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My boyfriend and I were relatively new to our respective towns when we met, and we were so wrapped up in the honeymoon phase that we forgot to make couple friends along the way. About six months in, we both realized we needed to build a community—stat.
In your 20s and early 30s, couple calendars are often filled with group dinners, spontaneous double dates, and packed social plans. Then real life settles in. Friends move. Have babies. Priorities shift. Suddenly, your partner becomes your default—and sometimes only—social world. That’s exactly the moment when you need to find your community.
Here are 5 simple ways to expand your social circle as a couple.
Try A Double Dating App
Doubles Social
“Many of my friends were getting married, starting families, or moving to different cities, and it suddenly became harder for my husband and me to get double dates on the calendar,” says Jourdann Lubliner, founder & CEO of Doubles Social, an app where couples can connect with other couples for double dates. While dating apps and friendship apps are abundant, Jourdann noticed something missing: “I noticed a clear gap in the market for couples to expand their social circles platonically.”
Research shows that couples with strong shared friendships experience greater relationship satisfaction, in part because outside bonds ease the pressure to be everything for one another. Jourdann sees this play out daily. “When couples go on a double date scheduled through the app or attend one of our events, they break out of isolating routines and reintroduce excitement into their relationship,” she explains. “These shared experiences help couples feel more connected, not just socially, but within their own relationship.”
Doubles Social helps couples send and receive double-date invites, chat beforehand, and track plans in one place. “The app reduces social planning friction and introduces novelty and fun to a couple’s social life and relationship,” Jourdann says, something many long-term partnerships quietly crave.
The platform is built for how couples actually live today. With Gen Z and Millennial couples embracing sober-curious lifestyles, child-free partnerships, and slower, more intentional social lives, a one-size-fits-all model doesn’t work anymore. “Couples are embracing less-traditional life paths more and more…and are thereby seeking community,” says Jourdann. The app’s joint profiles allow couples to share everything from whether they drink to favorite TV genres, helping connections feel aligned from the start.
Meeting Couple Friends
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And for those intimidated by double dates? The app lowers the emotional barrier. “Being able to review other couples’ joint profiles ahead of a double date, and group chatting prior, helps break the ice,” Jourdann notes. “Also, having your partner with you throughout the process can decrease pre-double-date anxiety.”
Beyond apps, there are other low-pressure ways couples can build community together:
- Join activity-based classes (pickleball leagues, cooking workshops, language classes) where conversation unfolds naturally.
- Attend curated events like wine tastings, comedy shows, or wellness workshops designed for socializing
- Host intentionally small gatherings—think a four-person dinner or game night instead of a big party.
- Volunteer together, which introduces values-aligned friendships and strengthens your bond
At a time when loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, building friendships as a couple isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s actually critical. As Jourdann puts it, “Building friendships together with your partner helps relieve that pressure while strengthening the relationship itself.”
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