An etiquette expert demystified the dating process as she revealed the golden rules for early relationships including whether you should kiss on the first date.
The dos and don’ts of dating are something often discussed and debated at length, and yet, we are still no closer to nailing down specific rules of engagement. Still, that hasn’t stopped experts from sharing their opinions, as seen recently when expert James Preece commented on the rise of the Soft Guy Era.
Should you kiss on the first date?
Whether you should kiss on the first date is a heavily debated topic and one that no one can seem to agree on. A recent survey found that just 15% thought it was appropriate to kiss on the first date, with 45% saying the second date was the most appropriate. Despite the low statistic above, 68% of singles said they would be open to a kiss on the first date.
Hoping to break through the debate with a definitive answer, we caught up with expert Laura Windsor who is the founder of Laura Windsor Etiquette Academy. Through her work, Laura teaches etiquette classes in London for both children and adults.
She explained: “When a woman wants to be kissed, she will usually communicate this by lingering as you say goodbye, languidly looking into your eyes, or even fiddling with her keys, it may also be perceived in the tone of her voice.”
Though Laura said the signs should be clear, she also urged singles to be mindful of the situation. If you don’t think they want to kiss you, then it’s probably best not to go in for the smooch.
Laura added: “Having good manners may not pay off in terms of immediate gratification, but can indeed open the door to something much more rewarding down the line, that is if you are interested in that person.”
More first-date advice from the expert
Now we’ve established whether you should go in for the kiss on the first date, let’s take a look at some of the other stellar advice that Laura issued.
She explained: “The person who does the inviting should take responsibility for the first meeting and suggest a date, time, and place. He or she should be expected to pay unless both parties have agreed in advance to split the bill/expenses.
“However, it is also courteous at some point in the evening that the guest make some sort of gesture and offer to pay for some drinks for example, if they happen to go to another venue. You can always pick up the bill on the second date if the first was successful.
“Do not arrive late for a first date. It makes a bad impression. Notify the person and give a realistic timeframe. Don’t say you are going to be 5 minutes late when you know it will be more like 20 minutes. Make sure you apologize when you arrive.”
