A double date can break the ice and ease any awkwardness between a group of singles still getting to know each other. Even for long-time couples, double dating can add a fresh perspective to your routine quality time.
Is it a good idea to double date?
As with all dating adventures, going on a double date can be a hit-or-miss experience. Is it a good idea to double date? If it’s with a close friend or family member and their partner, or if you are in an established relationship yourself, you may find you have a better time of it.
If you and your date don’t know the other couple well, you may need to come up with some creative and fun double date ideas. These will help ensure the evening doesn’t fall flat or descend into awkwardness. Get it right, and the experience may be the start of a new friendship for you, expanding your social circle.
Keep reading for some movie-inspired double date ideas for a fun night out.
Double-date ideas from rom-coms
If you’re looking for exciting double date ideas, draw inspiration from some of the most well-loved romantic movies and TV series, and learn to create unforgettable experiences.
1. Take a cooking class together.
In the movie Hitch, Will Smith’s character Hitch and Eva Mendes’s character Sara go to a cooking class together, which turns out to be a double date with her boss and his wife. While the excursion doesn’t end well for Hitch thanks to some food allergies, this is still a great idea if you and your date (and your mates) are foodies.
Sign up for a gourmet cooking class – plus points if it’s with a celebrity chef for that MasterChef Australia feel. You, your date, and your friends can talk and learn about each other as you work together to make something delicious.
2. Challenge each other in a game of paintball.
Australia may have fallen for the late, great Heath Ledger in TV series like Sweat and Home and Away, but most of the world first succumbed to his charms in the teen rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, adapted from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. In it, bad boy Patrick Verona (Ledger) is paid to date the shrewish Kat (Julia Stiles), but they end up falling for each other.
The movie features a few swoon-worthy moments (including karaoke on the bleachers and a paddle boat ride), but the paintball date is memorable because they have so much fun together – fun you’ll surely recreate.
3. Start a bonfire date.
Whether or not you’ve seen the movie 50 First Dates, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, the title already tells you this flick is full of excellent date ideas. One sweet scene that would work as a double date or even a date with multiple couples is the iconic bonfire date in which Henry (Sandler) pulls out a ukulele and serenades Lucy (Barrymore) with a song he wrote about her.
You don’t have to compose music, but if anyone in your foursome plays the guitar or ukulele, it might be fun to bring it along. Add yummies to your date by bringing chocolate, marshmallows, and digestive biscuits so you can make s’mores. Tea or hot chocolate works too, or you can be adults about it and bring coldies or a bottle of wine.
4. Rough it out with glamping.
Pitching outdoor tents has become a typical scene in K-dramas to the point that viewers can name their favourite camping couples. One of the most memorable glamping mayhems comes from episodes 29 and 30 of The Secret Life of My Secretary. Secret lovers Do Min Ik and Jung Gal Hee, his secretary by day, go on a beachside escapade. But, in true K-drama fashion, the two spend the night together with Gal Hee’s siblings!
Having other people around can excite a dull evening and provide extra support when planning a double date near a beach or lake. Just make sure you can spend quality time alone with your significant other. And if the trip goes south, you can always run to your bestie’s tent for advice. Here’s hoping their partner won’t mind.
5. Enjoy a winner, winner chicken dinner date.
Fried chicken gets a lot of love in South Korea, as highlighted in top K-dramas like Goblin, Crash Landing On You, and The King: Eternal Monarch. In Reply 1994, two lead characters even go on a group dinner date at an American chicken chain named after a colonel. Who says you can’t follow suit?
A double date doesn’t always have to be fancy. Ditch the pressure of a fine-dining restaurant and choose a casual restaurant, café, or bar with good eats. Get takeout, binge on your favourite Korean rom-com, and chill at home. Of course, there’s no better combo than Korean fried chicken and beer to get everyone in the mood to mingle.
6. Marvel at a rooftop barbeque.
As many K-drama fans know, the mention of barbecue can signify a cute meet-up, a couple getting outed, or the revelation of inner thoughts (usually due to someone drinking too much soju). In episode 15 of Run On, which stars Im Si-wan, Shin Se-kyung, Sooyoung Choi, and Kang Tae-oh, a rooftop KBBQ session becomes the place for the two couples to reveal their love languages and a lesson on who makes and gets the lettuce wrap first.
Take advantage of the glorious weather and fire up the grill. Go to the butcher for fresh meats, whip up a spice-filled marinade, and let your oppa flex his best pit master skills for some matchmaking fun.
7. Go on a rowboat.
Ice cream dates, picnics, trips to a fairground – you’re spoiled for choice for date ideas from the romantic drama The Notebook. But one fun idea that can work as a single-couple or double date is the rowboat scene. In the scene, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) take a rowboat onto a lake, where they feed a small army of swans.
For this water adventure double date idea, you could have both couples on a large boat for a fun group date. Or you can have each couple on a smaller boat so you’re dating together but separately, giving yourselves a chance for more intimate moments.
8. Join a dance class.
Strictly Ballroom? Dance With Me? Dirty Dancing? If you need more examples, how about Silver Lining Playbook? The dancing there may not quite be a date, but if Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence’s movie chemistry is anything to go by, it’s still a great way to connect. The music and kinetic energy will make for a fun time, and you’ll have a legitimate reason to touch each other in public.
Even if you don’t know how to dance and don’t want to join a competition like the characters in this movie do, you can sign up for a class together. Doing it with another couple will only boost your confidence and comfort.
Better yet – a class will usually have more than one session, so you could have a series of dates lined up with this double date idea. You’ll even get some exercise in while you’re at it.
9. Revisit your childhood at a playground.
The famous flash mob dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” might be the most iconic scene of romantic fantasy 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. But Jenna (Garner) and Matt’s (Ruffalo) playground date is a far more realistic and fun idea, whether you’re on a double date or not.
For this date, feel free to go into full nostalgia mode by bringing popular playground snacks from your childhood. You might want to skip the sweets if you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet. Have fun by going down slides, pushing each other on the swings, and playing in the sandbox. Bringing elements of play into your date can only strengthen your connection and make for a memorable evening.
10. Drop by an amusement park or fair.
In What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, a narcissistic company vice-chairman (Park Seo-joon) relies on his capable secretary (Park Min-young) for nine years. When she decides to quit, he surprises her by booking an amusement park, allowing her to indulge in her favourite merry-go-round ride.
Recreate this magic with friends at an outdoor fair or amusement park. Get hearts racing on roller coasters, share moments on a Ferris wheel, and relive the excitement of childhood.
11. Scooter ride through the city.
Are you a fan of the classics? Why not take inspiration from Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the 1953 film Roman Holiday by riding a scooter or Vespa around town on a beautiful day? You’ll get to see the sights together while enjoying being physically close, and you can plot out a route to remember.
Turning this adventure into a double date is easy – just rent one scooter per couple. This way, you’ll get to enjoy exploring together while also having the intimacy of sharing a scooter. For more fun, take turns driving just like Joe (Peck) and Princess Ann (Hepburn) do in the movie. Keep in mind, you will need to obtain a rider licence to hire a scooter.
12. Boogie at a pub or club.
Two Aussie actors star in this romantic-comedy with a heavy emphasis on the comedy – Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth. They’re joined by Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra in the scene that inspired this double date idea. Here, the actors find themselves taking over the dance floor and shaking their booties to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Rather than dance classes, as mentioned in one of the points above, with this date idea you can let loose with your own dance moves as just another couple in the crowd. No need to flash mob, although if you find a nostalgic-themed club playing hits from your teenage years, feel free to pull out the moves like Wilson and Devine do in this scene.
This is another great idea not just for a double date but for multiple couples – especially if you and your friends all have partners. Having a few drinks while you boogie, will make for a fun night out. Of course, always drink responsibly.
13. Schedule a brunch double date.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a coming-of-age story about a collegiate female weightlifter finding romance while pursuing a gold medal. It features a memorable date episode where the lead claims to be dating her crush, leaving everyone speechless.
The takeaway from this episode is the inspiration it gives for your double date venue. While not your typical first date, a brunch affair is a terrific option for couples looking for slow mornings that roll into boozy afternoons.
For more ideas, take inspiration from the beautiful café scenes in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. An art gallery-turned-coffeeshop is the perfect brunch haven for a creative bunch. Alternatively, you can head to a greenhouse café and take advantage of the peace to connect.
14. Date at a furniture store.
One iconic scene in the rom-com 500 Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel is their date at IKEA, where they pretend to be a couple living together as they go through the various furniture displays.
Pick a couple that is just as daring as you and your partner are. Trying this date idea will help give you the confidence boost to playact couple life on furniture you don’t own – though unlike Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Zooey (Summer), you may want to keep the PDAs to a minimum so as not to make things awkward with other customers and staff at the store.
Of course, you don’t have to visit this specific store. To try out this double date idea, any large furniture store should work.
15. Book some self-care sessions.
In Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, a city dentist (Yoon Hye Jin) moves to a small seaside town after losing her job. There, she unexpectedly falls for a local handyman (Hong Du Sik) whom she has nothing in common with. The twist: sometimes, love has a way of finding you when you show yourself some TLC.
But an escape doesn’t always mean leaving your stressful job, packing your bags, and moving to a seaside community in the middle of nowhere. Instead of dropping everything immediately, turn to a self-care double date to unwind. Book a pamper session for four and treat yourselves to a jjimjilbang (Korean sauna). Go to a nail salon and get the works! A hand and foot spa will allow you and your friends to enter a cosy state of romantic serenity.
Why not accompany your date as a show of affectionate support when they get their crooked teeth checked and treated? Braces maybe the start of your love story – remember Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed? Better yet, synchronise dental appointments and get matching smile makeovers with ClearCorrect aligners.
These invisible dental aligners are made with a unique tri-layer Clear Quartz material and customised for each patient to ensure maximum comfort and discretion. An online smile assessment helps you discover if you’d be a good candidate for ClearCorrect.
You can also have a self-care date sesh without heading out. Create a warm and inviting atmosphere like in Du Sik’s home. Prepare sheet masks, thick blankets, and fresh tea. Switch on your favourite K-drama series to marathon while you have your couple pamper session.
On your next night out in tandem, embrace romance and realise your romantic TV and movie fantasies with your sweetheart. Which of these rom-com-inspired ideas will you be adding to your double date rotation? Enjoy!
References:
10 Things I Hate About You (Film 1999) ⭐ 7.3 | Comedy, drama, romance. (1999, March 31). IMDb.
13 Going on 30 (Film 2004) ⭐ 6.3 | Comedy, fantasy, romance. (2004, April 23). IMDb.
50 First Dates (Film 2004) ⭐ 6.8 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2004, February 13). IMDb.
500 Days of Summer (Film 2009) ⭐ 7.7 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2009, August 7). IMDb.
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (TV Series 2016–2017) ⭐ 8.6 | Comedy, drama, fantasy. (2016, December 2).
Hitch (Film 2005) ⭐ 6.6| Comedy, drama, romance. (2005, February 11). IMDb.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (TV Series 2021– ) ⭐ 8.4 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2021, August 28). IMDb.
Isn’t It Romantic (Film 2019) ⭐ 5.9 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2019, February 13). IMDb.
The Notebook (Film 2004) ⭐ 7.8 | Drama, romance. (2004, June 25). IMDb.
Reply 1994 (TV Series 2013) ⭐ 7.7 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2013, October 18). IMDb.
Roman Holiday (Film 1953) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, drama, romance. (1953, August 27). IMDb.
Run On (TV Series 2020–2021) ⭐ 7.4 | Drama, romance. (2020, December 16).
The Secret Life of My Secretary (TV Series 2019) ⭐ 7.3 | Comedy, romance. (2019, May 6). IMDb.
Silver Linings Playbook (Film 2012) ⭐ 7.7 | Comedy, drama, romance. (2012, November 16). IMDb.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (TV Series 2016–2017) ⭐ 8.3 | Comedy, romance. (2016, November 16). IMDb.
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (TV Series 2018) ⭐ 8.1 | Comedy, mystery, romance. (2018, June 6).
