Tonight's plan
Set up your date
A few quick choices, then you're off.
There's no wrong way to do this. Skip anything that doesn't fit you two, and linger wherever you're having fun. Tonight is about each other, not checking every box.
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What a night
Here's your date card, made from tonight.
Press and hold the card to save it. Then post it, or send it to a married couple you love.
Machine
A date night for married couples
Plan your trip
Tonight you'll travel back to where it started, stay in the present, and dream forward together. Check these off ahead of time.
Set the dial
The time machine has three sealed portals. Pick one together without peeking. Wherever it lands, that's your first little detour through time.
The D.A.T.E. rules
Drop the to-do listWork, money, and chores can wait until tomorrow.
All eyes on each otherSilence your phones, except the one running tonight's date.
Talk kindlyNo complaints or criticism tonight.
Enjoy the momentLaugh, flirt, and have fun together.
- Never use your phone while driving. Let the passenger run the date night.
- Every activity is optional. Skip anything that isn't a good fit for you.
- Check food allergies, and follow the rules of places you visit.
- These date nights are for fun and connection, not a substitute for counseling.
If you don't feel safe at home, you're not alone. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org. In an emergency, call 911.
Power up with a kiss
Every time machine needs power. A seven-second kiss should get this one off the ground.
A soft chime plays at seven seconds. Keep going as long as you like.
Then head to dinner. Your first stop is the past, for the drive.
Then settle in together. Your first stop is the past.
Stop one: the past
Want to pick where you go?Choose a stop yourself
The driver can answer too. Just keep your eyes on the road and your heart in the past.
Take your time. Really listen, and ask follow-up questions.
Stop two: the present
Order your mealServe your meal, then come back to right now. The person across the table is the one you get to love today.
Want more?Blind portraits: draw each other without looking
Who you married, present day
Take turns finishing each sentence. Start with {W}, then {H}. Answer as many as you like.
- Right now, I love that you…
- Something you did this week that I noticed was…
- I feel most connected to you these days when…
- This season of our life, I'm thankful for…
- One thing I want us to protect right now is…
Want to keep talking?Draw a bonus question
Stop three: the future
Want to pick where you go?Choose a stop yourself
"He has made everything beautiful in its time."ECCLESIASTES 3:11 (BSB)
A letter to future us
Each of you writes a short letter to the two of you, to be opened on a future anniversary.
- Right now, our life looks like…
- Here's what I love about us today…
- By the time you read this, I hope…
- A promise I want to keep until then…
A few honest sentences is plenty. No peeking at each other's letters.
Fold both letters into one envelope. On the front, write "Open on" and pick a date: your next anniversary, or five years from tonight.
Set a reminder on your phone for the open date, and keep the envelope somewhere safe.
Pass the fun along
Before you leaveBefore the night ends, share this Time Machine kit with another married couple and dare them to take a trip of their own.
Spot another married couple on a date? Let them scan this code.Next time you see a married couple you love, let them scan this code.
https://www.pocketdatenight.com/time-machine-date-night
Post about your night and invite everyone to plan one of their own.
Instagram doesn't allow links in captions to be tapped, so add the link to your bio or story, or just share the photo and hashtags.
The return trip
Our soundtrack
Ride home to the soundtrack of when it all began.Put on the music from when it all began, and slow dance in the kitchen.
Let the passenger pick what to play, so the driver keeps eyes on the road.
Pick one song, turn the lights down low, and dance until it ends.
The time machine drops you back in the present tonight. When you get home, don't rush back into the to-do list.Don't rush to clean up or get back to the to-do list. Stay in the moment together a little longer, and end the night with a kiss.
