It's autumn, meaning it's time for Gilmore Girls marathons, pumpkin lattes, and cuffing season. Cuffing season, a phrase from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), is the time of year when (in the northern hemisphere) temperatures dip and daters may be more apt to settle down and cuddle with one person for those cold winter months, as opposed to playing the field.
To help prepare you for cuffing season, dating app Hinge has created a guide to first dates. Do you want a quick date, or are you down to devote more time? Indoors or outdoors? Activity or conversation-based? This logic tree has you covered:
Hinge's director of relationship science, Logan Ury, shared tips with Mashable on having fun first dates this season:
Don't put too much pressure on a first date. You're just meeting this person, don't jump into wondering whether you'll marry them. But if you think you'll feel anxious regardless, you can take pressure off by including a "third object." A "third object" is something other than you and your date to talk about, like art at a museum.
Try a group setting. This might also lessen the stress of speaking to one person all night, and Ury recommended this so you can see how your date interacts with other people. "This is a great way to get a sense of those hard-to-measure qualities that are so important, like kindness," she said.
Customize the date based on your match's interest. If they mention an activity or drink in their bio, you'll show interest by suggesting a first date that includes that interest.
Ultimately — and this might be difficult — have fun. Not every first date is going to turn into a cuddle buddy, but hopefully, you'll have one once winter begins.
