With Valentine’s Day approaching, many single Vancouverites are asking themselves one key question: “To date or not to date on Valentine’s Day?”.  Although many couples see Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to renew their romance, singles often dread the thought of spending Valentine’s Day stuck at home alone.  “Valentine’s Day can actually be a bit stressful for singles,” says Paddi Rice, President and founder of Executive Search Dating (Vancouver’s premier dating service for busy professionals) “as it can put undue pressure on you to hastily arrange a romantic dinner date even if you don’t’ have someone special in your life at the moment.  But it doesn’t have to be that way, we like to think of Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to meet someone new without getting overly concerned about the ‘Hallmark Holiday’ aspect of February 14^th.  The key is to make the day a fun event, while also using it as an opportunity to send a positive message to someone who you are interested in.”  With a view towards helping Vancouver singles successfully navigate Valentine’s Day, Executive Search Dating presents the following Valentine’s Day “Dating Survival Guide”:

• Take the pressure off: don’t feel pressured into arranging a romantic dinner date on Valentine’s Day.  If there isn’t someone special in the picture at the moment, arrange to spend the evening having fun with some other single friends.  Arrange a dinner or martini party at home, or take advantage of the various ‘Anti-Valentine’s Day’ parties going on in the city to get out and celebrate your Singledom!
• Lunch over dinner: if there is someone you are interested in, but are not quite ready to subject each other to the pressure of a Valentine’s Day dinner date, plan for a casual Valentine’s Day lunch instead.  This can send a positive message to your date partner while at the same time avoiding the crush (and expense) of trying to get a Valentine’s Day dinner reservation.
• Any day is Valentine’s Day: another option is booking a date with someone shortly before or after Valentine’s Day… having something in your social calendar within a few days of the ‘big day’ can ease the guilt or shame you may feel about not having plans on Valentine’s Day itself.
• Get outside: Vancouver singles also have one great advantage over singles from other cities: the beautiful natural surroundings of our fair city!  Plan an after work walk along the seawall with some friends, capped off with a drink or hot chocolat at one of the many water side restaurants or cafes.
• When all else fails, shop!: if an outdoor activity is not to your liking, or it the weather doesn’t permit it, spend the day shopping with a single friends and treat yourself to something nice.  Stop in at a Spa while your at it to make the day fun AND relaxing!