Theme Spotlight: Couple’s Adventure Challenge Book

Making a custom photo book is a meaningful and rewarding project for any romantic couple. Choosing photos, picking the perfect theme, designing your pages and spreads, and writing captions are all enjoyable tasks to do together (or solo, if you’re making your partner a photo book as a gift). Further, flipping through the printed book is an amazing way to revisit your shared experiences, romantic moments, and everyday memories.

Mixbook’s new theme, the Couple’s Photo Adventure Challenge book, adds another dimension to a custom photo book project. Its inventive concept presents a series of “adventure challenges” for couples to enjoy. The theme’s prompts invite you to document each challenge through photos and text, resulting in a personalized compendium of shared experiences.

Another key feature of this photo book theme is its chic, yet playful, aesthetic. The design features white on taupe pages, Polaroid-inspired photo frames, plus customizable text elements and inky hand-drawn doodle stickers in red and black. It’s versatile enough to complement your unique couple’s photos and suit any style preferences, so the finished book is sure to be a treasured memento.

Couple’s Photo Adventure Challenge: How it Works

With your partner, take some time to flip through the pages of the Couple’s Photo Adventure Challenge book. Get an overview of the concept and design details, and read through the customizable text. The cover, introductory pages and end pages have frames for any favorite photos you choose.

In the main section of the book you’ll see a series of “challenges” which range from date nights and outings to fun at-home activities. Some involve a small budget and minor preparation, while others can be done spontaneously, at minimal cost. Each challenge is featured as a two-page spread with some brief instructions, estimated time frame, and budget guide. The spread features photo frames and text boxes for documenting your successfully completed couple’s challenges.

You don’t need to complete the challenges in any particular order, so just pick the one you want to do first and get started! The time frame for all 10 challenges can be your own as well – do them over the course of a few weeks, or schedule one for every free weekend. You could even schedule one challenge a month and give yourself plenty of time to work on the book.

When you’ve completed the challenges, filled all the photo frames, and jotted down your thoughts and favorite moments, your book will be ready to print. You also might find that you’ve learned new things about your partner, bonded over the fun experiences, and found lots of great new ideas for activities and date nights.

The Challenges

There are 10 unique challenges featured in the Couple’s Photo Adventure Challenge book. They’re designed to be easy and accessible to couples of all ages, budgets, and abilities, and above all to be really fun.

Here’s an overview of the 10 challenges featured in the photo book:

No. 1: Throwback Date Night

Recreate your very first date, take photos, and create a side-by-side photo comparison between the two nights. It may or may not be possible to do an accurate recreation of your first date, so just keep it as similar as possible. For example, if you went bowling in your college town but now live elsewhere, find a bowling alley nearby. See if you can remember and re-wear the same outfits, or play the same music you enjoyed during the time you first met.

This challenge will find you reminiscing about the earliest days of your romantic relationship, remembering first impressions of each other, and celebrating the times you’ve shared ever since.

No. 2: Board Game Battles

Bring out your favorite board games, or maybe try a new game or two, and dedicate an afternoon to playing together. Classic games for two include Scrabble, Yahtzee, Jenga, chess, checkers, backgammon, and many card games. Even kids’ games like Hungry Hungry Hippos and Operation can be really fun for couples who embrace their silly sides.

Plan a tournament or a “best of three” arrangement, and take photos of the board game action. Note down the victories and defeats in your photo book.

No. 3: Cook & Capture

Choose a new recipe to cook together, then enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal for two. You could browse different cuisines that will challenge your culinary skills, or try to recreate a favorite take-out item like pad thai or pizza. Shop for ingredients together, then handle the various preparation and cooking tasks as a team.

You might prefer to set the table with your best wares, light some candles, and put romantic music on in the background. Or, maybe you both want to eat on the couch in front of a favorite TV show or movie. Do whatever matches your vibe as a couple, and be sure to take photos of your finished feast for the book.

No. 4: Love Letter Exchange

Agree to each write a love letter to the other, and take photographs of the time you spend reading them. You might laugh, cry, or learn something new about the ways in which your other half adores you. Capture photos of the letters to share in the book if you wish, or keep them private and know that you’ll have the memories of the special exchange in your hearts forever.

No. 5: Golden Hour Walk

The “golden hour” around sunset is known as a prime time for photography, and it’s also a delightful time of day to take a stroll. Go for a casual walk together around your neighborhood or a local scenic spot, and take photos of each other in the evening glow. This challenge is great because you can do it any day, with zero planning or cost, but it’s still very romantic. You can even bring pets along.

No. 6: Passport to Love

Pick an international theme for a day of fun with your partner. It could be a country you both hope to visit some day, a place you’ve traveled together in the past, or even just a random destination you’re both curious about. Take this challenge in any direction you like – eat the cuisine of the country, watch a movie that’s set there, or learn some phrases (like “I love you”) in its language.

No. 7: Picnic Paradise

There’s always something romantic about sharing a picnic on a pleasant day, so pick a scenic spot within reach and pack up some portable foods and drinks. You could order sandwiches from a cafe, or make your own spread at home. Put a little effort into making your picnic setup comfortable (and photogenic), with a blanket big enough to share and a classic picnic basket, if you have one. Be sure to capture candid shots of your picnic for the photo book.

No. 8: Paint Nite Date Night

You don’t need to have any artistic skills to enjoy a “paint nite date night.” In fact, it can be even more amusing if you’re both total beginners with no expectations of painting prowess! Gather some cheap canvases and acrylic paints, sit opposite each other and create an original painting of your partner. Don’t let each other peek until your paintings are finished, then capture the responses to the big reveal on camera. Take photos of your masterpieces to showcase in the book alongside those unforgettable reaction shots.

No. 9: Movie Madness

Scheduling a couple’s movie night, either at home or your local movie theater, is a classic date night idea and a very easy challenge for your photo book. Pick a movie you think you’ll both enjoy, and optionally dress and dine to match its theme. Note the movie title and your reflections on the film in the photo book.

No. 10: Love You A Latte

If you and your partner both enjoy coffee, embrace the challenge of boosting your barista skills together. Learn how to brew the perfect espresso, and look up some tutorials on making latte art. It’s a fun, low-stakes activity, and even if your latte art attempts aren’t quite successful, you’ll still get a great cup of coffee to sip and savor (and photograph).

Ready to add a new chapter to your love story?

If you and your romantic partner are seeking new date ideas and a whole set of amazing new photographs, get going on the Couple’s Photo Adventure Challenge book.

Mixbook has lots of other great photo book themes for couples as well. You could document your shared travel experiences, start a year-in-review photo book tradition, or create romantic or anniversary photo books together. Head over to the Mixbook Studio™ and start your new photo book today!