Today I wanted to share 5 fancy date night ideas because I absolutely LOVE getting dressed up! I love feeling gorgeous,  I love when Jay compliments me, I love a little added sophistication and class, and I love how everything immediately feels more special and romantic when we’re dressed nicer. But I often find myself at a loss for when I can dress up other than weddings. Anyone else?

I stumbled upon this gorgeous lace dress a little while back and just had to have it. I told Jay that it’d be fun for us to go out some place where I could wear it, but we were both stumped on where we could go. So I started brainstorming some fun and romantic things that we could do where dressing up like this would be appropriate – because I’m not about to walk into a movie lookin’ this fab! 🙂

Below are 5 fancy date night ideas I came up with that Jay and I are going to look into and that hopefully you can enjoy with your significant other too! PS, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of budget-friendly ideas (did you catch my recent 5 Ways to Save Money post?!), so these ideas won’t break the bank either!

|| 5 Fancy Date Night Ideas ||

Head to the opera or ballet || This is the number one thing that I want to do with Jay! It’s been on my to-do list for almost a year now, so I’m going to really start looking into it! Not only do you get dress up, but the music and performances are incredible! How can you not feel fancy when attending?

Have drinks and appetizers at a swanky hotel || To hopefully keep things a little more budget-friendly, we’re opting to do drinks and apps only (verses a full dinner) at a nice hotel restaurant or bar. We need to research it a little more, but there are so many beautiful hotels here in Orange County that would be perfect for dressing up. I’d suggest finding that one hotel in your city that has the highest nightly prices and see if you can get in for some drinks!

Research art galleries and events || Get on Yelp and see if there are any art galleries near you. If so, look at their events calendar to see if they have anything fun coming up. I’ve never actually been to an art gallery opening or exhibition, but I’ve seen them in the movies and they look like a blast! It seems like the perfect occasion for dressing to the nines and pretending to be fancier than you actually are! (I’m talking to myself and Jay here since we’re perfectly fine going to Chili’s and a dollar movie for dates!)

Find a jazz club || If there are any jazz clubs near you, you should check them out! You could have a nice dinner at home in your fancy clothes, then head out for drinks at the club… all while enjoying fabulous music! You could even combine this with the hotel idea so that your night consists of drinks and appetizers at the hotel with jazz music afterwards!

If you live near water, try to find a yacht or cruise to have dinner or drinks || This one’s obviously a little easier for us here in Newport Beach, but if you’re near any type of water or harbor, check to see if there are any small cruises to go on. We recently did a fun little sunset cruise while my parents were visiting from Texas, and it was a blast! A little helpful note though: Do some research to find out the attire. Our cruise with my parents was very casual, so I wouldn’t want you showing up like how I’m dressed in these photos when everyone else is in jeans and a tee.

|| SHOP THE POST ||

Exact dress (in lots of colors!) here, here, here, here, and here || Exact heels & similar heels || Exact purse and similar purse || Bracelet

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Thanks for checking out my “5 Fancy Date Night Ideas” post! I hope you can use some of these ideas to enjoy some romantic quality time with the one you love!

Did I miss any fancy date night ideas? Share any ideas you’d add in the comments!