{"id":34217,"date":"2025-10-05T07:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T07:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/7-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-a-first-date-according-to-etiquette-experts\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T07:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T07:21:13","slug":"7-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-a-first-date-according-to-etiquette-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/7-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-a-first-date-according-to-etiquette-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"7 mistakes you should never make on a first date, according to etiquette experts"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/68dc273b1c1f80efbec49f1a?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A man and woman smile at each other while sitting at a table in a restaurant.\"\/><figcaption>According to etiquette experts, there are a few things you should never do on a first date.<\/p>\n<p>O2O Creative\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Business Insider asked etiquette experts about the mistakes that should be avoided on a first date.<\/li>\n<li>According to the pros, you should never push your date for too much information at once.<\/li>\n<li>Arriving late, overpromising on future dates, and showing off financially are all major faux pas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For many, a first date is a high-stakes experience that leaves a lasting impression and determines future dating potential. That&#039;s why it&#039;s important to put your best foot forward and avoid common faux pas.<\/p>\n<p>To help make sure the meet-up is as successful as possible, Business Insider spoke with four etiquette experts about the mistakes you should never make on a first date. Here&#039;s what they said.<\/p>\n<h2>Pushing for too much information at once<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/68dc283b1c1f80efbec49f4d?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Two men sitting across from each other at a table.\"\/><figcaption>A first date should be an easygoing interaction.<\/p>\n<p>10&#039;000 Hours\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bethany Skorik, an etiquette coach and founder of Ascent Etiquette and Communications, told Business Insider it&#039;s important to remember that a first date isn&#039;t an interview. This means you likely won&#039;t learn everything about a person in one shot.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, she said the initial date should be an easygoing interaction and shouldn&#039;t pry too deeply into someone&#039;s personal life.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Focus on assessing the person&#039;s energy, hobbies, and general outlook on life,&quot; Skorik said. &quot;Most people aren&#039;t comfortable, or obligated, to share information about their family life, finances, ex-lovers, or personal back story with a stranger.&quot;<\/p>\n<h2>Making a mess at dinner<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/68dc28675dbc4fd10da9e1ae?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A basket of chicken wings with sauce.\"\/><figcaption>Be careful if you&#039;re ordering something messy at dinner.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Lozano Gonzalez\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>First dates leave a lasting impression, and sloppy eating and poor presentation can harm your chances of a second date. That&#039;s why Skorik told BI it&#039;s important to be mindful of messy behaviors and meals.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Wipe your mouth and hands often when eating finger foods or messy sauces, because no one wants to see your dirty mouth outline or fingerprints on the glassware,&quot; Skorik said.<\/p>\n<p>To avoid this problem altogether, consider choosing a dinner spot with a minimally messy menu.<\/p>\n<h2>Arriving late<\/h2>\n<p>Jo Hayes, an etiquette expert and founder of EtiquetteExpert.org, told BI that arriving late to a first date can be a major no-no. <\/p>\n<p>&quot;Punctuality demonstrates respect for the other person and their valuable time. Lateness demonstrates a lack of respect for the other person,&quot; Hayes said.<\/p>\n<h2>Overpromising on future dates<\/h2>\n<p>It can be tempting to end a date by saying &quot;we should do this again sometime&quot; \u2014 even if you don&#039;t mean it. <\/p>\n<p>However, Richie Frieman, an etiquette expert known as the Modern Manners Guy, recommends choosing your words wisely when discussing future plans.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;This is a first date, so make sure your expectations are properly mirrored with the person across from you. If there is no hope, settle for a handshake and &#039;It was so nice to meet you,&#039;&quot; he told BI.<\/p>\n<h2>Showing off financially<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/68dc2889cc993f9955cf3a6f?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A $100 bill on top of a check at a restaurant.\"\/><figcaption>Showing off financially can be a turn-off for many people. <\/p>\n<p>Grace Cary\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Everyone wants to make a good impression on a first date, but there&#039;s a fine line between looking like you have it together and showing off. For example, Frieman told BI that being financially flashy is not a good look.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;If you can swing a pricier dish, then have at it, but don&#039;t overdo your status, or your credit card limit, to look cool,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#039;s one thing to want to impress your first date, but it&#039;s another thing to show off your bank account by ordering the entire right side of the menu.&quot; <\/p>\n<h2>Unloading your baggage and oversharing<\/h2>\n<p>Although you should always be honest on a first date, Nick Leighton \u2014 cohost of the etiquette-centric podcast &quot;Were You Raised by Wolves?&quot;<em> \u2014 <\/em>said vulnerability isn&#039;t the same as oversharing.<\/p>\n<p>Vulnerability can help open up meaningful conversation, while oversharing can make your date feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It&#039;s not always ideal to unload a life&#039;s worth of baggage over that initial drink. It&#039;s good to share, just not overshare on a first date,&quot; he told BI.<\/p>\n<h2>Being rude to the waitstaff<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/68dc28af1c1f80efbec49f73?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A waiter places a salad in front of a woman holding a glass of red wine.\"\/><figcaption>It&#039;s important to treat your server with respect.<\/p>\n<p>BearFotos\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whether you&#039;re speaking with your date or a server, failing to use your best manners can significantly hurt your chances of securing another meet-up.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It&#039;s a huge red flag and suggests a lack of empathy and respect, which are key ingredients in any relationship,&quot; Leighton told BI.<\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on Business Insider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to etiquette experts, there are a few things you should never do on a first date. O2O Creative\/Getty Images Business Insider asked etiquette experts about the mistakes that should be avoided on a first date. According to the pros, you should never push your date for too much information at once. Arriving late, overpromising [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-34217","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}