive gift is not necessary because you don’t really know that person and if they are expecting that then that may not be the person that you are looking to date seriously. Flowers are an optional gift if you are going to get one at all. Flowers can speak volumes if you make the right selection. If she mentions that she likes flowers and she mentions on that she likes then get that one. If she does not mention any then roses are a safe bet. Because it’s a first date a single rose is sufficient. You don’t have to buy a bouquet unless you want to. If you are going for a romantic touch please be in mind that each rose that has a different color also has a different meaning as well. Carnations are also a great flower to get as well.
At The Restaurant
Once at the restaurant the man should pull out her chair or wait for her to be seated first. Offer to assist her in taking off her coat. When ordering your meal please order entrees that you like and based on how hungry you are. Don’t order steak and lobster if you only have an appetite for an appetizer and vice versa. If you can’t finish your entrée get a “take out box”. There is nothing worst that watching your date eat two bites and then saying that they are full with a dish that is costing you $25 or more. That will definitely end the night early. When paying for the meal the one that asks for the date is the one that should be paying. When planning the date you already know what you budget is so make sure it is something that you can afford. Don’t ask your date to the movies and then hope they don’t ask for refreshments because you don’t have enough money.
Conversation
During the date three subjects should never be discussed are religion, politics, and abortions. These are not topics of casual conversation. These are debate topics. Remember you are trying to get to know a person. In the getting to know a person process it will help you to later understand why they have certain views about a subject. If you are going to talk about your past relationships please keep it short and simple. The best way to answer the question is to state that things just did not work out. The details specific details are not of importance during the first date. If talking about your past relationship is still painful then politely tell your date that you do not want to talk about it. Your date should respect that and change the subject.
If you are going to talk about children do not talk negative about the other parent. If the other parent is active in the child’s life then state that they are and if they are not then just say that they are not. Going into specifics as to why they are not active can be a bit overwhelming for a first date. An example of giving to much information is this:
Male: Why did the last guy let a beautiful woman let you get away?
Woman: This muthafcuka thought he was slick and was fucking my co-worker and thought I wasn’t going to find out. I fixed his ass and that bitch.
Can you see how that may sound a bit overwhelming to someone on the opposite end of the conversation? That only shows that you still have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with and you are definitely not ready to move on yet.
Leaving the Tip
Who should leave the tip? Customarily the one that is paying for the meal is the one that leaves the tip however it’s a new era. The one that is invited to dinner should leave the tip. Now the person paying the bill may just take care of the tip however you should always should make the first offer to get the tip. When leaving the tip don’t go cheap leave a 10% to 15% tip.
End of the Date
Men should always walk her to the door. If she insists that you don’t have to walk her to the door watch to make sure that she makes it to the door and makes it inside safely. Ladies like a sense of protection. If she is the driver on the date then call her to make sure that she made it home.
When it comes to the goodnight kiss please be aware that the goodnight kiss is optional and not mandatory. Goodnight kisses are earned and if you don’t get one then maybe you have not earned enough points to get the kiss yet. If there is a kiss hands should be at her waist. The kiss is not your opportunity to get free feels on your date unless she gives you permission to.
I hope some of these things give you an idea of what to do on a first date or any date at all. Married couples can also apply these rules when doing their date nights as well. Just because you are married does not mean the romance should end. You can always recreate a first date to continue the romance that you two share.
