Taylor Banks was sick of getting nowhere with dating, so hired a matchmaker to vet potential suitors and organise dates. The 33-year-old says the ‘bespoke’ process is ‘light years ahead’ of apps
A woman is done with swiping left all the time, and is forking out big time to find love.
While endless dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge work for some – many Brits find themselves fed up and uninspired, put off by scrolling through a sea of potential partners based solely on pictures and a bio declaring their love for a Sunday roast. Taylor Banks hadn’t had much luck with the apps either, and was recommended hiring a professional to seal her romantic fate.
The 33-year-old operations manager forks out ‘ a few thousand’ US dollars each month for a matchmaking company to sift through potential suitors, after having a ‘thorough interview’ with her to find out what her ideal partner looks like. Taylor, who is based in New York, US, was asked what characteristics she finds attractive, if she has a ‘minimum height’ or salary ‘requirement’ as well as personal information about her upbringing so they could ‘get a sense’ of who she is.
“I appreciate someone vetting these gentlemen for me, based on criteria that I’ve provided,” she said. “They are handpicking individuals who they feel will be a good match for me, so I don’t have any work to do. All I am doing is receiving at this point.
“It wins over dating apps. It’s a very bespoke and tailored process. Even in the early stages, it’s much better than anything I’ve done before virtually in terms of dating – light years ahead.”
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Taylor’s first date via the matchmaker involved zero prior correspondence with the man. She was simply shown his profile and decided to go for it. Both parties then provided feedback and agreed to see each other again. This was done directly, not through the matchmaker.
The 33-year-old is still single and paying the company, but is actively dating one of her matches. “My matchmaking experience has been going very well,” she added. “She did a great job on my first match and identified the qualities I am looking for in a partner. The experience has been exciting and nerve wracking at the same time…. Dating in my 30s has been much more elevated than dating in my 20s. It’s enjoyable because I know who I am and what qualities to look for in a guy, and I am choosing better people to spend time with.”
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