Romantic Dinner Checklist

If it’s your first time creating a romantic dinner at your home, it can be downright stressful, especially if you’re not a keen cook. You want to make a great impression. And, who knows? This could be love so there’s going to be a bit of pressure on this date. 😉 Don’t fret, there are ways through this. Follow this romantic dinner checklist to decrease your stress levels and increase chances of success!

• Date. Set a day of the week when you are both least busy and can relax and enjoy the evening together. If you work Monday through Friday, perhaps Saturday is best giving you a chance to unwind from the week. You know your own schedule best, don’t forget to accommodate your date! Keep in mind that preparing dinner in a relaxed state will make it easier to romance.
• Dress. Plan ahead and make an effort to dress up, even just a little, it shows that you’re invested and want to make the evening more memorable and that it’s more than just a ‘normal’ dinner event.
• Food. Decide ahead of time whether you’ll be cooking the meal, picking it up from the store, or perhaps you and your date will cook dinner together. As you’re the one who’s hosting the dinner, make a decision on food preparation and go from there.  Cooking together can add to the romance and creates a beautiful memory. Having a full course meal ready for your date can certainly heat things up, too. Always be sure to remember dessert as a great romantic meal should always end with dessert.
• Beverage. Plan ahead for wine or perhaps have a certain cocktail planned out and practice so its smooth looking when you do it in front of your date. Other than wine, romantic cocktails include Martinis or mixed drinks made with fresh squeezed juices. Try a little tequila mixed with spice and smoky flavors to add some mystery to the date. Champagne is always a winner, make sure you have a good reason to celebrate. And if you are non-drinkers or you’re unsure if your data drinks, ask ahead of time and plan accordingly. Spritzers made with fresh soda and juice make a great alternative to alcohol.
• Flowers. Your date may bring some, but it’s still nice to have some fresh cut flowers on the dining table. Choose them for their fragrance on the day of the date and have them arranged on the dinner table in a nice vase. Flowers and fragrance are known aphrodisiacs.
• Candles. Candles enhance the romance during a meal. Dim the lights and put a few candles around the table to enjoy some enhanced ambiance.
• Music. Always have the right music playing in the background for a romantic date, it really does help set the mood. Try to find something soothing, upbeat and skip the heartache songs! Everyone’s tastes are different so stay mainstream and ask your date if they like the music as you can always change it if its not to their liking.
• Pets & Noise. Try to keep outside noises and interactions at bay. Begin by keeping dogs and cats away from the table an out of your guests space until you’ve determined they are OK with them.
• Dessert. It’s always nice to have dessert on hand. Often people skip this step when making home cooked meals. Having a little chocolate, cake and ice-cream finishes off the meal quite nicely.
• Digestif or Dessert Wine. This is another nice touch to a romantic meal. Serve some port or tea / coffee after the meal. This is the perfect opportunity to change locations to the living room. Leave the dishes and save the washing up for later!
• Movie. Having something picked out to do after dinner is always a good idea. If your date is going well, perhaps you’d like to proceed to watching a film together. Having a few picked out ahead of time can help ease the process when trying to choose what to watch. Make sure you include your date in the decision process and if they want to just sit and talk then that’s good too, go with the flow and let your dinner digest and enjoy the company.

Enjoy the date, we’re sure that it will be a successful, lovely evening. 😉