First date tips that keep things easy

Keep it simple

• A coffee, a walk in a busy park, or a drink in a pub with other people around is enough.
• Agree the plan in messages, including where and when, and keep the first meeting to an hour or so.
• Make your own way there, and have a way to leave on your own.
• Put your phone away once you have said hello, but tell a friend your plan first.

If it is going well, or if it is not

If you are enjoying it, you can always book a second, slightly longer plan. If you are not, be polite, end on time, and do not invent a dramatic reason. A simple "I don't think we are a match, but I wish you well" is enough afterwards.

Read meeting safely before you go.

Worried about running out of things to say? Keep a few first date questions in mind. If it goes well, here are some second date ideas.

Quick questions

Who should pay?

There is no rule. Many people pay for themselves on a first meeting, or offer to split. Agree what feels fair, and do not treat a bill as a test.

What if they cancel?

It happens. If they rearrange once, that can be fine. Repeated last-minute cancellations are a useful signal.