A year of dates with the Bates’

In 2020 we made the decision to take our little box of date inspiration ‘across the pond’ and make it easier for our American friends to join our dating adventures. Since then we’ve updated the cards to make them more accessible – they were quite British and feedback quickly led us to realise that car boot sales and afternoon tea weren’t easily understood, so we updated and Americanized the cards.

This journey so far has been a rollercoaster worthy of Disney World but it’s been great to see customers embrace the suggestions, this year sees us head to the States ourselves to try and grow the company profile – it’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

One of the highlights is seeing the cards out there in real life being enjoyed and we’ve loved seeing Begüm and Brock Bates’ year of dates unfold through their dedicated Instagram account @ayearofdateswiththebates. As their year drew to a close we caught up with Begüm to find out what the couple have enjoyed from their experience…

What made you buy the date box?
I was ordering Christmas gifts online and wanted to get a unique gift for my husband. I was searching through Etsy and came across “A Year of Dates”. I immediately thought “this is an awesome gift” and placed my order right away. 

What were you hoping to get from the experience?
We love experiencing new adventures and making memories together and I wanted to use this gift to create memorable experiences during our first year of marriage.  

Congratulations, you had only been married a month when you started, did it live up to your expectations?
Absolutely! We will cherish all of the fun memories and adventures we experienced with “A Year of Dates”. From relieving our first date at the coffee shop to going for a walk on the beach in Punta Cana, we enjoyed each other’s company with every creative date card. We were always eager to see what date was in store for us weekly! 

What was your favorite date, and why?
There have been so many great dates so it is truly tough to choose just one. However, I would say the “Safari Dinner” date was so unique and it ended up being a fun experience! It was like multiple dates all packed into one date! 

Have you got any new hobbies, or got to activities from the date cards?
The “bake together” card led to my husband discovering one of the best salted chocolate chip cookie recipes which we made together from scratch. Prior to this date, we had never baked together. Baking together has been a new hobby since that date! We have even invested in new baking materials for our kitchen! 

We also discovered a new passion for watching NASCAR racing when we attended the NASCAR Cup Series at the Michigan International Speedway for our “Try Something New” date card. 

What would you say to other couples considering buying a date box?
Don’t think twice about it and purchase this box. It made our first year of marriage so fun and we have so many fond memories. This box would be a great gift for couples that are newly dating or even those that have been dating for awhile. This box gave us the opportunity to explore unique dates and plan things we would have not considered otherwise. We learned a lot about each other too during the dates… We can both attest we are not a fan of jigsaw puzzles but we are very competitive when it comes to mini golf. 🤣 

“It helps keep a fun spark in the relationship and helps you keep dating your significant other. Life gets busy, but it is important to always make time for each other.”

If you’re looking to gift a couple for a bridal shower, engagement party, wedding, anniversary, or any sentimental occasion, this is the perfect gift. If you’re looking to get this for yourself and your significant other, you will love all of the fun packed dates that are in this box.  

Thank you so much Begüm, we’re so glad you enjoyed the experience and we love that you have the photos and memories to look back on – we wish you many years of happy marriage, baking and NAS CAR racing – but not jigsaws!