Online dating used to have a bad rep, but thanks to the increasing social acceptance of dating apps and websites, the dating landscape has totally changed. More and more people are meeting their perfect matches online and we’re suckers for a good love story borne of pixels. If you’ve been on the online dating scene for awhile and not having much luck, we understand that it can be disheartening, but don’t give up just yet! Here are 5 success stories that will put your faith back in online dating.
Anna, 28 and Francois, 37
I used to write for an online magazine and I had created a profile on a dating platform so I could write an article about it. This was several years back and at the peak of market saturation, so I had plenty of other profiles to choose from! I never intended to date, or even chat with anyone beyond the scope of my article, so let’s just say I was definitely not looking for love. Funnily enough, Francois’ profile was the very first one I got matched with and after I asked all the questions needed for my article, found that I still wanted to talk to him. We continued chatting via the app on-and-off for a few weeks before finally meeting up for our first date… and we ended up meeting one of his friends to hang out so it definitely wasn’t “romantic” in anyway. It was months before we went out again due to conflicting schedules but then we did, and everything just fell into place after. We’ve been together for over 3 years now, and are living together.
Beatrice, 35 and Ben, 40
I was using a dating platform for 2-3 months before matching with Beatrice. For some strange reason, we stopped chatting after exchanging numbers and even though we both worked in the same building, we never bothered speaking to each other for almost a year. One day, I was waving to a friend who was sitting next to her and I guess you could call it fate because it turns out they actually knew each other! After that incident, we started talking to each other and went on a date 2-3 weeks later (we both work in the creative industry so our schedules are pretty crazy). Our first date was a whirlwind – we went for a movie, drinks and sang karaoke until 6 in the morning. Over the next few weeks, we got to know our “artistic personalities” better by taking each other to events we were passionate about – mine was design and hers was competitive darts. We have been together for a year now, and hopefully for many more!
David, 30 and Serene, 34
I was on a few dating platforms at the time and wasn’t having much luck. I had gone on several dates and even though I had fun with many of them, none of it felt “right”, for the lack of a better word. Then one day, I saw Serene’s profile and I just knew this was the woman for me – there was just something about her I couldn’t get enough of. We chatted for about 3 weeks before going on our first date, which was kind of awkward but I guess it was just because it was our first time meeting. Once the nerves settled, we got along like a house on fire. We ended up dating for 3 years, and are now happily married for 5 months!
Heather, 32 and Jason, 40
My friend and I got on a dating platform after polishing off a bottle of wine on a girls’ night out, because drunken ideas are always good ones at the time. Little did I expect that the first guy I matched with would end up becoming my boyfriend and now husband! It was the first time I’ve ever used a dating platform, and the first time meeting someone from the Internet so I was a complete bag of nerves during our first date. As fate would have it, he was completely nervous too so we got along just fine. Before I knew it, 5 years had passed, and we had amassed countless memories from wonderful holidays together and little endearing moments (like the time he tried to make me dinner and nearly set my kitchen on fire). When he finally popped the question, I think I said yes before he even got down on one knee. I highly encourage anyone to give online dating a go – you’ll really never know who you’ll meet.
Jenna, 36 and Matt, 40
I had been on a dating platform for a few months and until I met Jenna, it had been nothing but disastrous. I dated a few people but it was always drama after drama and I quickly grew tired of online dating. I actually stopped using the platform for a few months, only going back on it because a friend had told me to check out some new feature. Jenna ended up being the first person I matched with after my hiatus and we clicked so well online that it seemed silly not to try and meet in person. She has kids from a previous marriage, which many of her dates found a turn off but I didn’t mind at all as I like kids. As it turned out, her kids adored me (and I them) and we quickly decided that we were meant to be a family. This year marks our 4thyear together in happy matrimony, and I can’t wait to see what the next 4 decades will bring.