You’ve decided to meet.  Okay, set some ground rules.  Make sure your meeting is in a public place.  Small, intimate places should be avoided.  Places far from town are not a good idea.  Set a definite time and place, even describing what you’ll be wearing or some other unique way to identify you.  For example, “I’ll be wearing a tan shirt with brown pants.  I will carry a red rose for you.”  Now I know who to look for!

Ladies, don’t meet anyone who says “I’m the tall, dark, handsome one!”  The female should also describe what she will wear or where she will be waiting.  It’s also a good idea to exchange cell phone numbers at this point.  Also, get the date’s first and last name.  This may seem obvious, but if you have been corresponding using nicknames, you might not know their real name.

You don’t always need to meet for dinner.  Sometimes you might feel less pressured if you meet for lunch, coffee, or a drink after work when coming from an activity.  If you are having a good time, then you can continue to spend more time with each other, but you don’t have that awkward social situation of not being how to gracefully leave.  Never agree to meet in a place you would not normally frequent, such as a bar, if you do not drink, since that will make you feel awkward.  Also, if you are a vegetarian, don’t agree to meet for a steak, since that is not something you would normally do!

Successful first dates have happened in the park (not where it is isolated), or at a museum coffee shop, or a tourist attraction or place where you pursue a favorite hobby (craft shop, bowling alley, etc.). 

If you arrive and don’t see your date, you can dial the cell number and see who answers.  Also, you could be waiting in two slightly different areas (you’re at one door and he’s at another door). It is common courtesy to notify your date if you are going to be delayed.  If you are the one waiting and have no way to contact the other individual, how long do you wait?  It is a good idea to establish guidelines prior to meeting.  Common practice would be 15-20 minutes.  I would usually agree on the amount of time, and then give the date an extra five minutes.

Don’t wait beyond that time.  And now, here he or she is…