Date Night Boxes: WhatAre They All About?

As we enter month two of our third nationwide lockdown, romance is low on the list for most of us by now. How to keep things fresh and exciting when you’re living in each other’s pockets day in day out? And it’s not like a walk round the park with a couple of cans offers the change of scenery we’re all craving. So what to do?

Anat Lavi Crowe and Keenan Crowe, both 30, live together in London and recently launched the Let’s Date Crate – a date night box subscription service that encourages couples ot recreate exciting and enjoyable date nights in their own home. So dim the lights, start the playlist, and prepare to learn more about postable date nights at home…

What gave you the idea for Let’s Date Crate?

Keenan: When lockdown hit I lost my job and Anat had drastically reduced hours so we found ourselves stuck at home together with not much to do and plenty of idle time. Our creative juices started flowing and we thought there were probably other couples just like us who missed the magic of date night. That was the big lightbulb moment and since then we’ve joined forces and rolled our sleeves up to realise this vision and bring some much-needed joy and colour to couples during this tough time.

What’s your work background?

Before COVID-19 hit Keenan was working as the in-house accountant for a security firm and Anat was working as the event manager of a major London based charity. We didn’t realise it at the time, but combining Keenan’s knowledge of numbers and Anat’s creative flair actually turned out to be really helpful later when we started our business.

How has the pandemic affected you?

We have been extremely fortunate not to have lost any immediate family members due to the virus, and for this we are very grateful. Any other difficulties we might be facing right now we view with a renewed sense of perspective.

One of the hardest things for us has been not being able to see our parents and close family members as most of them live abroad.

Losing our jobs was obviously difficult but it was important for us to pivot and see the glass half and now we are both pursuing a venture and building something that we are both really excited about. Sometimes we wonder if we would ever have got round to taking the leap and doing something like this had we continued our regular routines.

How has the pandemic affected your relationship?

We’re very lucky in that we’re the type of couple that doesn’t really get sick of one another. Yes, we’re that couple! Being stuck in a one-bedroom flat together for almost a year now has brought us closer together. We miss our families so we really have to be there for one another.

Setting up a business together has definitely helped mix things up a bit as we embark on a separate but parallel “working” relationship. It has been really fascinating how being business partners has led us to learn new weird and wonderful sides to each other’s personalities even after all this time together. 

What makes your product special?

Probably the most novel thing about our crates is that our whole focus is to create a fully immersive themed experience involving all the senses, but from home. For example, with our Tropical Staycation date crate it’s all about teleporting the couple to a mini romantic escape!

We have a sand castle building kit (so couples can literally feel as though they’re on the beach); a paint-your-own-sunset activity and mood setting props (for sight); tropical cocktails and ice-cream shaped chocolates (for taste), and we even spray each box with a whiff of a beachy scent (for smell).

Another unique element is that because the crate includes everything needed for the date, we have taken away the hassle of planning – so all the couple needs to do is order the item online, receive it to their door and begin their date night!

How did you decide on branding and themes?

From a branding perspective, Let’sDate Crate is all about an explosion of colours, joy and a spoonful of quirkiness. This can be seen in our website and social media and will also be felt in the activities for each date. In this way, the dates are a fun-and-flirty experience, giving couples a moment to let their hair down and just enjoy quality time together.

What feedback have you received?

So far, the most common things our couples have mentioned is that their date was really fun but also an original experience. From the pictures we get sent and the tags on social media, we think we can proudly say that we’re doing good on our promise to spread happiness and joy to couples. 

What advice would you have to couples to keep their relationship strong during lockdown?

Try to be there for each other. Times are tough right now and many people are feeling isolated and alone. That’s why it’s so important to be each other’s rock and when one of you is feeling overwhelmed, the other should makes sure to remain positive and be emotionally available.

What will you be doing this Valentine’s Day?

Keenan: This is still classified information! But you can be sure it will include tasty chocolates, wine, and an immersive activity.

Anat: Keenan’s doing the planning so I have no idea… we actually haven’t spoken about it much as we’ve been so busy with the business lately, but I have noticed little deliveries arriving at our door over the last few days.

What advice would you offer couples wanting to start a business together?

Work to each other’s strengths. There will innately be things one of you gravitates to more than the other and that’s really cool. Remember you are a team so act like one and when an issue arises work together to fix it. Don’t play the blame game – you are a unit!

Will date night boxes still be needed when lockdown lifts?

Date night boxes are here to stay. To be honest, if our product existed before COVID we would have ordered it for a special occasion simply because we are homebodies at heart and sometimes after a long week, having a cosy date at home is just the formula! We love to go out and enjoy the amazing things the UK has to offer – but sometimes all we want to do is relax, not worry about the weather or a long commute and just enjoy a fun moment together at home! There must be others out there like us, right?

Where do you see yourselves in a year’s time?

We have no intentions of returning to the corporate world any time soon. We hope to see our business grow from strength to strength and plan to continue our mission of spreading the love near and far. We will be coming up with new themed crates in the coming months, and when the UK goes back to group events, who knows – we might just have plans to pivot into this space and delight couples in other exciting ways. 

• For more information on Let’s Date Crate see www.letsdatecrate.co.uk .