you are here: Couples' Night Out
by Jennifer Good
So you want a night out with your friends, but you want to spend time with your partner too. Join the two and have the best of both worlds with a couples' night out. If you have been under any kind of stress lately a couples' night out may be just what the doctor ordered! Socialization outside of your relationship is very important. If you spend too much time just one-on-one you can let your problems become too overwhelming, or even out-of-perspective. So, let loose and enjoy the company of good friends and your love using the following ideas and suggestions.
Rules of Play
Like every great game, you need to have a few rules to create the perfect atmosphere for fun. Here are a few to keep in mind.
If you have a group of three or more couples' you socialize with take turns planning a night out on a certain date. This way one couple doesn't become overburdened with the responsibility.
If you go to someone else's house, remember it's their house not yours. Pick up after yourself and offer to help with preparations or any set up involved. As obvious as this may seem, it never hurts to repeat it.
Make sure each person in the group will be comfortable with the chosen event or outing. Nothing kills a festive mood faster than one sour apple.
If you're hosting a couples' night out at your home make sure to have some beverages and a few snacks on hand so appetites don't get in the way of a great time.
Most importantly, have fun!
A few ideas for creating a couples' night out include:
Karaoke Night
Find a local karaoke bar you can all meet at, or take turns hosting your own. If you're hosting a karaoke night, a great and at the very least, entertaining game is Karaoke Suicide. Put in any karaoke CD or tape and decide who will go first, second, etc. Then have each person sing a song on the CD without skipping any. For example, if you were first you would sing the first song. If your partner were next, they would sing the second song, and so forth.
Board Game Tournament
Raid your closets and dig out your favorite group board games. Or, have each couple bring a game. You can raise the stakes by having a $5.00 entry fee. Whatever couple wins the most games wins the money collected for the entry fee.
Card Playing Night
Get a book on card games, or play your favorites like bridge, spades or poker. A fun and inexpensive way to bet is to have everyone bring over their spare change. Distribute all the change evenly to each person. Whatever you still have at the end of night is yours to keep.
Wine Tasting Night
As pretentious as it may sound, with the right tools you're in for a great, informative time. The best book to help you along is The Wine Tasting Class: Expertise in 12 Tastings. Each week is devoted to a different type of wine. The book comes with a notebook to help write down your thoughts and experiences on each wine.
Cooking Classes
Hire an in-home chef to prepare a meal for your group, or meet at local restaurant giving classes. Cooking classes are a great way to expand the cuisine of your group.
Book Club
If you and your friends show a common interest for the love of reading, start a book club. Each month pick a "Book of the Month." Have everyone get a copy and arrange for a get together each month to talk about your thoughts on the reading material. For a really in-depth club, correspond your reading choices to authors that will be making personal appearances at your local bookstore.
