When we were engaged, some of the advice we heard most often was, “Date your husband. Make it a priority. Go on dates together.” I thought, “What’s the big deal?” That should be easy, right? Dating pre-marriage was never hard at all. Turns out our friends gave that advice for a reason. Whether it’s finding the time or figuring out something fun to do besides dinner, it’s easy to get in a dating rut.

“Marriage is hard work; never stop dating your spouse just because you’re married.”

So that’s where ‘Alphabet Dating’ came into the picture for us. You may be asking yourself how it works — and we have all the answers!

EASY STEPS TO GET STARTED:

  1. Pick a time frame for how often you want to schedule an alphabet date (i.e. once a week, every other week, or even once a month). Make sure it’s realistic with both your schedules.
  2. Choose one person to start and be in charge of planning the date. We recommend rotating between each other. This person is in charge of the date from top to bottom.
  3. Start with the letter “A” and work your way through the alphabet, planning dates based on a theme that starts with the date’s letter. For example, “A” might be a date with an art theme–making pottery together, visiting a museum or doing those paint + wine classes. Try something new that you haven’t done previously together.
  4. Make it a surprise for each other. Reveal everything (or don’t) when the date starts.
  5. Determine a budget to stay within for each date. This ensures you don’t break the bank in spoiling each other.
  6. Spend some time in real conversation with each other. Put those phones away! You might just learn something new!

 

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN DATING:

  • Make sure you plan it out, but then be flexible. Your date is much more likely to happen when it’s planned in advance, but life does happens — so be flexible!
  • Not every date can be top notch — so don’t have high expectations for every activity. Cooking up a new Pinterest recipe together can be just as special as a fancy dinner out.
  • Dating requires sacrifice. You will probably have to give up some things to make room for this on your busy calendar. Do it!