Top 5 Favorite Date Night Ideas

Nice To Meet Me Monday Series | Virginia Wedding Photographer

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On the first Monday of each month I share a post that has NOTHING to do with photography. I know that probably is not normal for a photographer but this is one of my favorite things to write about! I feel like it helps us to connect with our couples on a more personal level so on their wedding day I don’t feel like just a vendor. I have so many ideas for each “Nice To Meet Me Monday” post for the next 2 years. I’m not kidding either, James can be my witness, haha!

So today I am sharing the Top 5 date night ideas James and I LOVE! These dates have had the most impact on our marriage and they don’t break the bank. I have some friends who have done the monthly date boxes and some have to go out to fancy dinners for it to be considered a “date”. I know that at least for us those boxes or fancy restaurants are not always able to happen. Our top 5 date night ideas are definitely not original and they probably weird to some people because they aren’t a typical dates.

One of the best pieces of advice my mom ever gave us was to keep dating each other.

We have noticed that if we don’t have at least one date night within 2 weeks we get grouchy and fight more. So I definitely encourage all you married couples (new and seasoned) to make dating each other a priority! Not only do these date nights create memories, they can help you remember why you chose that person! Adult life brings so many challenges we cannot face alone. So keeping each other a priority amidst the chaos will keep your marriage strong. Ok ranting over, now to my top 5 favorite date nights James and I have loved!! (in no specific order)

#1 Movie & Chick-fil-A

So this one is the most “generic” date we go on. This can be a more expensive date in comparison to others because a movie ticket costs $1000 each. OK, yes I am exaggerating but that is what it feels like haha!

We will go on a movie date when there is a movie that we deem worthy enough for a movie theater. Fortunately for us, there is a Dollar Theater in town so if we wait long enough we can see the latest movies at a discounted rate!

We just have to wait to see it and keep from seeing any spoilers. Our go to dinner for movie night is either something at home or grab Chick-fil-A on the way.

Some movies we deem worthy included:

• Marvel Movies

• Star Wars Movies

• Disney Movies (must to James’ chagrin)

• LOTR or The Hobbit Movies

• Classic War Movies

• Some Comedies

• Childhood Favorite Remakes

 

 

#2 Explore Local Parks With The Pups

So this one takes a little planning because we have to watch out for events and weather. Our dogs are LARGE and some people can be scared of them even though they just want to love. So we have to check for events and of course the weather to make sure its tolerable.

We just go for a 1-3 mile walk for an evening. Our pups love getting outdoors and meeting new people! We love to just chat about life and whats going on.

Another place we go is the local dog park where the pups can run free. They love it and we’ve met some really nice “dog people”. We haven’t been brave enough to take Kimber and Phoebe to a restaurant that allows dogs.

They can eat an entire 40 pound bag of dog food in one setting (probably we haven’t tested this theory). So taking them to a restaurant doesn’t sound like a great idea.

#3 Plan Our Next Vacation

So this one is one of our favorites. We are usually home bodies but always get the travel bug once or twice a year. Traveling can definitely be expensive and takes a lot of planning. We can get really creative on these date nights thinking of all the places we’d love to go. We have a somewhat unrealistic bucket list and a more reasonable bucket list.

On these nights we check out prices and of flights, hotels, rental cars, and things to do for a few different trip ideas. Sometimes there are deals and cheaper times to purchase tickets so we like to check every now and then just in case we decide to act on our travel bug!

Pinterest is a great place to find travel inspiration and ideas for beautiful places to visits. The best thing about this date night is its mostly free. We will pick a favorite meal and after dinner leave the TV off and just brainstorm all things travel.

4. Buy Our Dream Home

Ok so maybe not buy our dream home. We create our dream home and piece together what we would love to have in the future. This is much like the last date night I mentioned. Pinterest has amazing home renovation blogs, DIY’s pins, and decorating ideas to look through.

On these date nights we make one of our favorite meals at home, put on Fixer Upper and explore the possibilities for the future! We LOVE these nights because we have such different styles and wants in a dream home and it’s a fun challenge meeting in the middle.

5. Local Restaurants

When we do go out for dinner we love to eat at local restaurants! We like some chain restaurants but as a small business ourselves, we like to support locally owned restaurants. Depending on what we are craving we have our go to meals at each of our favorite restaurants. Some would call us boring but I see it as we just know what we like haha! Here are some of our favorite local places in Lynchburg that we recommend you try!

• Small Batch Barbecue

• Benjamins

• RA Bistro

• Bootleggers

• Trio Brick Oven Eatery

Now its your turn!

What are your favorite date night ideas?
Share some with me on Facebook or Instagram!

Until next time,

Emily

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Hey there, I’m Emily! James, and I are a husband and wife wedding photography team based in Lynchburg, Virginia. We specialize in weddings and engagements and serve Virginia, DC Area, South Carolina, and beyond!

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