Date night ideas at home don’t always have to revolve around ordering take-out and watching Netflix. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with this and it’s a staple and dependable last resort when we just want to relax after a long day at work.
However, many of us have become adept at creating fun and romantic date night ideas at home over the past few years, from gourmet cheese and wine nights to arts and crafts sessions and stay-at-home spa nights, there have been some wonderful ideas.
1. Luxury Cheese and Wine Night at Home
A household favourite when it comes to date night ideas at home, cheese and wine nights are simple, romantic and relaxing. We’d recommend buying your cheeses from a respected local market or shop. If you’re in London, you might want to consider Borough Market, Delamina, Brawn or simply buying a cheese hamper from Paxton & Whitefield, La Fromagerie or anywhere local to your area.
For the wine, that’s entirely up to your taste, but one of our favourite London wineries is Keeling Andrew & Co and Hedonism Wines. Alternatively, you could continue down the hamper route and purchase a mixed hamper from respected sellers such as Fortnum & Mason.
Once you’ve ordered your cheese and wine, adorn your living room or bedroom with candles, throw on some romantic music and enjoy your private cheese and wine night at home.
2. Create an At-Home Spa Day
Who says you can’t replicate the soothing surroundings of a pamper paradise at home? Setting up your own home spa is not only fun but ideal for those looking to relax in the comfort of their own home.
How in-depth you want to go regarding your spa products is entirely up to you, but we’d recommend the following:
- Slip into a comfy dressing gown.
- Buy or make your own face masks (try applying them to each other’s faces for an extra giggle)
- Purchase luxury body scrubs from somewhere like Lush, Oxford Soap Company or All Natural Soap. We’d also recommend adding a bath bomb to this list.
- Run a bath for two and add a bath bomb from one of the above.
- Light some candles, dot them around the bathroom, living room and bedroom – if you have some incense, use this too!
And voila, your very own stay-at-home spa. This date night idea is also great for Sunday evenings, as you can wake into the new week feeling relaxed and refreshed.
3. Get Creative With Crafts and Wine
Some of the most popular fun and creative date night ideas at home over the last few years have involved arts and crafts, whether it’s paint by numbers, jigsaws or making up your own games.
However, something that’s recently burst into popularity is Paint and Wine Nights – and while many fantastic places offer this in London, the concept can be easily replicated at home.
All this requires is a canvas (you can buy any size online), a range of different paint colours and a laptop or something that’s able to guide you through a painting tutorial. You don’t have to be in any way artistic or creative to have fun with this. The whole point of this is to have fun painting with a glass of wine to hand, not to brag about your artistic talents!
4. Make Your Own Cocktails
Think you aren’t too shabby at throwing around bottles of vodka and fruit? Why not try making your own bespoke cocktails with your partner or date! Making your own cocktails is a fantastic idea for a first date and is typically pretty straightforward.
First, select the type of cocktails you want to create – or make up your own, just be sure to list the ingredients required. We’d recommend choosing six different cocktails to create (three each) and making them alongside each other. Once finished, test each others’ and decide who has made the best cocktail!
5. Get Competitive With a Cooking Competition
In a similar vein to creating your own bespoke cocktails, this date night idea at home is a traditional cook-off. This can be split over two nights or one, with one being in charge of the starter and dessert and the other, the main.
Decide on each course and don’t tell the other what you’re making. You could also choose a specific ingredient to be incorporated into the dish; a pickle, for example. You might choose to have this ingredient in one course only or every course (desert might be a little tricky!).
Instilling some competition into your date night can be a great way to spice things up and break the ice on a first date.
6. Travel-Inspired Dinner Party
One of our all-time favourites and so much fun to be involved in. This home date night idea involves you and your partner picking a country each (or more) and recreating their signature dishes – or at least food inspired by that country.
Some dishes to try might include:
- France – cheese and wine, French tartines, French onion soup
- Italy – homemade pizza or pasta – you can either make it fresh or purchase it from a store and get creative with the ingredients you use
- Japan – sushi is the obvious one here, but you could also attempt to make ramen and even sake
- Greece – if you’re up for a lighter, snacky meal, why not make a Mediterranean appetisers board adorned with Greek salad, olives, feta, hummus and dips?
- Mexico – build your own nachos, tacos or burritos
7. Plan Your Dream Trip
If you’re looking to hop away from the UK for a while, why not spend some quality time researching and discussing potential holiday destinations? Cycle through the countries and cities you’d like to visit and start planning your trip. Not only is the planning process enjoyable but by the end of it, you will have something to look forward to.
Sit down with a glass of wine and start planning!
Need an Outfit for Your Stay at Home Date Night?
Something which you may not have considered is what to wear during your date night at home. Of course, if you’re having a spa night, you may not feel it appropriate to don your finest ball gown or suit. However, it’s technically still a date! So you want to find a happy medium between being comfortable and looking cool or cute on your date night.
In essence, you want something that seems effortless but still looks great.
Option 1 (Girls): Leggings with a jumper – leggings are the go-to when it comes to comfort and style. Whether you’re at the gym, going out for brunch or lazing around at home, leggings are one of the most versatile and stylish clothing options at your disposal.
Guys – For guys, go with some slim joggers and a slim T-shirt. Joggers are equally as versatile and timelessly stylish and a slim or fitted T-shirt always looks good.
Option 2 (Girls): Maxi dress – another versatile and timelessly beautiful option for stay at home dates. They’re long enough for them to remain comfy and soft enough for you to snuggle up on the sofa or look cute at the dinner table.
Guys – Loose jeans with a flannel, plaid or cotton shirt. The idea for this outfit is to marry style with comfort. Jeans and a shirt will never go out of fashion and every guy should have this outfit in their wardrobe!
Couple’s Pyjamas – if you’re looking to top off your cute date night idea at home, why not consider purchasing matching or “his and hers” pyjamas? This may not be for everyone, but it’ll certainly mark the occasion and shopping around for them is always fun.
And that concludes our favourite date night ideas at home!
Looking for that Perfect Date to Share These Experiences With?
If you’re looking for someone to share these incredible date ideas with, that’s where we can help. Our team at Maclynn is dedicated to helping single men and women identify potential partners who share their core values and desire for lifelong relationships.
We’re a team of highly experienced matchmakers in the UK who specialise in combining psychological principles with personalised consultations to understand the type of person you are and the type of person you’re looking for.
If you’d like to learn more about our bespoke, private matchmaking service, why not give us a call? Even if it’s just to get a better understanding of how we work and have helped thousands of single men and women find love across the UK and further abroad.
