5 tips to make your next movie date night more meaningful

I love movie night as much as the next person, especially for date night. Curling up on the couch together with your favorite take out, snacks and a good movie can be a relaxing date night! They always say that your first date should never be to a movie. Because it doesn’t provide the best environment for getting to know each other. But who doesn’t love a good movie date night.

Because of the limited opportunity for deep connection, it makes sense to me to say that even after you’re married, you should avoid making every date night a movie night. That being said, when you do choose to watch a movie together or pick that for your date night activity, I have a few ideas for how you can make those dates benefit your marriage relationship a little bit more.

 

MAKE A MOVIE TREAT TOGETHER

No matter where you’re watching your movie, making something together before the show can be a lot of fun! Maybe you have a favorite popcorn recipe or maybe you prefer a sweet and salty snack mix, a frozen treat, nachos, etc. Don’t just swing by the store and pick something up that’s already made and conveniently packaged. Plan for extra time together before you start your movie. Then put your snack together while you enjoy a little quality conversation and bonding time.

CREATE A CHANGE OF SCENERY

If you always curl up in your bed together to watch Netflix, sit on the couch to watch your movie instead. You may choose to watch your movie at a different theater than normal or try the drive-in. For some fun at home, bring your mattress out in front of the TV. Enjoy your show together and then have a little sleepover in that same room. It could be fun to blow up an air mattress and take your laptop to the backyard to watch your show after it gets dark. You could also pile a bunch of pillow and blankets into the back of a truck. Then find a secluded place in the mountains or a nearby field to watch the movie!

 

WATCH ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES

This could mean watching a movie that you’ve both seen and know that you love. But it could also mean watching each others’ favorite movies. I had never seen Joe’s favorite movie until a few years into our marriage. I still remember the night that we finally stopped saying, “We should watch it sometime” and actually pulled it out and watched it. He pointed out all of his favorite parts and has loved being able to reference it since and have me know what he is talking about. We also have a couple of favorite shows that we watch together as a couple. We’ve seen them all at least twice and love pointing out things that we’d never noticed before. Or being able to talk during the movie without feeling like we’re missing anything.

WATCH THE SPECIAL FEATURES AND DELETED SCENES

This idea came to me when one of my Facebook memories was a video of my friends and I singing along to the karaoke videos that are part of the special features on The Wedding Singer. You probably can’t do this if you get your movie from Redbox or are in a theater. But there are plenty of other opportunities to pull out the special features. After you’ve finished the show, see what that extra disc has to offer. Some might have karaoke videos you can have fun with or games you can play. All movies will most likely have deleted scenes that you can watch. Then discuss whether or not you think they should have been included or if it was good that they were cut.