How to Setup the Perfect Movie Date Night at Home

If you’re thinking of ways to spend time with the person you love on Valentine’s Day or an upcoming anniversary, you probably want to focus on quality. After all, special holidays only come around once a year, so if you want to impress that special someone, it’s time to get creative. For homebodies or couples who want to spend a cozy night indoors, a romantic movie night at home is a great idea.

To pave the way for happy memories on this special day, take a look at these movie night ideas at home so that you have everything you need to plan for a perfect movie date night.

Plan Your Movie Ahead of Time

When considering how to set up a movie night at home, planning for everything to go off without a hitch is likely your key concern.

An essential part of setting up a movie date night for success involves spending your time wisely. To avoid investing valuable minutes into scrolling through all the options you have, it’s best to have your movie or movies picked ahead of time. Reading a summary, pitching an option, and being met with a “no” or “I don’t know” can really dampen the excitement around enjoying a movie together.

That shouldn’t suggest that you should put yourself 100% in charge of choosing what you and your partner are going to watch, though. If you want to ensure that you both enjoy the night you’ve set up, you’ll want to queue up a movie or two that will spark both of your interests.

If you know what kind of movies your partner is into, or you’ve heard them talking about something they want to see recently, base your decision on that information. If the specific movie your partner wants to see isn’t available yet, try something in the same genre.

Depending on whether the movie date night is a surprise or something you’re planning together, you can approach gathering intel in a couple of ways. If the upcoming date night is not a surprise, asking for movie recommendations is an easy way to set up the right viewing experience. If you’re surprising your partner, asking general questions or making comments about upcoming releases should help you make an informed decision about what to watch.

Should you still find yourself struggling to finalize your choice, here’s a quick and creative solution. Narrow your options down to two or three, then play a game of “This or That” with your partner so that he or she can choose the winner. If you want to have even more fun with it, add an element of surprise to the final result by making a guessing game out of it. You might choose to write the titles on slips of paper, fold them, then have your partner draw one out of a hat. The one he or she chooses is the movie you’ll watch.

Stock Up on Snacks and Drinks

Eating and drinking during a movie date is a pretty common practice in the US, so it’s a good idea to have snacks and drinks on hand. Pick a handful of your partner’s favorite snacks and set up a coffee table or TV tray so that you don’t have to hold onto a plate, bowl, or glass throughout the entire movie.

If you’re planning on having dinner during the movie, choose entrees and sides that are easy to eat in low lighting. Avoid steak and anything you’ll need to cut into pieces because it’ll likely get uncomfortable quickly if you’re leaning over a coffee table throughout dinner.

Don’t forget about beverages, because whether you’re eating a three-course dinner or a platter of snacks, you’ll probably get thirsty at some point. Consider cracking open a moderately-priced bottle of wine if you’re into that, or split a couple of beers if you prefer more casual drinks.

If you don’t drink alcohol, opt for anything else the two of you enjoy: fizzy water, soda, boba tea, coffee – the sky’s the limit.

Prepare Your Media System

If your movie setup is lacking, you might want to invest in a few things before you bring your partner over for a movie date night at home. You don’t have to buy a whole new media setup, of course, but a couple of convenient devices can really take your at-home date night ideas to a new level.

For example, if you’re planning to watch movies on a device other than a standard TV, you’ll want to make sure all of your batteries are charged and ready to go. To simplify charging all of your viewing devices, consider getting a power strip that can provide you with all the power and efficiency you need. This way, your phone, laptop, projector, Bluetooth speakers, and more won’t run out of steam just before a particularly climactic scene.

If you plan to project a movie from your phone or tablet onto a larger screen, make sure that you’ve installed and tested the devices and applications you’re going to use. A USB C Hub can make it incredibly easy to play a movie on one device and mirror it to a display screen, TV, or movie projector.

Also, while you don’t want to keep getting up to check your phone, the reality is that it’s necessary on occasion. If you and your partner need to have your mobile devices nearby but don’t want to keep interrupting the movie to visit the designated charging station, use a power bank. A power bank is a portable battery you can plug your phone into so that it can stay charged while remaining within arm’s reach.

This gadget is especially useful if you’re using your phone to project the movie onto a larger screen. It would be a shame to have your device run out of battery before the movie is finished.

Set the Scene

Anyone with a TV and a couch can put on a movie, but if you want to set up the perfect movie date night, creating a comfortable viewing environment is a must. After all, you want your movie night at home to be more enjoyable than going to a crowded theater.

To set up a romantic movie night at home, focus on enhancing the existing media elements and furnishings in your home. Below are a couple of factors to consider.

Lighting

Work with your lighting to enhance the movie-watching experience by matching it with the mood of the film. For example, if you’re watching a romantic movie, dim the lights but don’t turn them off completely. If you don’t have dimming lights, set up candles or string lights so that you’re adding warmth to the scene.

If you’re watching a horror movie or something along those lines (thriller, suspense, etc.), turn the lights all the way off. There are few things that encourage movie night cuddling more effectively than darkness.

Furniture & Comfort

Make sure that the space where you plan to sit is comfortable and inviting. Most of the time, having movie night on the couch is an easy go-to. However, if you plan to lie down to watch the film or films you’ve planned for, make sure that the cushions or air mattress you’ve set up provides an effective barrier between yourself and the floor.

Additionally, make sure you’ve got blankets and pillows available so that you don’t have to get up and gather them later.

Set the thermostat so that it’s warm enough in the room without being uncomfortably hot or cold.

Don’t forget to decide where you’re going to store your food and drinks so that you don’t have a big bowl of popcorn or plates stacked between you.

Finally, before you start the movie, make sure you’ve limited possible distractions from occurring. Take a moment to visit the bathroom and put your phone on vibrate or mute so that you don’t receive any unexpected calls during the movie.

Ambiance

If you want to add another level of romantic ambiance to the media room you’ve set up, consider turning on a fireplace if you have one. If you don’t, you can opt for background sound effects. If a crackling fire isn’t your thing, a rainstorm, blizzard, or ocean waves soundtrack might be a better choice.

You might also want to plug in an air freshener, turn on an essential oil humidifier, or burn incense to make the room smell as good as it looks and feels.

There is a great deal of detail that goes into planning the perfect movie date night at home, and to make it easier on yourself, keep your unique tastes in mind. Think about the qualities that make the two of you compatible as a couple, such as your shared quirks and interests. Putting your own spin on how you’re planning the special night ahead will really make the night special. Do your best to arrange a movie night that you’ll both enjoy, but don’t stress out about it, because what will make your movie night truly perfect for the two of you is spending it together.