It’s not easy to know how to date your best friend. In fact, not a lot of people take the leap for fear of ruining the friendship. While there is that risk, there are a significant number of best friends-turned-couples who end up living happily ever after.

If you’re thinking of taking that path and want to learn how to date your best friend, here are some tips that might be helpful to you.

Tip # 1: Take It Slow.

Relationships that are too fast-paced don’t really have an impressive track record. And when it comes to a relationship that stemmed from a platonic understanding, you really don’t want to rush it! What does this mean?

Well, it means that you need to gradually transgress from being friends, to being more than friends, to being a definite item. Keep kisses to a minimum. Start by holding hands first. Go on group dates before going solo. Don’t go on candle light dinners with violinists either. Not at first anyway.

Opt for simple dates and casual places that both of you enjoy as friends. This way, you give each other time to get used to the idea of dating.

Tip # 2: Be Careful With Your Words.

The great thing about asking your best friend for a date is that you two already know each other. However, that is also one of the worst things about dating your special someone. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you might say something hurtful and insensitive, basically using inside information to hurt your best friend.

That is also applicable vice-versa. You can’t take your words back. And if you two ever got into a big fight, that might be the end of your relationship. Both the romantic and the friendship! So think twice before you blurt out something that you know is off limits.

Tip # 3: Be Prepared For Awkwardness.

If you want to know how to date your best friend, you’ve got to be prepared for some degree of awkwardness. That feeling will eventually go away as you two become more comfortable with each other; but knowing that it will be there in the beginning helps you overcome it faster.

Don’t think too much about how your dates are going to turn out and what’s at the end of the tunnel. Just enjoy the moment, even the awkward ones.

These are just some of the tips on how to date your best friend. In the end, how everything goes is still up to you two.