10 first date etiquette rules to make it work

Observe the dress code

It does not matter whether you met on the Internet or have long been in a friendly relationship and decided to move to the plane of love – on the first date should be yourself, observing the elementary rules of etiquette. To begin with appearance – clothes should be clean, neat, appropriate to the situation. Going to the restaurant, observe the dress code, for example, girls should refuse extremely short skirts and deep cleavage, and men – from sports pants and stretched T-shirts.

Don’t be late

One of the main rules is to be punctual. Even if you want to be waited for with impatience, you should not be late for the first date. This way you will spoil your impression of yourself – no one likes to wait, especially not a stranger yet. If you are late by more than 10 minutes, be sure to write about it to your vis-a-vis and let them know how soon you will appear.

Remember to be gallant

If you went on a first date to a cafe or restaurant, it is important to remember the basic rules of restaurant etiquette. A well-mannered man will always open and hold the door in front of the girl, letting her through, and will help you take off your coat or coat in the checkroom. As for pulling up chairs during seating at the table – it is not necessary to do this, if necessary, the waiter can handle it. The first to make an order on the menu girl and the number of dishes the couple should coincide, so that it did not turn out that the lady ordered only a light salad, and the man – borscht, lamb on a spit and a bottle of cognac. And try to choose dishes that are difficult to get dirty, so as not to look unkempt.

Keep your phone away

It is also inappropriate to spread on the table any objects, even if you want to make an impression: car keys, wallet or phone. It’s better to keep the last one out of sight so that it doesn’t distract your attention. It is still unpleasant when you are on a date, and your partner is always looking at the screen and texting someone. It is best to put your phone on silent mode and leave it in your purse or pocket.

Be discreet

To the conversation on the first date, especially if you are not very well acquainted, it is worth preparing in advance. You can even make a list of questions, but not too personal: they can relate to hobbies, travel, favorite movies or musicians. Do not ask questions about earnings, past relationships, health problems – these conversations are not for the first date, leave them for later. And try not to go into details about divorce, conniving exes or how you dream of getting married soon and having five children.

Make eye contact

Everyone feels awkward on a first date, but try to act natural and friendly. After all, everyone wants to understand if they are interested in him or not. In this case, you do not need to immediately take the lady by the hand or friendly clap on the shoulder cavalier after a successful joke. It is enough to establish eye contact – look into the eyes of the other person, so that the conversation was more trusting and calm. Try not to take closed postures, cross your arms on your chest or all the time look away or under your feet – it is impolite.

Do not abuse alcohol

Even if you are a wonderful and in every way decent person, it is worth a little too much alcohol – and the evening can be ruined. You will think that “from one more glass nothing will happen”, but instead of courage and a slight sparkle in the eyes will get a strong alcohol intoxication, bad jokes and slurred language. Perhaps in the future you still impress each other with knowledge of wine, but the first evening is better to spend a cup of coffee or limited to a glass of wine.

Do not delay the date

Most of us during the first ten minutes of communication becomes clear whether we like a person or not. If for some reason you do not want to continue communication, you can leave, apologizing, after a cup of coffee, referring to urgent business or an important call. But even if everything is going great, you still shouldn’t drag out the first date and “go out into the night”. You can discuss where to go another time, and agree on the next meeting, two or three hours later.

Consider paying your share of the bill

Perhaps the most worrying question on everyone’s mind is who should pay on the first date. Rule number one is that the person who invites always pays the bill. And it’s usually the man who invites. But many ladies feel uncomfortable when they pay for them on the first date, especially if it is clear that the second date will not be. Therefore, there is a rule number two – be prepared to pay for the food and drinks you ordered, and if necessary, offer your partner to split the bill. The man may or may not agree, but you don’t want to argue about payment and embarrass everyone around you.

Take care of safety

And here this moment is given too little attention, and for nothing! After the first date, regardless of whether you like each other or not, the man should escort the lady home – call her a cab or keep her company by walking to her entrance, making sure she is safe. And be sure to find out how the girl got there, whether everything is all right. It is important to behave humanly in any situation.