Blind Dates For Beginners

It's a Date Place! Choosing the setting for your blind date involves several factors—all of which you can discuss during your phone conversation. "Try and find a place that is equidistant from the both of you," suggests Piane. Short dates are better facilitated at coffee shops, happy hours or during lunch, where it's perfectly acceptable to end the date in under an hour. "If you feel a connection over the phone, a dinner date can work," says Piane, "but realize, if you make a great connection over drinks at happy hour, you can always extend the date to dinner." Settings to avoid: brightly lit places, too-crowded areas and kid-friendly places.

Safety First. Do you meet up at a spot or do you go together? When you're being set up, someone is usually vouching for your date's sanity, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And even if your date isn't a serial killer, he may not be someone you want to get stuck with on a long car ride. "For this reason alone, I'd strongly recommend meeting your blind date in a public location and taking your own transportation so you aren't tied together should you want to end the date a little early," says Syrtash. "If you have sparks, there will be plenty of other opportunities ahead to share a ride!"

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Ex Marks the "Not" Spot. Just like with all first dates, certain rules apply: No ex-talk or detailed descriptions of mental illnesses that run in your family. Lay off the baby names. Skip spaghetti unless you're sure you can eat it without splattering yourself and your date.

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Overall, Be Open-minded. Blind dating requires a sense of adventure and a healthy dose of humor when things go awry. Piane has this advice: "Keep an open spirit and an open mind when going on a blind date because, even though that blind date might not be the man or woman of your dreams, you can meet and connect with amazing people through that person or at the venue." She should know: she met her husband only hours after a bad blind date!