How to Have a Memorable First Kiss

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Everyone remembers their first kiss , so why not make it extra special? Don't sweat it, though. There are plenty of tips to help make that first kiss wonderful, exciting, and memorable for you and your partner!

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Setting the Stage for Kissing

PDF download Download Article
  1. Something you need for that memorable first kiss is the right time and the right location. If you're not one for an audience, or not a fan of PDA then you're not going to have much fun kissing in public.
    • A good time to kiss someone is near the end of the first or the second date, but it will have to depend on the connection between you and the person you're wanting to kiss (after all, the first kiss doesn't have to only happen on a date).
    • There are good socially-considered romantic occasions, like prom, a movie, the beach that you can use to make a memorable first kiss. As long as you make sure that it's something both you and your date (or potential kissing partner) want to do.
  2. This means dressing for the occasion, but also dress for your own comfort. Having a truly amazing and memorable first kiss is as much about your comfort as it is about the right place and time and being a good kisser. [1]
    • Try to avoid wearing super sticky lip gloss. It's hard to enjoy kissing someone if you're afraid your lips are going to be glued to theirs.
    • If you're worried about sweating too much, or smelling bad at the right moment, wear some deodorant and pop on a little perfume/cologne. Remember the scents, a little goes a long way. You don't want to over power your potential kissing partner with smells.
    Advertisement
  3. Avoiding bad breath is important for having a first, and memorable kiss (unless you want it to be memorable in the wrong way). Pop in a mint or chew some gum after you eat or drink or brush your teeth before meeting up with your potential first kiss. [2]
    • Women, especially, tend to have a stronger sense of smell than men, so this step is especially important if you're a guy wanting to kiss a woman.
    • You don't have to make it super obvious that you're gearing up for a bit of lip-locking by popping a mint into your mouth. Keep it a light moment by offering some to your potential kissing partner.
    • Try to avoid really spicy foods, fish, garlic and onions, anything that has a really strong flavor and smell that lingers and lingers.
  4. Part of making a first kiss memorable and enjoyable is to build anticipation for the event itself in both parties. It also builds up a comfort level between you and the person you want to be kissing.
    • Touch is a good way to indicate interest in the other person: touching fingers or arm when you're talking with them. Brushing your hand or arm against theirs if you're taking a walk.
    • Lean in closer to talk to them so that you both get comfortable in one another's space. Obviously, if they lean back or cross their arms defensively, back off.
    • Anticipation means that fantasizing about the moment beforehand can make it more romantic when it actually happens, due to the neurotransmitter dopamine. [3]
  5. Don't wait to decide when you're going to kiss someone until you're standing in the doorway at the end of the date. You'll want to be comfortable and having built up trust between the two of you. [4]
    • Try initiating the kiss in the car on the way home after the date, or while you're hanging out playing video games, or while you're out for a walk after dinner or coffee.
    • Be sober: kissing can trigger the chemical release of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin (all fun, enjoyable, and healthy chemicals!). Alcohol can prohibit you from getting the full experience of those chemical releases.
    • Avoid distractions like having to pee, or your cell phone going off (if you're on a date, your cell phone should already be off).
    • Check out what wikiHow users have to say about when you should have a first kiss on the "I learned the average age for a first kiss is 15..." forum page.
  6. After the both of you have been building tension and enjoying yourself and getting comfortable, lean in close and let your potential partner close the remaining distance. If they don't lean in as well, it's best to back off.
    • You can also ask "Can I kiss you?" since a lot of people like to give their consent before someone just invades their personal space.
    • Make eye contact as you're doing this. Eye contact elevates the intimacy level of kissing.
    7. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Having the First Kiss

PDF download Download Article
  1. This makes it so that you're less likely to clash teeth or bump noses. So if your partner is tilting their head to the right, tilt yours to the left.
    EXPERT TIP

    John Keegan

    Dating Coach
    John Keegan is a Dating Coach and motivational speaker based in New York City. With over 10 years of professional experience, he runs The Awakened Lifestyle, where he uses his expertise in dating, attraction, and social dynamics to help people find love. He teaches and holds dating workshops internationally, from Los Angeles to London and from Rio de Janeiro to Prague. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Humans of New York, and Men's Health.
    John Keegan
    Dating Coach

    Ease into your first kiss. Start with a casual touch, like holding hands. As comfort grows, progress to a gentle arm around the shoulder. Read their body language–sustained eye contact and corresponding touch are positive signs. If all feels right, lean in slowly and wait for their response.

  2. If everything is going well and your potential partner has given their consent to kissing, touch lips gently. It can take a little bit to get in your kissing stride, so make sure you're paying attention to what the other person's lips are doing. [5]
    • Going in for a hard kiss is generally not the way to go. It usually feels too sudden and aggressive for your partner. Let the aggressiveness wait until you've gotten to know each others kissing styles and preferences.
    • Aggressiveness can also come across as desperation, which most people don't find particularly attractive.
  3. Seriously, it can be hard to do, since you're hoping to kiss right and you want everything to do well, but being relaxed and comfortable will make the kiss better for you and for your partner.
    • The best thing to do is to being yourself fully into the moment. Really feel the touch of the other person's lips, the way they smell (smell is incredibly important in kissing), how they are responding to you.
  4. If you're feeling relaxed and comfortable, try varying the kiss up. Memorable kisses are ones that are unusual (in a good way), so try out some different romantic techniques. [6]
    • Trying kissing other places than lips. You could start with your partner's neck and move up to their lips from there.
    • Or you could use your index finger on their chin to guide their mouth forward for kissing purposes.
    • Just remember: don't do things like lick someone's face unless they've expressly consented to that. A good rule of thumb is that a first kiss shouldn't get someone's face wet.
  5. It's best not to just let your hands lie at your side. Why shouldn't they get in on the fun? Of course, you want to make sure you aren't moving too fast, or putting your hands in too many places on the first kiss.
    • Good places for hands are: in your partner's hair, on their cheek, holding their sides or around their back.
    • Getting too frisky with your hands can actually detract from the kiss, so don't be putting them all over on the first kiss.
  6. The first kiss is usually considered to be a gentle, touch of the lips, a signal that you both like one another a lot. French kissing, if the first kiss goes well, can come later by mutual interest. [7]
    • Most people don't enjoy having someone's tongue stuck down their throat on the first kiss.
  7. It's a good idea to stop the kiss after a few moments. It will build the tension and it will give you a chance to check in with your partner to make sure all this is okay by them.
    • Slowly move your face back, even just a few inches so as to keep the intimacy of the moment. Check how they look. Are they excited? Are they trying to break away? Are they uncomfortable.
    • Check in verbally: "Is this okay? Do you like this?"
    8. Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Dealing with the After-Effects of Kissing

PDF download Download Article
  1. Now that you've cleared that first hurdle of making a really memorable kiss, don't push right in there demanding lots more. Now having a few more kisses, as long as your partner is okay with that, is lots of fun.
    • Now if you both want to go further, have at it. You're good to go.
  2. Making eye contact before and after the kiss increases your intimacy level, exponentially and allows to your check in with your partner and make sure that they are doing okay with everything.
  3. Even if you're too blown away by that first kiss to say anything, smiling can have the same effect. It shows that you're on board with the situation, that you enjoyed it, and that you're happy.
    • Make sure that your partner is smiling too and not looking uncomfortable, or upset.
  4. You don't have to say something, because it can be hard to think of something to say after a first kiss that isn't totally corny or cliché. Sometimes nonverbal communication can be just as important and not break the moment.
    • The key is to not stress about what you're going to say. Just allow whatever comes out naturally to come out (except something like "I really have to pee;" that definitely breaks the mood).
    • You could indulge in some nice physical contact like a hug.
    • However, you could also say something like "I've been wanting to do that all night," or "I never want to stop kissing you" or even something as simply as "You're amazing." You want to make your partner feel good.
  5. Now this can mean anything from going to have sex or making plans for another date. You don't have to have sex just because you kissed something and having a wonderful night and kiss doesn't lessen anything because you didn't have sex.
    • Check in with your partner. See how they're doing and what they would like to do. The key is communication.
    • You can always, if you're both up for it, keep on kissing.
    6. Advertisement

Join the Discussion...

I learned the average age for a first kiss is 15...
WikiRiverDancer770
68
WikiRiverDancer770
I'm 25 and haven't had my first kiss yet. I can't help but feel like I'm behind :( I feel hopless about my love life. Am I just doomed to be alon... Read More
3
Eddy Baller
Dating Coach
For your first kiss, take it easy and build up to the moment. Start with a little bit of light physical contact. You might start by massaging her... Read More
WikiRiverDancer770
68
WikiRiverDancer770
I'm 25 and haven't had my first kiss yet. I can't help but feel like I'm behind :( I feel hopless about my love life. Am I just doomed to be alon... Read More
See all 76 Replies and
Read Discussion

Avoid Awkward Kisses with this Expert Series

Are you worried about having a bad kiss? These expert articles will build your confidence and help you avoid awkward situations.
1
Refuse a Kiss
2
Kiss a Shy Boyfriend
3
Move in Effectively for a Kiss
4
Kiss on a Dare
5
Avoid a Kiss
6
How to Avoid an Awkward First Kiss

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Reader Videos

      Tips

      • The key is to not over-think the kiss. The more you obsess over the "perfect" kiss the more nervous you'll be when the time comes to actually have the kiss.
        Thanks
        Helpful 35 Not Helpful 3
      • Even if you screw up on the first kiss, that doesn't mean that you've screwed up with that person indefinitely.
        Thanks
        Helpful 34 Not Helpful 3
      • If you're a bit shy or if it's your first time Try to kiss in a hidden place or romantic but hidden place like a den or a corn field.
        Thanks
        Helpful 26 Not Helpful 5

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Even if you "screw up" on your first kiss and it isn't exactly what you wanted to happen, it won't matter in the end. A passionate kiss between two people who are into one another is always a good thing, and the kiss itself will be so exciting that the rest of it won't matter.
      • If you're super nervous about how everything is going to go, don't be. Trust me. No matter how everything goes down, you will look back on your first kiss fondly as an adult. It's pretty impossible to forget a moment like this.
      • Just be brave and gentle. Everything else will fall into place nicely if you're courageous enough to go for the kiss and gentle enough to avoid overwhelming your partner.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Remember: a kiss is not a business transaction. The person you're kissing (or wanting to kiss) doesn't owe you anything, no matter if you gave them a ride, bought them dinner, or did something nice for them.
        Thanks
        Helpful 396 Not Helpful 53
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Kiss Your Girlfriend in Middle School
      How to
      Kiss Someone for the First Time
      How to
      Initiate a First French Kiss
      How to
      Kiss
      How to
      French Kiss
      How to
      Give Someone a Hickey
      How to
      Make Out
      How to
      Kiss a Girl
      How to
      Use Your Hands During a Kiss
      How to
      Turn a Guy on While Making Out
      How to
      Kiss Your Boyfriend to Make Him Crazy
      How to
      Practice French Kissing
      How to
      Practice Kissing
      How to
      Give a Girl a Hickey
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ http://www.seventeen.com/love/advice/kissing-tips-and-products
      2. ↑ http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/02/how-to/make-the-first-kiss-count
      3. ↑ http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/02/how-to/make-the-first-kiss-count
      4. ↑ http://www.match.com/magazine/article/3394/First-Kisses-The-New-Rules/
      5. ↑ http://www.sosuave.com/rondavid/succeed50.htm
      6. ↑ http://www.match.com/magazine/article/3394/First-Kisses-The-New-Rules/
      7. ↑ http://www.thefrisky.com/2012-08-08/dating-donts-7-kinds-of-first-kisses-women-fear/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Although you don’t want to overthink your first kiss, there are things you can do to make it memorable. Find a good place for your first kiss, where you have some privacy and space to relax. Cars, quiet parks, and bedrooms are all good kissing spots. You also want it to be the right time. Wait until you’re both relaxed and in a good mood. Try joking around with them to help you get comfortable with each other. Before you go in for the kiss, build a little tension by touching their face or staring into their eyes for a little while. Then, just go with the flow and enjoy it. For more tips, including how to talk to your partner after your first kiss, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 652,531 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous

        Nov 1, 2016

        "I haven't kissed my gf yet. We are gonna go on a date soon. I wanted our first kiss to be amazing. This ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement