Two’s company…but is three really a crowd?

Why inviting a mate to join your date is not as unusual as you may think when it comes to dating post-lockdown.

“Can I bring a friend?”

We recently had a mud-loving member tell us she ‘didn’t want to be that weird woman’ who brought a friend along for a first date, but felt she it would give her the extra little boost to get herself out there.

But truth is, turning up for a date with a friend in tow is a fast-growing dating habit and it is a trend that is expected to boom post-lockdown as people build up the confidence and reassurance again in the company of others.

Inviting a mate to join you on a date, or at very least ask a friend or family member to be at the same location and time as when the date takes place, clearly brings plenty of safety benefits, alongside the social advantages should things not go to plan.

In fact, 6% of online daters of a recent survey revealed they would have no hesitation in asking a friend to join them on a date with someone they’d met online and were still getting to know. Clearly, ‘gooseberrys’ aren’t in season.

So, it’s not as far fetched or as uncommon as it sounds. In some instances, two become three without even a heads up or prior notice.

And it is women who are 11 time more likely to propose such a thing then a gent.

It’s not necessarily about one half of the encounter being wary or wanting to remove romance from the situation. Nor are they showing a lack of genuine interest or concerned about the uneasiness of awkward silences. These are assumptions that we know put a dampener on the whole excitement of a first date.

A lot of that nervousness should have been put to bed through message exchanges online or via virtual dates through a screen.

No, it’s likely to be a baby step into gradually easing back into the one-on-one dating format and just wanting the comfort of a friendly face. The important bit here is to not read into it too much; just go with the flow. Accept, and appreciate, your date wants an extra layer of reassurance – something that doesn’t reflect badly on you – and then let your confidence and true character bloom to impress them (and their friend!).

Look at it as an opportunity to get to discover more about someone you see a potential connection with, whilst spending time with someone they hold dear to their heart.

It’s not the only safety-first measure that women are more likely to put in place either when it comes to dating their way out of a lockdown and beyond, once the roadmap milestones have been met.

41% of respondents said they would now insist on choosing a venue they are familiar with for a first date whilst 50% said they would opt for somewhere much more public, and a lot less cosy, quiet, and intimate compared to their pre-lockdown recommendations.