Dating Your Spouse This Summer

Summer has a way of filling every available space on the calendar.

Baseball games. Vacation planning. Church camps. Family cookouts. Backyard projects. Late-night bonfires. Kids staying up later. Weekends disappearing before they even begin.

Somewhere between all the excitement and all the responsibilities, one relationship often gets pushed to the side—the one that started the family in the first place.

As we look back over the year's, summertime can be such a blur. We have juggled both family calendars and ministry schedules. With each year, the summer months seem to pass by faster and faster. I think it's fair to confess, at first we didn't always think about our marriage, much less make the time to date during the summer. But with a some effort and a little planning, you can create the time and space for great summertime dates.

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​Your marriage needs intentional attention,
​especially during busy seasons.

The strongest marriages aren't built because couples have more free time. They're built because couples choose to make time. If you want a healthy marriage, you have to make the commitment to build a healthy marriage.

There's a Myth of "We'll Have More Time Later". In the midst of a busy summer, it's easy to think:

• "Once summer slows down..."
• "After vacation..."
• "When school starts again..."

But every season comes with its own challenges. The truth is, healthy marriages don't grow by accident. They grow through intentional moments of connection, even if those moments are short.

A great date doesn't require expensive reservations or a weekend getaway.

Sometimes it simply requires putting down the phones and looking each other in the eyes.

​Marriage isn't just about surviving another busy season—it's about continually choosing one another.

Five Simple Summer Dates That
Actually Fit Busy Schedules

Marriage isn't just about surviving another busy season—it's about continually choosing one another. And, it doesn't have to be complicated. Once you've made the commitment, the dates can be simple, inexpensive, even spur of the moment. 

Here are five possible dates ideas to help you get started.

1. Coffee Before the Day Begins

Wake up 30 minutes early. Grab coffee from your favorite local shop—or simply sit on the porch with homemade coffee before the kids wake up.

No agenda. No distractions. Just conversation.

Ask each other:

• What's been encouraging you lately?
• What's been stressful?
• How can I pray for you this week?

​Sometimes thirty uninterrupted minutes can reconnect two hearts.

2. Wander Through a Farmers Market

 There's something refreshing about slowing down together. And while it might take a little bit of planning, it can be done. For instance, consider stopping to walk through a farmers market.

• Sample fresh produce.
• Buy flowers.
• Find homemade bread.
• Split a pastry.

The goal isn't shopping. It's enjoying life together.
Leave your schedule behind for an hour and simply enjoy being together.

3. Go on a Dessert Run

Not every date has to last three hours. Quick and spontaneous can often fill up the 'Love Bank". 

Sometimes all you need is:

• Ice cream
• Milkshakes
• Frozen yogurt
• Donuts
• Cookies

Drop the kids off with grandparents for forty-five minutes. Or wait until they fall asleep, then have an older sibling, a sitter, or a family member come stay at the house. Then, drive to a local cafe, bakery, restaurant, or ice cream shoppe and enjoy a dessert together.

​Simple moments become meaningful memories.

4. Turn the Front Porch Into a Date Night

One of the best places to reconnect might already be outside your front door. Grab a couple of lawn chairs. Light a candle. Turn on string lights. Pour your favorite drinks. Then just talk.

Dream together. Laugh together. Pray together.
​
Marriage often grows best in ordinary conversations.

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5. Pack a Sunset Picnic

This one is a total classic. Pick up some takeout. Bring a blanket. Find a local park, overlook, or lakeshore. Then go and have a late evening picnic.

Leave the phones in the car. Watch the sunset. Catch up.

The world moves fast. Summer moves fast. Your marriage doesn't have to.

Why These Small Moments Matter

Marriage isn't strengthened only during anniversaries or vacations. It's strengthened through hundreds of ordinary choices that quietly say, "I still choose you."

Those little conversations become trust. Those shared laughs become friendship. Those intentional dates become memories your children notice more than you realize.

One day your kids will leave home. When they do, your greatest relationship won't be your role as parents—it will be your relationship as husband and wife. Invest in it now.

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​A Summer Marriage Challenge

Before this week ends, schedule one date. Not someday. Not "when things calm down."
Today. Write it on the calendar. Protect it. Show up for it. Your marriage is worth it.

What date ideas would add to the list? Leave your ideas in the comments below.

- jay & amy

discussion questions

1. What was one of your favorite dates when you first started dating?
2. Which summer date idea sounds most enjoyable to you right now?
3. What tends to distract you from investing in your marriage?
4. How can you intentionally encourage your spouse this week?
5. What one habit could help your marriage stay strong throughout the rest of the summer?

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