We all want to "fall" in love. Wouldn't it be great if all first dates just happened so smoothly as "falling". Anyone can fall. Unfortunately the best first dates don't just happen that easy. The first impression we make in a date sets the tone for the whole relationship. Dating is difficult and great dates don't just happen by accident. You won't "fall" into a great first date. The key is planning. Take a little time and prepare for your date. Use the tips in this article and you can experience a great first date.

Have a great story to tell. You are going to want to make a connection with your date. You may think you are witty and charming, but it wouldn't hurt to prepare at least one humorous or preferably self-deprecating anecdote. Try thinking of an embarrassing moment to share. Something like a story your mom would tell about you. Fit this in at an awkward point in the conversation. Just start it with "Do you want to hear something funny that happened to me ... ".

Avoid the usual date places. Dinner and a movie are worn out.

• Plan your date to have a picnic in the park at sunset. Bring wine, cheese, soup in a thermos and some bread. This idea even saves money. Bring a Frisbee or Rollerblades. Before your picnic take your date to the zoo, an art gallery or planetarium. These all work well with a picnic.
• Try an artsy date.  Take your date to a paint your own pottery place, followed by a poetry reading at a coffee shop and then dinner at a trendy restaurant.
• How about a romantic date.  Start with drinks someplace exotic, like a rotating rooftop restaurant or jazz club. Get tickets for the ballet, symphony or opera. Finish off with dinner at an award winning restaurant.
• Go for the sweet and cuddly date.  Start with coffee at a quiet little place. Next take a carriage ride. Follow that with tickets to a community theatre play. End this date with dinner someplace small and quaint.
• Plan a loud date. Go to a local pool hall and play a few games. Find a good local band and attend a concert. Try out a new cuisine like sushi or tai food.
• Get in touch with nature. Visit a winery for starters. Take a long walk near a beach, river or lake.  Attend a farmer's market and buy items to take back and cook a meal together.
• A quirky date can be fun. Go to an astrologist or palm reader and see if you have a "future". Swing by a bookstore and buy each other your favorite book to read. Attend a yoga class or painting class even if you never have before. Buy takeout food and eat dinner on your rooftop.
• Get active on a date.  Try rock wall climbing, batting cages or a driving range. Look for the tourist spots in your hometown and visit them. Finish with a meal at a health food or vegan restaurant.
• Gamble on love. Find a great place for a champagne brunch and then off to a day at the races. Find a nice horse-track and have a date filled with excitement.
• Do something slow. Go antiquing. Take a long drive in the country and then find a dinner cruise.

Do something kind for a stranger. This is a great way to bond as a couple on a first date. Regardless of where you go or what you do, find a way to help someone at random. Pay for someone else's meal at a restaurant for instance. Don't even tell them, just ask your server if you can anonymously pay for a nearby couple's dinner. It's a unique way to do something fun on a date.

These are just a few tips and ideas for dates or first dates. If you are in a long term relationship these are still great ideas. Try and go on a date as if it is your first date. It will help bring back the spark. The most important thing to remember about making a strong impression on a date is to plan. Plan, plan, plan. Don't leave it up to luck. Not everyone just "falls" in love.

Wayne Ansell