Should You Kiss on a First Date With an Online Match?

I can personally attest to the fact that online dating can be pretty nerve-wracking. The anticipation is typically far worse than the date itself but as the night draws to a close a thought may well pop into your head: should I go for the kiss?

It is the tipping point -- will your match return the kiss or move aside? And even if your match does like you, is it too soon?

The question of "too soon" is a pertinent one and may well present itself to you on the first date. I personally think that the best time to kiss is the second date, but what about beforehand -- should you kiss on the first date?

Let's start by talking about first dates in the "real world," which are very different to those in the online dating world. Unless it's a blind date you will have already met your match before and may already know them quite well. For those reasons a kiss on the first date might be totally appropriate. But I consider dates with online matches to be a completely different ball game and wouldn't recommend a kiss on the first date unless the sparks are really flying.

Why? Well at the risk of sounding too cold, it's a simple case of risk aversion. Even if your match does like you on the first they may not be ready for a kiss. For someone who is new to online dating the concept of chatting someone online and quickly transitioning to a "real" situation can be a shock to the system. As such, they might not be too keen to kiss on the first date. I actually know a few girls who have a "no kiss on the first date" rule. This means that a girl might like you and yet still reject you, which will really throw a spanner in the works.

Alternatively (or additionally), consider this: how special can a kiss really feel on the first date? Even if a date goes really well I'm not typically at the point in which a kiss will feel anything more than just that -- a kiss. If you are keen to make that first kiss count and be something to remember, you should definitely avoid it on the first date.

Having said all of that, I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm. If it feels totally right for you to kiss on the first date, go for it. I've just never been there myself -- even when I've really liked a girl. We're all different at the end of the day, so trust your instinct if you feel confident enough to do so!