One frequently asked question for anyone who has met a new potential partner through online dating is "when should I invite them to my home for a date?" Obviously this depends hugely on your circumstances and how comfortable you both feel with each other. But when you know the time is right, you'll want to ensure you make the right impression.

Before inviting your new partner to your home for the first time, make sure you have got to know a little more about them than just what you can pick up from their online dating profile. It is important to protect your safety, however comfortable you may feel with your partner. It is a good idea to have some knowledge of where they work, what they etc. as this can help validate that they are who they say they are. Also, always tell a friend or relative that you are inviting home someone you have met through online dating and give them details such as name, email address and place of work.

If you are feeling a bit nervous about inviting a relative stranger to your home, it could be your instinct telling you it is too soon. Trust it!

Set the ground rules - at least to yourself. Inviting your new partner home for dinner, can have some ambiguity as to how and where the date will end. Decide in advance what you are would like to happen at the end of the evening and have a plan in place. If you feel there may be different expectations, try to avoid misunderstandings by maybe having dinner at home first and then going out to a club or bar afterwards. This way gives you both the opportunity to part amicably at the end of the evening.....or not depending on how you both feel.

If you are considering including breakfast as part of the date, make sure your bedroom is looking beautiful with pristine bed linen, and don't forget to shop for coffee and croissants for the morning. But don't be offended if your date does not feel the same way. All the more croissants for you...this time anyway.

If you are planning to impress your date with your culinary skills, remember to take your own limitations in the kitchen into account. If you gave the impression in your online dating profile that you are a cordon bleu cook but in reality you struggle to boil an egg, this may be a good time to confess and resort to a ready prepared meal and a nice bottle of wine.

Do not, under any circumstances, attempt anything that will leave you stressed out and exhausted before your date even arrives. Make sure you can be fully prepared in advance, leaving you time not only to get yourself ready but also clear up your house and kitchen. If you are relaxed and organised, your date will feel more welcome and relaxed also and you'll both be in the right frame of mind to enjoy your date.

Also, consider how easy your meal will be to eat! This may sound strange, but no one looks their best with spaghetti bolognese round their face or a tough piece of steak stuck between their front teeth. It's not the image you'd choose for your online dating profile photo so it probably isn't the image either of you will want to present on your romantic date either! It is advisable to avoid too much in the way of garlic and onions too, for obvious reasons.

Finally, don't forget to ask in advance if there is anything your date does not eat. It may not have been included in their online dating profile that they are vegetarian or suffer anaphylactic shock of exposed to nuts.

This may sound like a lot to consider when all you want to do is spend a relaxed evening at home with your new partner. But with a little forward planning and a well thought out, simple menu, you can set the scene for a perfect evening.