Soft Launching Your Relationship: The Art of Going Public Without Really Going Public

Ok, I’m finally ready to talk about the soft-to-hard launch timeline I dropped this year of me and my partner Rique’s relationship.

If you think about it, in 2025, nothing says “it’s serious” quite like an Instagram post—but not too serious. Especially if you have over 100,000 followers. Yikes.

This is the first relationship I’ve soft-to-hard launched in nearly seven years, and here’s my hot take:

If you’re in a new relationship and wondering how to share it with the world (or at least your followers), soft launching is your best friend. I did this with Rique for a full year before we went officially public.

In this guide, let’s break down what it actually means to soft launch your relationship—why so many influencers do it, how to do it without spiraling over potential fallout, and why it might be the healthiest approach for modern love.

What Is a Soft Launch, Anyway?

In short, think of a soft launch like a teaser trailer for your relationship.

You’re giving your audience a taste—maybe a carefully cropped photo of two cocktails (on Stories), a hand resting on a knee (again, Stories), or if you’re feeling extra smitten, a main feed post mixed in with shots of your friends.

It’s a vibe, not a full announcement.

Soft launching isn’t about hiding—it’s about savoring. It lets you:

• Protect your peace. You’re not inviting a flood of unsolicited opinions.

• Stay in the moment. You keep your relationship sacred.

• Set the pace. You decide when (or if) you go fully public.
  

This Isn’t New—It’s Just Relatable

Let’s be honest—everyone has soft launched before.

If you’ve ever felt torn between wanting to scream “my man, my man, my man” but also not wanting to deal with the embarrassment of people asking “where is your man?” should it end, this is the perfect middle ground.

In LGBTQ+ communities especially, soft launching can be a gentle way to gauge acceptance and avoid people trying to plant seeds of drama or distrust.

It’s also:

• Less pressure than a hard launch.

• A fun way to share your joy subtly.

• Perfect for the “Close Friends” story set.
  

How I’ve Soft Launched in the Past

I’m telling y’all the tea—I’ve soft launched a few times. Here are my go-to moves:

• Only posted them on my Stories. (Thank god for that 24-hour limit.)

• One pic mixed in with other friends. Blink and you’ll miss it.

• The Travel Tease. Y’all know I love to travel, so you’ve probably seen the two boarding passes. That’s it.

• Subtle captions. Keep it vague—“This one,” “Soft place to land,” or simply an emoji.
  

When (or If) to Hard Launch

There’s no right timeline to fully reveal your partner’s identity.

Whether you decide to post a couples photoshoot or never go public at all, remember:

Baby, it’s YOUR business.

Soft launching is about easing in, protecting your connection, and sharing in a way that feels authentic to you.

Final Thoughts

In a world where oversharing is practically a sport—and people are incentivized for it if the story or post goes viral—soft launching is a refreshing, intentional way to honor your relationship in your personal life.

Whether you’re in a queer situationship, a full-on partnership, or something in between, you deserve to share (or not share) at your own pace.

Cheers to soft launches—the tender, cryptic, quietly radical act of saying “this is important to me” without needing everyone else’s validation.