Dates can be amazing, or boring, a pleasure, or a chore, depending on what you do and when you do it, and if one of you is not enjoying it then the whole thing can backfire and leave you both with a bitter taste in your mouth!

Dates are supposed to be fun, they are supposed to be about the two of your going out to enjoy what life has to offer and in the process get to know a little bit more about each other and see the good side of your partner away from the negative influences of daily life.

But what should you do to guarantee a great date?

First off book it for a Saturday a few weeks away, doing it on a Saturday helps you both to be in a great mood ready for it. You can almost guarantee that if you did it on a weekday then one of you would have an awful day at work that day and then be in a terrible mood. With you both in a great mood you will connect better, have more fun, see the funny side of anything that goes wrong and enjoy your time together more!

Now when you tell them about it you should already have some sort of idea about what you are going to do (or have planned it all already if you are super organised) so you can drop hints about it to them. Let him/her know to keep that evening free for a bit of pampering, drop in a hint or two about what you are going to do (make these really obscure so they will never guess).

Then for the next few weeks build up the excitement, tell your partner how they will need to dress so they have a chance to start thinking of what to wear, mention casually about something he/she should prepare for... just make sure you don't let slip anything you are doing. The mystery heightens their excitement and they will be far more receptive to the evening when they have been looking forward to it for weeks!

By the time the night comes you need to have everything planned to the letter so it all goes smoothly, there is nothing worse than turning up to a show for instance and finding out that lovely car park on the map is always full and the next one is miles away so you miss the show... I should know as I did just that! Take the time to nip over to places one weekend before and just make sure you know where to go and what to expect, you'll be eternally grateful if you spot something like road diversions etc that would mess the night up.

If you are going out during the day try and do something that will engage the two of you so that you are both able to talk about the same thing but there is no struggle to find things to say, like going to a zoo or an aquarium. Talking is important in a relationship so it is essential you have time on your perfect date to sit down as a couple and just give each other your undivided attention and talk, so after the zoo/aquarium head to a coffee shop to discuss all your favourites and what you would love to take home!

If you are taking your other half out for the evening (recommended for the perfect date as the night time is far more romantic and you then end the day together rather than just going out for the day and then coming back to 'normal' life for the evening) then find out what they like so you can spoil them.

If they like theatre take them out to a show, if they like dancing take them out dancing, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' perfect activity, you have to match their individual taste. I'd say that combining one active event like dancing (or take them to a class where you can both learn something like cooking or painting together) with one more relaxed event like a romantic meal is the perfect combo as being active gives you chance to get the blood flowing and will leave your bodies flooded with endorphins so you are on a giddy high for the meal together and giggling like lovesick teenagers.

If you are a guy and you really want to impress your partner, then before you set off, as she is getting ready for the date, tell her how much you love her and give her a gift for the date, like a bracelet, necklace, earrings etc, this gives her something new to show off during the date and she will not be able to leave you alone all night!

Mix in copious amounts of flirting, gentle flowing conversation and some good wine and you have the recipe for the perfect date, start planning yours now and enjoy it!