Month: December 2021

It happens every year, the clock strikes midnight, a new year rolls round and everyone is filled with an urge to achieve everything they couldn’t last year – and dating is no different. That first Sunday of the year, affectionately named throughout the industry as Dating Sunday (which falls on January 2^nd this year), dating apps and agencies worldwide are flooded with singles searching for ‘the one.’ With the motivation of a new year dawning after another lonely festive holiday, it’s easy to see why it is the busiest day of the year when it comes to that search for love.

If you’ve made it through ‘cuffing season’ alone and are searching for a reason to jump back into dating, why not take a leap of faith and get involved in Dating Sunday this New Year. After all, 2022 brings with it a new host of possibilities so get off on the right track and start your dating journey today!

New year, new you

It’s time to put yourself out there and put yourself first. Think of the new year as a fresh start and a blank slate to really focus on what you are looking for, not only from your life but also your relationships. If you really feel like you are ready to date and are looking to make this year the year that you find love, then don’t let fear hold you back.

To help, it may be best to identify what’s been going wrong in the past. Is it your habits? Are you not giving people a chance? Are you giving too many people a chance? Are you searching for the impossible? Why not ask your nearest and dearest, the ones who know you best, for their honest feedback? With their input and your own self-reflection, you can break those bad habits this year and turn your dating journey around.

Connecting has never been more important

With the social isolation that COVID-19 brought upon everyone, that special connection and building of relationships has been missed more than ever. At the end of the day, humans are sociable creatures, and we naturally crave that interaction and communication with others.

The time spent alone has reinforced those natural impulses and sparked a greater desire for companionship and someone to share our lives with. So, after the uncertainty and loneliness of the last two years, it’s only fair to give yourself that chance to find someone special – you deserve it!

Dating will be more fun

Again, with the onset of the pandemic lockdown had us all cooped up in our houses, thirsting for any form of outdoor fun. While last year saw the rise of virtual dates, from cooking classes to cocktails and dinner over Zoom, they simply don’t compare to a good old-fashioned, in-person date.

But hopefully with the new year that is all set to change, and we can continue to enjoy the variety of dates possible and not just those that are socially distanced outdoors. Whether it’s a simple coffee in the park or an adventure-filled day of exploring a new city, the world is your oyster when it comes to date possibilities. If the pandemic has taught us one thing it’s to never take anything for granted and make the most of every opportunity.

There’ll be plenty of fish in the sea

Dating Sunday is set to be the busiest day on the dating scene. Take this opportunity to launch yourself into romance as there’ll be plenty of single people, just like you, looking for love. The most you’ll come across all year!

While this can be a daunting thought, particularly for those that haven’t been on the dating scene for a while or are starting the process following a divorce or bereavement, think of it as a positive. Dating is a numbers game. The more people that are looking for love, the bigger the opportunity for dates and the higher chance you have of finding that special someone who ignites that spark.

You will learn a lot along the way

No-one is promising that you’ll find your soulmate on your first date; however, dating is a wonderful experience and can help you learn a lot about yourself as you navigate your way through your own dating journey.

What is it that you really want in a life-partner? What are the absolute deal breakers for you? How do you envision your future relationship? All these questions will be answered as you meet different people and narrow down your search and the things that are important to you.

And don’t forget, dating can also be an opportunity to build your confidence. The more dates you experience, the more prepared you’ll be when the time comes, and you find Mr or Mrs Right.

If you feel you’re ready to get back into dating and make the most out of 2022, get in touch with our expert matchmakers today. They are on hand every step of your journey to help find you the most compatible partners and make your dating journey as smooth, safe, and enjoyable as possible.

After a year of uncertainty, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation, 2022 is bringing with it a blank slate for dating. A chance to start afresh, refocus on what is really important and find the best channel for you to tie down the one.

But unlike previous years, next year’s dating trends have got us feeling more optimistic and hopeful about the future of love. While ghosting, apocalypsing and breadcrumbing may still be around in small doses, bigger and better trends are coming and bringing with it a re-invigoration of the dating game!

Here are just some of the dating trends, coined by our team of matchmakers, to watch out for in 2022.

Agecentric (eyj-sen-trik) – a person’s obsession with being a young age, even if they are in their more mature years e.g. a young 65. When dating, people see the age and whether you are young or old looking, but instead of focusing on the year they were born, it’s time to focus more on the person.

Aggrandising (ag-gran-di-zing) – when a single person widens their criteria to increase their own-personal attractiveness amongst the opposite sex.

Intendating (in-ten-date-ing) – focusing on the long-term goal of the relationship e.g. marriage, children etc. and dating accordingly to make that happen.

Prelimidating (pre-lim-e-date-ing) – acting exclusive and enjoying the constant companionship and regular dates, allowing you to trial what a relationship would be like before making it official.

Quixotic (kwik-sot-ik) – the process of declining perfectly matched introductions because they don’t meet a criteria of unrealistic expectations that are out of reach.

Love is back in style

From aggrandising to prelimidating and intendating, dating just got serious. Long-term committed relationships are not just the must-have accessory for the season, but they are here to stay. Gone are the fleeting days of casual dating and seeing what happens, instead next year is bringing with it a stronger desire to find ‘the one’.

Expect to see more single people playing the long game when it comes to dating and taking the time to really get to know one another gradually before they make a decision as to whether they are the right partner for them. There will also be an increase in people taking more consideration into what their long-term goals are and how a partner fits into those, making intentional dating a key trend across all age groups and genders.

Whether you are new to the dating scene or been here a while, it seems the dating game is having a bit of a shake-up in 2022 and love is back in style and we couldn’t be happier. After all, there is someone out there for everyone, it’s just a matter of finding them.

If you are single and want to make 2022 the year that you find success in love, get in touch with our expert team today. Your dedicated matchmaker is ready and waiting to guide you through these new trends and make sure that you have everything you need to find that partner you have been searching for.

When you’re little and December rolls around, the same age-old Christmas traditions come alive, none more so than Santa’s wish list. From a young age, the list seems to be crammed with the latest crazes and things that at that moment in time are the most important things to you, so why is it we still take this childhood tradition into our adult dating lives?

Did we not learn that items on those wish lists, no matter how important they may seem at the time, are often a short-lived fad, soon to be replaced by something deemed more valuable as our personalities and tastes evolve?

And the same can be said for dating. After all, we can guarantee that how you pictured your perfect partner when you were younger is completely different to the image you have in your mind now. Evolution and changes to our preferences and tastes as we mature are normal, so this year maybe it’s time to scrap the Christmas wish list and head into the New Year with a clear slate, with the possibility of opportunity and here’s why.

How do you know you don’t like something if you’ve never tried it?

Without a list of preconceived expectations and ideas, you can open yourself up to so many different opportunities and possibilities – not just in your potential partner but also yourself.

Just like the question your parents used to ask when you were younger and they wanted you to try something new, “how do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it?” While rock climbing or trekking may not have been on your must-do list previously, trying something new could unlock passions and interests that you had no idea about before.

The same can be said for music, literary and film preferences, dating with an open mind can give you room to grow and develop as an individual too. So next time you are reading over someone’s profile and their music or film choice is causing you to consider declining, take a moment to pause and remember that we don’t have to have everything in common with our partner because actually, those differences in the beginning could be something we grow to love ourselves in the future.

You could be the hurdle in your future happiness

It’s a well-known fact that nobody is perfect. Every one of us has our own little quirks, foibles and imperfections that make us who we are, so why do we expect our partners to be perfect and tick every box on our ever-growing list before we’ll even consider them as a match?

Those little things that you deem important all add up and soon enough you’ll realise that you’re creating the impossible for you, your matchmaker, and your future. For those that are avoidant in their attachment styles, coming up with barriers and reasons why someone is always not quite right is common – but it doesn’t have to be.

If you set off on your dating journey with a long list of criteria, you’re setting yourself up for failing. Each one of those qualities is a barrier that you are putting in place that is getting in the way of your happily ever after.

So instead of starting with a list, when thinking about that perfect partner for you, take a moment to consider what is really important to you. Things like age, height and even location are often the first things pushed aside when focusing on what you need from a partner. Instead, they are often replaced with more important values and aspirations such as the desire for a family in the future.

With a new year comes new opportunities

While having a short but loose list of criteria might help you get your dating journey started, don’t set it in stone. Instead make a resolution to head into the new year with a new approach to dating. Throw away that extensive list of traits and qualities that your new partner must meet and instead enjoy the possibilities that each new date brings – whether they are ‘the one’ or not. After all, all dates are good dates and great practice!

From new date venues and activities to introductions to new favourites, dating should be fun! So, start 2022 with a blank page and no preconceptions and we guarantee that you’ll see a huge turnaround in the success of your dating journey and who knows you might be pleasantly surprised when Mr or Mrs Right turns out to be everything that you didn’t think you wanted – trust us, you wouldn’t be the first!

If you’re single and ready to scrap that Christmas wish list and date more authentically then get in touch with our friendly team today. Our expert matchmakers can guide you every step of the way to help you to determine what really matters and find that perfect partner for you.

There’s no denying that over the last few decades, we have become a nation expecting instant gratification across all areas of our lives. From food venues to dates, we want everything there and then and if we can’t get it, we move onto the next thing without a second thought.

While technology and society’s behavioural changes have paved the way for this to happen, it has made us colder and less human than we ever were before. No sooner than we’ve found something and given it a chance, have we moved onto the next thing. Even those that have been quietly content with what they have, often find themselves wondering if the grass is greener on the other side.

But thankfully, this is all starting to change.

Slow and steady wins the race

Just like in the fable, the tortoise and the hare, rushing to complete things quickly doesn’t guarantee that you are likely to succeed. In fact, in the majority of instances in life, taking things slow and steady is more likely to see you achieve what you are hoping to – whether it’s relationships, fitness or careers, taking it slow will pay off in the long run.

The days of rushing through life and making hasty decisions when dating for fear of being alone are fast-becoming a thing of the past. If the pandemic and subsequent restrictions taught us anything this year, it’s that we shouldn’t settle for less than we deserve. While the feelings of isolation and loneliness were amplified amongst single people that were living alone, it also gave them a moment to reflect on what they really wanted in a relationship and allowed them the opportunity to take it slow with any new dates that they met.

Fast-forward six months and despite lockdowns being an awful nightmare from the past, it seems playing the long game is here to stay. From socially distanced walks in the park to drive-in movies, date ideas that became all the rage in the pandemic are still amongst some of the favourites for that all important first date.

And it’s not just the dates that are taking on a slower pace. Before the pandemic dating was done with high speed and efficiency in mind. From the moment you ‘matched’, it was a race against time to meet in person and figure out what the person was actually like. But now, a slower pace has taken hold. People are choosing to date slowly and spend time getting to know someone gradually before making a decision on whether they are the right person for them.

The result?

Stronger, more trusting, and longer-lasting relationships.

Commitment is the new must-have accessory

Interest in casual flings and one-night stands are lower than they have been in a long time, with single people across all ages readjusting their focus to find that long-term, committed relationship over settling for a short-term fling.

Dating and relationships became a much bigger priority for single people worldwide following the restrictions forced upon them in the last two years and unlike our uncertainty of what is going to happen with the pandemic, one thing we do know for certain is that love and relationships are firmly back in style.

If you are single and looking for that special someone to build a future with, then get in touch with our friendly team today. Our expert matchmakers are ready and waiting to make sure that 2022 is the start of a new adventure on your road to love and happily ever after.