He was a nice man, I liked him. I thought he was good looking, he had an interesting background and he was funny. It was a fun date! – Kathi, 44
Thank you! That was an excellent match, I really like Kathi. She’s very pretty and very open and we have quite a bit in common. I felt chemistry with her and I look forward to seeing her for our 2nd date. –Joe, 47
When we aren’t eating, sleeping, playing, or working out, the vast majority of us are working. In fact, nowadays Americans work on average almost 8.6 hours per day, according to a 2010 survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even … Continue reading
With our favorite TV shows starting to air their season finales, TV networks are starting to promote their summer TV lineup. You may have heard the buzz about Eva Longoria developing a new matchmaking series. Last week, the TV show The Choice was announced. Our office is excited to watch this!
The new Fox summer show is modeled similar to NBC’s The Voice, but instead of a singing competition, this is dating show…complete with the spinning chairs. The to-be-announced celebrities will “audition” their potential love interests, without seeing their physical appearance until they push the “love” button….the ultimate blind date!
What do you think of this new dating show concept?
Listen: It’s easy to talk about yourself on a first date. Don’t forget to ask questions about
date and listen. When you listen, it’ll be easy to ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing. And, you never know…all that listening might make it easier to plan a 2nd date. They might mention a movie they want to see, that they’re a baseball fan or have heard good things about a new restaurant in town.
Follow-Up to see if they got home safely: A simple text message asking if they made it home OK will not go unnoticed. Remember, chivalry isn’t dead!
Compliment: Everyone has first date butterflies and jitters. A genuine compliment goes a long way. “You look nice”, “You have pretty eyes”, “You have a great smile” goes far. And don’t forget to smile.
Plan the second date on the first date: If there is chemistry on that first date, don’t waste time. Plan a second date while you’re finishing up your first date. It’s a great feeling walking away from a good first date knowing that there will be another. If you seem excited about getting to know him/her, they will be excited about getting to know you too, don’t play games.
The date went fine! We planned our 2nd date and have talked since. He is talking about a baseball game in 2 weeks too, so that’s exciting! It was a good match. –Cindy, 54
It was great with Carla! She’s the best match yet. The date went very well, she was engaging, intelligent and I found her attractive. We a lot in common, we definitely clicked! –Nate, 58
Last week, a single New Yorker’s dating spreadsheet went viral after he sent the spreadsheet to a woman he recently went on a date with.
Note to our readers: do not do this.
The color-coded spreadsheet kept the information on his dates organized in the Excel document that listed their name, age, first impression, date information, post date notes and any follow-up communication.
At It’s Just Lunch, we recommend taking notes about your match and jotting down your thoughts about the date when you share your feedback with our matchmaking team. But, take our advice and do not share with your date….you might just find yourself being the next dating story on the TODAY show.
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Picture from: Banker rates dates in a spreadsheet–then shares the file with one of them.
“Adam and I had a great time! The date went really, really, well. The best date so far. It was a great conversation, we could talk about anything…we spent 4 hours together!” –Caitlin, 32
“Wow, that’s a good wow too. That was the best date I’ve ever been on. Ever! He’s gorgeous and we have so much in common both with our backgrounds and our interests. I was so nervous and had butterflies!”-Sarah, 35
The first date is an opportunity for you to sit down with someone and get to know them (we recommend spending an hour and half together) and see if there is enough interest and chemistry for a 2nd date. Simple, right? 
It’s important to remember that it’s just a date…it’s supposed to be fun! Relax and enjoy the person sitting across the table from you and focus on the present…not if this person is “the one” in the future.
As the first date winds down, here are some things you should know and a few things you shouldn’t (save them for the upcoming dates).
You Should Know…
-If you have at least one thing in common
-If they asked you questions about yourself
-If they’re smart/funny/kind/confident
-If they seem genuinely interested in you
-If they’re employed
You Shouldn’t Know….
-How amazing their ex was
-Their religion or political beliefs (it can be a sensitive topic for a first date)
-How many other people they’re dating
Twin Cities singles…we’re debunking more dating myths so we can provide you the most up-to-date dating tips.
We want your thoughts on unemployment, education, first date etiquette and more. Check out the survey here and stay tuned for the results!
So, you had your interview with us and joined It’s Just Lunch. Exciting! You heard about your matches and now you’re coordinated on your first date! Now what?
It’s ok to be nervous and have those first date butterflies. Take a look at our past blog posts; there is plenty of information here on dating tips, first date etiquette and some do’s and don’ts.
We came across this article on The Very Best First-Date Moves. We love doing our research on dating…remember, we’re the First Date Specialists! Our Top 2 office tips included:
Don’t ignore the awkward moments
“The best first-date move that a guy ever used on me was when, at the second we were about to kiss for the first time, he said, ‘On an awkwardness scale, how would you rate this moment?’ It totally broke the ice and warmed us up to each other. I call this a ‘conscious conversation,’ where you openly acknowledge any uncomfortable moments that crop up. First dates are always anxiety-provoking on both sides, but when you can talk about that elephant in the room, it breaks the tension.”
– Nancy Slotnick, author of Turn Your Cablight On: Get Your Dream Man in 6 Months or Less
Ditch the three-day rule
“If you had a fantastic first date, call on the way home to say, ‘Thanks for the great time’ rather than waiting a few days. Tell your date that you know that you’re breaking all the first-date rules, but you wanted to call anyway. This simple move shows you’re not into playing head games, which will wow a first date.”
– Liz H. Kelly, author of Smart Man Hunting
To read more of the article, click here.
Good luck on your date…have fun and don’t forget to SMILE. We’ll talk to you tomorrow with feedback!
