Fifteen years ago today (or yesterday by the time most of you read this), I went on my first date. And it just happened to be with my husband.
Thankfully, my mother was handy with the camera that night. For posterity. And the torture of teenage girls.
Despite the look of great annoyance on my face, I had a good time on that first date. Mark took me to dinner and our school’s Homecoming dance. He talked constantly and then later told me that he was afraid I was too quiet. (If only he’d known…!) We danced together twice – to Seal’s Kissed by a Rose and an embarrassing Boyz II Men song that was popular at the time.
After the dance, we went to my friend Jammie’s house to hang out with several of my friends. If I remember correctly, we were the only ones who had actually gone to the dance, so I stood out in my skirt and – I know – pantyhose. (It didn’t help that Mark’s version of dance-appropriate attire was jeans and a button-up. Don’t even get my mom started on how annoyed she was that we spent hours – HOURS! – shopping for a perfect outfit, and he showed up in jeans.) Luckily my friend had some sweats and a t-shirt I could change into. So fashionable, I was.
We played pool and ate junk food and hung out. I’m not sure what “hanging out” really entailed. Mostly just feeling awkward having my first date guy there with all my friends, including one guy who insisted on making fun of me the entire night. (Thank you, high school guy friend who surely doesn’t remember this night like I do. You made an awkward evening even more awkward.)
After the dinner, the dance and the party, Mark drove me home. After all, my 6-foot-tall mother had made sure to intimidate him into a concrete commitment to my midnight curfew.
He pulled into my driveway. I think I said something about having a nice time or thank you for dinner or something. I distinctly remember gripping the door handle. And then, woof!
All of a sudden, his face was in my face. Yes, he kissed me. On the first date. Apparently, I’m that kind of girl. (But only with Mark!)
So, there it is. My first date story. Nothing terribly exciting, but it’s mine. Now I want to hear yours. Tell us about your first date in the comments – or link up a post on your blog below!
So funny that we both married our homecoming dates :) And since I just posted my "How we met" story last week, I'll be adding my name to Mr. Linky!
My first date was so morbidly awful I don't think I can even confess it for fear someone I went to high school with will read it. I will email it to you if you are just dying to hear it.
My first "date" with my husband was 2 months after we started "dating." Ha. I had a disgusting sinus infection, couldn't taste the food at the restaurant, and we watched ALL THREE HOURS of Lord of the Rings from the FRONT ROW FAR LEFT of the theater. Yes, that was as bad as it sounds.
My dear, sweet husband took me to a square dance on our first date (what can I say? It was a Christian college long before dancing was allowed.). About 20 minutes before we were to meet up, he called and asked if I was ready. I said yes, I was. And then he said he had something for me in the dorm lobby. What was left for me was a sweet poem, using squaredancing terms, that directed me across campus to a place where he had left me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He won my heart that night, and next year we'll celebrate 25 years of marriage.
Still square dancing! :)
Ha! This is so fun! I love old pictures. Thanks for the topic and the link :)
This is a fun story!
My first date was *not* with my future husband. It was 1987 and I was 15yo. The guy and I double-dated with my friend who was dating his friend. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner and then we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. I made it home in time for my 10pm curfew but the guy and I sat out on the porch and talked so long that my parents actually starting turning the porch light on and off as a signal that I'd better say goodnight and get inside!
We ended up "dating" and he was my first boyfriend…for a grand total of 3 weeks and then he dumped me on the phone on New Year's Day. I still see him around town occasionally and I am so glad that we went our separate ways!
I don't remember my first officially date because I guess I just gradually evolved into the dating scene until one day I realized "oh this is a date." I did want to say though how adorable this story and that picture is! I even love the circular photo that is centered in between the two of you in the background ;)
That was fantastic. I love your Catholic schoolgirl outfit. Wasn't a girl wearing that in a Bon Jovi video?
How sweet! I don't remember my first date and most of my "dates" were friends that turned into more so kind of skipped the whole "awkward first dates" for the most part. But I do still remember every detail of the night I met my husband and still get butterflies when I think of it, and to me that's the best "date" ever.
Oh Mary. This made my morning. I'm going fishing for pictures then I'm going to get my post up.
The plaid and the denim(ish) on denim are too much for me. I also love that you are refusing to touch. But, as someone else pointed out, the picture behind your heads makes this picture awesome.
I love the awkwardness of homecoming and first dates and whatnot. And I'm so glad that despite mean-guy-friend, you ended up marrying your precious homecoming date! Awwww. Happy quasi-anniversary!
Chris and I met 6 days after I broke off 'the engagement', so I was in denial that we were dating for a couple months :-)
Chris would say that our first date was a chorale concert on-campus that was supposed to be a bunch of friends (and he told them not to come :-) Conniving stinker, wasn't he?
wow, you have a good first date story!!! i can't even remember my first date!! they were always all just friends, and then even my husband and i never really dated when we starting going together. it's kind of lame. maybe i need to just make something up…humph! i so badly want to participate in this one!!
The looks of sheer joy on both of your faces is hilarious! As for the first date with my now hubby…not sure which one to talk about. The one where he cancelled at the last minute cause the friend who set us up backed out of the double date at the last minute, or the one where he was forced to follow thru with the date when the friend who set us up backed out a second time, only this time when future hubby and I were already together waiting to meet up on the second attempt at a double date. (rest of the story…said friend never had any intention of it being a double date…it was the only way to force future hubby to take me out!)
Oh…and ditto on the first date 'talking constantly'. I remember wondering if he was ever going to ask me about me :)
Fun topic! I'll come back to browse some links later tonight.
I'd be interested in hearing Mark's side of the story! :-)
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes in-laws! I'm blaming them for not getting my post up because 16 of them have been here since Wednesday evening. Whew.
I loved your post!!
I also married a Mark and we went mountain-biking for our first date. I'm a Texas girl and I thought biking = flat pavement. Nooooo, not around here. I had no idea what I was getting into…and after nine years of marriage my sweet biking boy might just say the same! (:
ha ha! i love that picture!
Great story!
My first visit to your blog and I love that I got to hear such a fun story for it. Good stuff.
First date with my hubby was after we had already been 'dating' for a month- long distance. I visited him for the frist time and was scared outta my mind, and he kissed me in the car-before we even got to the restaurant. And, get this- I'm the only girl he's ever kissed. I can't believe how brave he was, and I don't think he could believe it, either! :)