If there’s one thing we all have in common right now, it’s that we’re all waiting until the moment we can go outside again.
But of course, for the foreseeable, we need to stay inside.
It was always going to get old pretty fast, and at this point we’re all climbing up the walls, shaving our heads, or worse, texting our exes.
We can still connect with new people and go on dates, just not in the same way that we’re used to.
More and more of us are now having dates over video chat, possibly for the first time.
Here’s a list of 20 steps to set up the perfect date, all while staying safe, inside.
20 Steps For The Perfect Video Date:
Download Badoo
First things first, you need something that can keep you distracted, interested, entertained, and excited until you can leave the house.
You also need someone to text that isn’t your ex.
So really, it sounds like you need to get yourself on a dating app - Badoo can help you meet people with similar interests to you to make sure you have something to talk about as soon as you match.
But before you can match with anyone, you’ll need to upload some pictures.
Take some new selfies
Once you’ve set up your profile, it’s time to fill it with pictures of you!
Your pictures should be recent, and show off your face.
If you’ve got some of you outside, it can be good to have some pictures of you doing something active, but don’t go outside now just to try and take a picture for the sake of it. It’s not worth it, and you might get arrested.
But pictures are only half of your profile: you still need a good bio.
Write an interesting and honest bio
Next, add a bio to let people know more about you.
People sometimes forget this, but it’s a vital part of setting up your profile.
Your bio should include some info about who you are, what you’re looking for, and maybe a joke if you’re feeling it.
Having a complete profile can help you get more matches, but you’ll need some good lines to start a conversation.
Get some good opening lines
A good chat up line can work wonders on dating apps, it shows you’re funny, and that you’re willing to make the first move.
We’ve put together a list of icebreakers you can use, in case you’re stuck for something to say.
Now you should be ready to start matching!
Start matching
Now you’re ready to start looking through other profiles and start matching.
Whatever or whoever you’re looking for, you can find it on Badoo.
Be active on the app, and you’ll start to build up matches in no time.
Flirt!
Once you’ve matched with someone, it’s time to start flirting.
Flirting’s more of an art than a science, which is a roundabout way of saying: we can’t really help you here.
Everyone is different, and everyone flirts differently, so you have to change how you flirt with each new match.
Some people will like jokes and attention, others will play it cool and be more subtle.
How do you like people to flirt with you?
Have a deeper conversation so you can tell if you have anything in common
Once you’ve started a few conversations, you can begin to find out if you have things in common with your matches.
Badoo allows you to see if the two of you have shared interests, which can help get the conversation flowing.
As we’re all spending more time talking, we can find ourselves growing closer much faster than we might usually.
Once you feel like there’s a spark with someone, it’s time to get them on video for a date.
Set a time for a video date
Once you’ve been talking for a while, you might want to ask them to have a video date.
Since we won’t be able to meet up for a while, more and more of us are choosing to talk over video, as it helps make things more real.
You can see how they react, how they laugh, how they sound when they talk.
Set a time for it so you can both be ready, and then get ready for it.
Clean up wherever you’re going to be for your video date
Once you’ve agreed to have a video date, you need to decide where you’re going to have it.
Ideally it should be somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. You don’t want to be mid-flirt and then have your roommate/sibling/dog bursting into the frame - obviously your dog should already be in the shot with you, so you can shamelessly use it to gain points.
We’d clean up if we were having someone come over, so if you have time, clean up a bit around where you’re going to be. It helps set the tone, and having clean surroundings is just good for us mentally.
Speaking of feeling good, you don’t need to rush out on an emergency shopping trip for a new outfit: just wear something you know you feel good in.
Do your laundry, so you have something to wear on your video date
We’re all still trying to figure out what exactly the rules are for video dating.
Like always, what you wear is completely up to you, but since it’s a date, wear something that makes you feel confident.
But also since you’re at home, you might as well be comfortable. No one would blame you for wearing a fancy top but secretly having sweatpants on - they’ll never know.
The important thing is that you actually have something, anything, to wear.
Once that’s sorted, you’ll need something to talk about. Perhaps you can share your thoughts on a fascinating documentary you just so happened to have watched recently.
Watch a documentary so you have something to talk about
If you’ve got some time to kill before your date, watching a documentary can give you something to talk about, and also gives you an insight into what kind of person they are.
If they aren’t interested in how penguins mate for life and give each other cute little rocks, do you really want to invest time in this person?
Set the mood
Ambiance goes a long way to making or breaking a date. Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can’t muster some magic with some mood lighting.
Candles, fairy lights, anything that makes the space more relaxing for you can help create a more romantic vibe.
Now you’re ready, all that’s left is to have the video date!
Have the video date!
The lighting? Perfect.
Your outfit? Classy but comfortable.
The conversation? Scintillating.
If it’s going well, your date can last as long as you want. If you’re not feeling it, you’re under no obligation to talk for hours.
If you have a busy schedule, you can even set the date just to last an hour so you’re not stuck on camera if you need to go and cook dinner.
No matter what happens, standard first date protocol dictates you should fully debrief your friends about it afterwards.
Tell your friends how it went
Now more than ever it’s important to stay in touch with your friends.
Let them know what’s going on with you, and see if they have any pearls of wisdom to bestow upon you to help with your dating journey.
And maybe you know, tell your other single friends to download the app.
If you find yourself gushing about how great this date went, you should probably think about setting up another.
Casually ask about maybe having a second video date, like, whenever
Asking for a second date can be tricky: none of us want to come across as needy. But you need to be honest about how you feel, and what you want.
If you had a good time and want to video chat with them again, honestly, you should just go for it and ask.
Here are some ideas for dates you can have during isolation. One of the simplest (and cutest) is to just have dinner together.
Cook a new recipe or have dinner with them
More and more of us are having dinner dates over video now.
Some of us are even managing to cook together, or teach other new recipes.
Of course, if cooking’s not your thing, you could always just play a game.
Play a game with them
Thanks to video chat and the internet, we can play pretty much any game you can think of without actually having to be in the same room.
If you’ve got four hours to kill and you want to destroy any hope of a beautiful relationship blossoming between the two of you, ask them to play monopoly. You can play it over video or there’s an app and an online version you can use.
If you both have Facebook, and you’re happy sharing your details, there are hundreds of games you can play on there, or you can play more simple conversation games together like ‘would you rather’.
Watch your favourite movies together
While we all miss going on dates at the cinema, we can still have movie dates at home, watching with someone else in real time thanks to Netflix and other streaming services.
People are using this time to rewatch their favourite movies, and this is a great way for you to learn more about your new crush. A person’s favourite movie can tell you a lot about them, so it might be a good indicator of how compatible you are.
But even more importantly: this lets you find out if they talk during movies, if they scream at every scary part, what kind of snacks they consider to be acceptable to eat during movies.
Make plans to meet up when it’s safe to do so
Obviously no one knows when this will be over. It might be weeks until we can leave, and you absolutely should not leave your house for any reason that isn’t vital, like getting food or medicine.
But, eventually, it will end. Things will return to normal. We’ll be able to go outside, see our friends and family, go back to work, and yes, go on dates.
Be honest about how you’re feeling
It’s ok to feel scared or confused about what’s going on. It’s hard to handle being on your own.
If you’re growing closer to your match, maybe share how you’re feeling if you think it might make you feel better.
We should all be there to support each other, and that starts by being honest about how you’re coping with being on your own during isolation.
Not being able to go outside is really hard, and we’re all dealing with it in different ways. Sometimes just having something that can distract us, or make us feel like we used to before the outbreak can make a huge difference in how we’re feeling.