Deciding how to spend your first date or a long awaited afternoon together can be tricky, but we’re here to help! Here’s the final part of our A-Z of of tried and tested, real life Christian Connection couples’ dating ideas. From T to Z, #MetOnCC couples share the activities that helped them get to know each other. What would you add to the list of #MetOnCC date ideas?
T
Table tennis
Show your impressive agility and amazing skills – or maybe just chase a tiny ball around a table for an hour or two! Hannah and Jonny’s first date took them to a ‘ping pong cafe’. Watch them share the story of how their table tennis meet up unfolded…
U
Underwater
There’s no reason your dates need to be on land, if you’re feeling adventurous. Elena and Josh enjoyed exploring the world under the sea (that’s them waving in the picture at the top of the post!). Scuba diving centres or heading to the coast can offer exciting opportunities to bond among the fish and coral – though conversation may need to wait until you’re back on land.
V
Video dates
Coming into their own during times of lockdown, video dates have continued to be a great way to connect when distance is an issue. For Callam and Rachel, it was the start of something that led to marriage: “We began a long distance relationship. We’d call every night and also would facetime together on a Friday and cook dinner at the same time following the same recipe.”
Peter and Georgia were living over a thousand kilometres away when they first met on Christian Connection. “We were doing Friday night Zoom dates, plus texting and FaceTimes throughout the day/week. We really liked each other, although both agreed we wouldn’t pursue something romantic until we met in person.”
Four and a half months later, they were finally able to meet in person and “Peter asked Georgia to become his girlfriend that afternoon, and at night we went for a nice French dinner by the Brisbane River, where afterwards we professed each other’s love to one another and had our first kiss!”
Christian Connection also has a built-in video chat option. Read more about it here.
Vietnamese food
Finding a cuisine you both enjoy can be a great way to spend a date. Peter and Yvonne chose Vietnamese food for some quality time.
“We had another date at our local Vietnamese restaurant and more to follow! We felt so comfortable around each other and looked forward to our dates and learning more about each other.”
Venice
V can also stand for one of the world’s most romantic cities. “We got engaged eating pizza on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice.” Congrats, Geoff and Sandy!
W
Winery / vineyard
Not only a popular proposal and wedding destination, visiting a winery can give you a relaxed date option with lots of open space to wander in, beautiful views of nature and the perfect way to wind down with a glass of something locally made and get to know each other better. Many places offer tastings so you can immerse yourself in their list.
For Rhonda and Russell it was a great first date. They “found themselves on a picnic – the first of many dates – at O’Reilly’s Winery. Despite the unknown and the fear of not knowing what was to come of this connection, the two took a leap of faith and embarked on a momentous journey together.”
Winter Wonderland
Depending on the season, you could have some old fashioned fun at a wintry theme park. Fairground rides, popcorn and hotdogs, ice skating and more! “We went to Winter Wonderland and stayed until we got kicked out. The rest is history!” – Joel & Kerry
X
X-plore…
Christian Connection couples share over and over how much they enjoy exploring the world together. For Jen and Will, it was some wild adventures: “We got engaged, 13 adventures later, on Boxing Day. By that point we had gotten lost in the bush together, got bogged, broken an ankle, and made at least one mad dash for the border before it closed. We felt it was safe to conclude that we do adventures together pretty well!”
For Phil and Susie, their exploring was through triathlons. “it’s not an awfully popular sport to find two Christians, triathletes? It wasn’t really a deal breaker, but it was an absolutely wonderful bonus. I think we would have both liked active partners. But the fact that we both participate in triathlon was a real treat and blessing.”
For Alison and Andy it was rugged local countryside “halfway between our homes in different places in the North York Moors. It was good to explore this beautiful area on our dates and we had some fantastic picnics and walks.”
What’s calling to you that could make a great date idea?
Y
#MetOnCC couples have also shared about the importance of saying ‘Yes’! Not just to the big question, but also to God. “Our first date was spent visiting a gallery which lasted the whole afternoon,” A & R told us. “We are both very happy after being on the website for a while and we both thank God for bringing us together.”
How you spend your date doesn’t have to be the most important thing: “As I drove to our first date, I remember praying that if a relationship with M would help me serve God better that it would work out, and that if I’d serve God better on my own or with someone else, that it wouldn’t work out. We met at a cafe and connected pretty quickly. By our third date I was pretty sure I would marry M.” Congrats C & M!
Z
Zoo
Being among animals can bring out the romance, it seems. And even make a special occasion even more memorable for some couples…
When Rob planned a special trip to pop the question to Andrea, a zoo visit was high on the list. “It was a lovely weekend of surprises, including a VIP experience at Chester Zoo,” they recall. “We had a breakfast with the lions.”
“I drove the 3 hours south to Sydney and Josh flew to Sydney airport. We went to the zoo and got milkshakes.” – Jordan and Josh
Zombies
Sometimes a quirky hobby or interest can be great common bond. “We found out when we first started talking on Christian connection we both like zombie shows. So that’s something that we’re really connected about. We’ve been watching a lot of shows” says Leesa.
Watch Leesa and Leigh tell their #MetOnCC story
Read the rest of our #MetOnCC date idea alphabet!
Part one – A-C
Part two – D-L
Part three – M-S
Inspired to start dating? Find out more about Christian Connection and how to join here
