Harold B. Lee Library

Creatively Located Dates

Examples of Creatively Located Dates in the Special Collections Archives:

Dating At BYU (FA 01 719)  

Thermal dates occur anywhere there are out blowing vents on campus and couples can keep pleasantly warm on a cold winter night.

‘Sardines’ is a type of reverse hide and seek where one couple hides and more and more couples join them in their hiding spot as they find them. It ends with one couple wandering around a silent building looking for all the rest.

Creative Dating: A BYU Tradition (FA 01 787)

Camping in the park makes dinner and a movie creative because it’s done in a tent.

Carriage ride around Provo are romantic, but a bit one note. They are best accompanied by a fancy dance or other fairytale type activity.

Chariot ride around Provo with a home-made chariot under the power of roommate-horses are a feat of engineering. These are less formal than a carriage ride.

Kidnapping is surprisingly popular as a courting activity.

Hide and Seek gains new thrill by being performed in a public building or grave yard. Couples should remember to be respectful of the patrons with legitimate business.

Creative Dating Customs  (FA 01 1347)

According to legend, if a person runs across the lawn just south of the statue of ASB building while staring at Brigham Young, the statue’s legs will appear to move. It was not clear from the primary source as to whether this was true, but everyone had fun running back and forth.

Bowling is more fun if the person doing it is blindfolded. This may not be possible in an actual bowling alley, as employees are not likely to be amused.

Snow caves built by local boy scouts can make a lovely date location after they’ve been vacated by their original inhabitants. Any coldness is an excuse for extra cuddling.

Creative Dating And Folklore?  How Do They Relate? (FA 01 1368)

Spontaneous snowmobiling is probably less fun than planned snowmobiling, but that depends on the surprised date’s sense of humor and level of winter dress.

Indoor camping is appropriate when it’s too cold to go outside. Black bags over windows make it dark no matter what time it is, and tents can supposedly be pitched indoors. This is one of the few dates where it is appropriate to wear pajamas.

Boats are really fun for those who have access to a boat. Likewise, water-skiing or water-tubing can be exciting.

Arcades are an underutilized resource for dates. The games are fairly inexpensive, and there are a lot of different types.

Sundance had an outdoor theater that still exists. Dates can have a picnic while being entertained in the mountains.

With such heterogeneous elevation, there are lots of lookout points where couples can go to ‘view the lights of the city.’

Hunting as a couple is probably an activity that should be discussed thoroughly before it is planned. Not everyone reacts well to killing Bambi’s mom.

Haunted houses have all the appeal of a scary movie without the stigma of cuddle manipulation.

Creative Dating And Folklore?  How Do They Relate? (FA 01 1368)

Dating You Is Like Christmas Day. . . It’s Cold And There’s Nothing To Do; First Dates At BYU  (FA 01 1487)

If the bishop is serious about people in his ward getting married, he’ll likely allow them to use his house as a location for an inexpensive date. He might even make dinner.

Renting tandem bicycles is okay for double dates. Pretending to pick the locks on the previously rented bicycles is thrilling according to ones who tried it.

Living rooms can be transformed into any number of exotic places with the help of paper murals or excess fabric. Themed dates are easily enhanced by homemade scenery.

 

Authentic BYU Date:  Folklore Research Project (FA 01 2122)

The Eyring Science Center is really great for dates. There is the planetarium, which does shows every Friday, as well as telescopes on the roof. There are also a great number of science fair type exhibits to view every day.

Apparently Provo has several nearby hot springs where groups can go on warm dates. Wintertime is especially popular for thermal activities.

When it’s warm, water gun fights are a popular way to cool off. There are quite a few variations on the theme, mostly involving where these fights can occur. None of the buildings where this date has taken place will be mentioned for posterity because someone could get in trouble. For more information, the full project is available in the archives.

Some bookstores don’t mind if dates come to their cafes to play board games. Buying something probably goes a long way towards good will though.

The Ritual of Creative Dating (FA 01 2285)

Dates can attempt to fly homemade UFOs. According to the source, it’s still fun even if no one is successful.

To test a date’s reaction to discomfort, formal wear may be used in inappropriate venues like monster truck rallies.

Rock Canyon is fun to roll down. Method is up to individuals.

Putting on makeup in the dark is made ten times more acceptable when it is being put on by men.

The Provo River is rife with small boats set free on group dates.

Though Provo lacks and actual Jungles, substitutions for live animals in the form of plush toys can go a long way to enhancing a simple nature walk.