Tired of dating apps, more single people are turning to matchmakers to find love
In an era where swiping right is the norm, some singles are revisiting a time-honored tradition to find love: matchmaking. As reality TV shows like "Indian Matchmaking" gain traction, matchmaking is seeing a resurgence among those who are fed of the digital dating scene and the different dating apps.
Blake Newby, a busy young professional, has experienced her fair share of disappointment and frustration with dating apps.
"It felt like a hamster wheel, I was on all of the apps — Raya, Hinge," she said.
Burned out from the impersonal nature of online dating and longing for a connection, Newby sought something more meaningful. Her search led her to Arvia Few, a modern-day matchmaker who specializes in creating connections for young Black professionals.
Few launched a dating service and social club called Dottie in 2021. Few became a matchmaker because she wanted to address the high percentages of unmarried adults in the community. In the U.S., 71% of adult Black women and 64% of Black men are not married.
"We were always told wait until you get your career and then get married. If you're waiting till you're 35, you've missed that boat," said Few.
Matchmaking isn't just a practice reserved for certain cultures or the plot of romantic films anymore. Professional matchmaker Maria Avgitidis, also known as Matchmaker Maria, has been modernizing the service for today's busy singles for years. She said that most of her clients are single because they are busy.
"It's not about the time – it's about having access to opportunities where you can meet people," she said.
With prices ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, hiring a matchmaker is an investment in one's personal life.
Avgitidis' Agape Matchmaking program, for example, costs between $30,000 and $50,000 for a six-month program, promising a more curated approach to finding love.
"The majority of people are dating through apps, and that's fine, but you're meeting strangers. So when you go on these dates … do they even want to be in a relationship?" she said. "It's really discouraging."
Joseph Pascaretta, a client of Matchmaker Maria, said he's learned a lot about dating etiquette through the program.
"Maria has a lot of things you should not do on a first date, second date, third date," he said. "The kissing is OK (on the first date). The sex is not."
Avgitidis said the rules are to ensure couples are emotionally compatible before the relationship becomes more physical.
Allison and Elliot Galpern, who met through the matchmaking service Three Day Rule, are a matchmaking success story.
"I was so annoyed with the apps at one point I just deleted the apps and I was like, 'You know what? The time will come when I (will) meet the person I'm meant to be with,'" Allison Galpern said.
The time came when the couple got married in New York City's Central Park, an example that finding love through matchmaking can be successful.