Dates at Home Inspired by the Five Senses

by Genna Cockerham

Date nights at home are often listed among the top budget-friendly ways for married couples to reconnect with each other. But what are husbands and wives to do when dinner and a movie at home become stale?

Using the five senses as a guide for date nights at home can revive tired routines and add romance back into a marriage. Date night ideas for married couples include recreating a spa night at home, experimenting with a wine, beer or cheese tasting and reinventing the dinner and a movie theme.
Easy Home Spa for Couples

Creating a home spa is an easy way to have a date night that focuses on the five senses. To create a spa-like atmosphere, focus on lighting and the sense of sight first. Clear away clutter that distracts the eye, bring candles into the bedroom and bathroom and switch out bright light bulbs for softer ones. Next, find some soft music like classical, jazz or a nature sounds CD to soothe the sense of hearing.

The sense of taste can be stimulated in several different ways. Options include a bottle of wine or champagne, fresh fruit and chocolate fondue or other light fare that evokes a spa theme. To stimulate the senses of touch and smell, bring spa products like massage oil or bubble bath home. Creating a home spa requires only an little preparation and planning to create a theme that will help married couples reconnect with each other.
Wine Tasting at Home.



Make and print a scorecard to record impressions of each item. Select soft music for the occasion and dress in soft, comfortable clothes to soothe the sense of touch.

It is obvious that a tasting will focus on the sense of taste, but the sense of sight and smell are featured as well. Sight can be stimulated or soothed by arranging the food in an appealing arrangement with contrasting colors. Choose garnishes and finger food that have a variety of textures and that will play off the colors found in the food or drink. While tasting each item, make a conscious effort to compare the visual textures and smells of the food or drink.
A Better Dinner and a Movie Night

To make a dinner and a movie date night at home more exciting, start with a central theme. Choose a movie to watch first then plan the dinner around the theme. For example, if the movie is Slumdog Millionaire, choose a dinner menu that features Indian cuisine. An alternative to cooking a full meal is to make a decadent dessert that goes along with the movie theme. For example, a New York cheesecake goes with a movie based in New York.

Cooking together can stimulate the senses of smell, sight, touch and taste all at once. Enjoy the meal cuddled on the sofa in front of the movie or have a picnic on the floor. Focus on soft lighting, comfortable seating and blankets with varied textures. Creating a theme night and being aware of the five senses can take an at-home movie night to a new level of intimacy and excitement.

Date nights at home don’t have to mean doing the same old thing every time. Instead of relying on carry-out dinner and a familiar movie every time, try dates that target each partner’s five senses. By focusing on the sense of taste, smell, sight, touch and hearing, married couples can have an exciting date night that appeals to all of their senses.

Each date can be personalized to evoke memories, set the mood and draw the husband and wife closer. When planning each date choose one or two primary senses to focus on and have the other senses be more subtle. This will keep the mood more relaxed than if all five senses were being strongly stimulated at once.