A romantic sunset picnic
This is the essential summer-time date! It’s simple, easy to execute, and will make your girlfriend absolutely melt.
For location, choose her favorite park — or you can try someplace new (but be sure to scope out a spot beforehand!). Find a place that has a spectacular view of the sunset, if possible. More elevated places (like at the top of a hill) are good, or on the bank of a river or lake for maximum beauty! Wherever you choose, make sure it is a special location.
For food, you can keep it simple with sandwiches, chips, and fresh fruits & veggies. But if you really want to impress her, make your own charcuterie board! For a classic charcuterie, gather favorite deli meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts, and jams, then spread them out on a large wooden or plastic tray. And you can’t forget dessert! Pick up her favorite cookies or pastries, or (if you’ve got some extra time and you’re comfortable in the kitchen) bake them yourself! Homemade treats always mean more (and can taste better too!).
For drinks, I recommend bringing some wine, if the park rules permit it. If not, sparkling apple cider or sparkling grape juice make excellent alternatives and will still make her feel fancy and chic.
You may want to buy a picnic basket for both aesthetics and to make carrying the food easier, but it’s not necessary. Any bag or box will do. Pro tip: if you want it to be a surprise, a duffel bag can work wonders!
If you’re meeting her there, make sure to get there early so you can set everything up. If you head there together, set it all up once you two have found the perfect spot to sit. Let her take as many pictures as she wants — even snap a few of her, because you know she’s going to want to remember this day… and she’ll look absolutely gorgeous! But, once you both have finished capturing the moment, put the phones aside so you can truly enjoy each other’s company and your beautiful surroundings. Bonus points if you time it just right so the sun sets during dessert!
Take a class together
Summer offers ample opportunities for you and your significant other to grow together as a couple, and a great way to do that is taking some classes together!
If you’re unsure which class to take, cooking classes are a great go-to. Cooking together is a fantastic bonding experience, and you must have heard — the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach! Plus, you’re able to learn a bunch of new recipes that you can later make at home to enjoy.
Another popular choice you can try is Painting with a Twist! This is a live, guided-painting class that offers alcoholic beverages like wine or specialty cocktails while you paint. It’s a great introductory class meant for all skill levels, so you don’t have to be a master of the arts to give it a go. The drinks help you loosen up and just have fun with your painting. At the end of the day, it’s not about the painting itself, but the time you spend with your partner.
Yoga classes are always a great Zen experience for couples to help relax and unwind — but if you’re looking to do something a little different, why not try goat yoga? Yes, with actual goats! Yoga can be quite challenging if you’re new to it, so the goats are introduced to help you have fun and not take yourself too seriously. It’s a type of animal therapy (also known as goat therapy). These adorable little kids (baby goats) are proven to boost your serotonin levels and lower your overall stress as they hang out and playfully climb all around.
If you two are adrenaline junkies at heart, take advantage of the warm weather by joining some outdoor activity lessons! Kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, horseback riding, archery, or even axe throwing — there are so many fun possibilities! All it takes is one quick google search for you to discover the classes offered in your area, and you’ll be good to go! However, it’s probably not best to make this one a surprise, because you both want to make sure you’re dressed appropriately.
You know your girlfriend best, so be sure to choose a class she’d enjoy most, or try an assortment of different ones! The world is your oyster this summer, so make the most of it!
A soothing at-home spa date
If you’ve noticed your significant other has been extra stressed-out lately, then this date will leave her feeling pampered and refreshed.
Gathering the supplies can sound more intimidating than it actually is, especially if you’re not familiar with the products. Shopping at a smaller, locally-owned cosmetics company can help, as they’ll usually have experts who are happy to help answer all your questions. If you’d rather not ask for advice, look up at-home spa supplies online, and make a list — you’ll probably find most of what you’ll need at your local Target or other department store. For starters, make sure to stock up on facemasks, bath bombs, some massage oil or lotion, and your girlfriend’s favorite wine (or other favorite drink)!
The day of, start by running your partner a nice, warm bath. A bath bomb of her favorite scent or relaxing bath salts can really set the mood. Light candles placed either around the tub or sink, and play some calm, soothing music. Spotify and YouTube have lots of playlists to choose from, or you can make your own that suits your girlfriend’s music taste!
For facemasks, charcoal masks are always a great go-to. They help exfoliate the skin, leaving it silky smooth. Lavender and aloe vera masks work well to relax and rehydrate the skin, so those are good backups. I recommend staying away from the peel-off masks — stick with cream, clay, or even sheet masks because they are better suited for a relaxing night in. If you want to get really fancy with it, chop up a few cold cucumber slices to place on her eyelids. This is a tip that will make her feel like she’s in a luxurious resort instead of at home, and they also help soothe under-eye circles!
After the bath, spoil her by giving her a sensual massage — this is where that massage oil comes in. An oil or lotion is necessary, but it also adds a nice, sweet-smelling touch that your girlfriend will love. Focus on her shoulders, back, and feet — as these places tend to store the most tension. It’s important to work slowly and carefully, paying attention to how her body reacts and adjusting accordingly. You don’t want to hurt her here! If you aren’t confident in your massaging abilities or she’s not comfortable with a massage, you can just rub her back and play with her hair. Trust me, she will adore you for it.
Finish off the evening with drinks, and don’t be afraid to join in on the relaxing fun yourself! Try a face mask, too, and maybe even join her in the bubble bath. Everyone deserves some TLC and soothing self-care.
The classic dinner and a movie
This date is a classic for a reason. Going out to your local theatre can be a lot of fun, but there’s also something special about staying in and cuddling up with the one you love after an intimate dinner. There are additional options for the at-home route — you can take advantage of the warm weather by setting up a projector and some blankets outside, or you can stick with your living room and cozy loveseat.
If you two usually don’t stay in — staying in, in itself, will be a treat — so I highly recommend one of the at-home options. If your date likes Disney movies, you could do Frozen or Inside Out. If she likes romcoms, there’s The Proposal, 10 Things I Hate About You, or really anything based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. If you’re having trouble finding one she’ll like, try inputting her favorite movie into Film Tagger for recommendations!
In terms of food, a home-cooked meal will mean so much to your girlfriend — I promise! You can never go wrong with pasta or other Italian dishes like chicken or eggplant parmesan with toasted garlic bread. If you’re new to cooking, you can find some simple recipes online. However, if you fear you’ll burn the house down or maybe you both are exhausted from working, then take-out from her favorite restaurant will also work!
Now, just because this date is a great, well-known go-to doesn’t mean you can’t spruce it up a bit to make it extra special.
Why not make it a themed movie night? Try to put together a meal that goes with the theme of the movie — include foods that are either featured in the movie itself or are popular in the region the story is set in. For example, say you pick a Disney movie like Frozen. Cook up some Swedish meatballs, lay out a snack tray, and create little Olafs with pretzel sticks, carrots, and marshmallows! Whip up vanilla milkshakes with blue sprinkles or rock candy for Elsa, and add some white chocolate strawberries for dessert. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to be fun!
You can try to think of your own themed recipes, but if you’re having trouble, you can always do a quick google search to see what creative ideas others have already come up with. Who knows? These themed movie nights may turn into your date-night staple and become a fun event you two can look forward to every month!
Scavenger hunt
Yes, this date requires more effort on your part, but the look on your girlfriend’s face will be well worth it. You’re going to create a scavenger hunt centered around your relationship or your girlfriend’s favorite things.
Now, when I say this requires more effort, I don’t mean you have to create a full-scale, city-wide hunt — although, you certainly can if you’d like to! The clues can be scattered throughout your home, a nearby park, or some places around town that hold special meaning. When my boyfriend created one for me, he was able to throw together a bunch of clues all throughout his tiny one-bedroom apartment, and it still took me a while to get through them all! So, really, don’t sweat it.
To give you some ideas for clue cards, you can use smaller sticky notes hidden around the house or (if you’re planning on going around town) handwritten notes safely secured in sealed envelopes. You can write simple riddles that describe where the next clue is, or even have your partner complete a fun or silly task like ordering their favorite coffee drink in order to receive their next clue (added bonus — having her complete tasks means you don’t have to worry about hiding the clues — you can carry them, and just give them to her one at a time as she completes each task).
Feel free to go as grand or as intimate as you’d like, but the key point with this date isn’t the cleverness of the clues — it’s all about the meaning behind them. Choose to hide clues in places that have sentimental value to her. Think of spots like where you first met, your favorite restaurant, or, if you’ve been together a while, your first apartment together!
If you’re opting to keep the hunt at home, just get a little creative. Hide clues in her favorite books or the DVD case of the movie you watched on your first date. You could even buy her favorite snack and hide one of the clues inside! The more personal, the better. Your girlfriend will appreciate the thought more than anything.
Because of the amount of planning and effort this one takes to put together, you may want to reserve this date for a special occasion — but it is guaranteed to make your girlfriend fall even more madly in love with you than she already is!
A few last tips:
It’s okay to ask your significant other for opinions or preferences on things, but the key with these dates is for you to plan and organize them without her needing to step in. Take the initiative and put in the extra effort to show her how much she means to you.
If you want to make your girlfriend feel loved and appreciated, show her how well you really know her. How well have you been paying attention to her? It’s all about the little details and the thought you’ve put into planning everything. Make it so she doesn’t have to worry about a thing — she just has to come along for the ride.
Everything doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to come from the heart. Remember: laughing together brings you closer together, too — especially if it’s laughing about burnt bread or a hideous piece of art.
You’ve got this!!
