Whether people like to admit it or not, we all want to feel needed, loved and that we’re special in someone’s eyes. That natural human yearning to be loved lead singles every day to dating apps like Tinder or Zoosk. But what happens when the matchmaking sites don’t seem to work? If you’ve swiped to the right so many times that your fingers are starting to hurt, the key is to switch it up. And, if hiring a personal matchmaker isn’t in your budget, why not give speed dating a try. Usually you sign up for an event and there is a fee. At many speed dating events the women sit at tables and are given a few minutes to ask the potential match questions before the buzzer goes off. Once it does, it’s time for the guy to get up and move down one seat and switch places. At the end if you have matches (meaning you and the other person both wrote that you liked each other on your card), then you get to exchange contact info. Here are some reasons speed dating might be for you…
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Dating online and chatting online can be so impersonal. The benefit of being in person is that you can read body language and also use one of your most important traits when it comes to dating—your instinct.
A FUN NIGHT OUT
Speed dating is a great excuse to get out of the house, have fun, and try something new. And, if you go with your BFF then the two of you can keep it light and laugh about it afterwards.
SPEED CAN BE EFFECTIVE
Time is valuable and speed dating allows you to go on 15 to 20 little mini dates in the same time it would take you to have a dinner date with one person (who might not even be the right fit). Plus, there are no awkward pauses or weird moments that might come up on a longer date.
IT’S AFFORDABLE
Apps and dating sites can charge anywhere from $9.99 to $50.00 a month and a personal matchmaker can start around $3000.00 and up. Speed dating events can be a onetime fee of about $30.00 to $60.00 and if you do it a few times a year you are saving money compared to the online sites. And sometimes if you don’t get any matches, the event organizer will let you come to the next event for free.
REMEMBER TO SET YOURSELF APART
One possible downfall to speed dating is that you don’t get enough time to judge your partner past their appearance and their job title. Remember, it won’t be the job title that will make you feel fuzzy inside, it’s who they are at their core. So, avoid standardized mini conversations and try mentioning something out of the box to see their response.