Tag: ready to date

When your partner passes away, the idea of dating and finding love again can be unthinkable. In fact, some people believe they’ll never date again because no one could possibly live up to the partner they have lost.

However, with time comes healing, and in most cases, widows and widowers will eventually open themselves up to the possibility of finding a new partner.

Ultimately, everyone grieves differently, and only you will know when you’re ready to start looking for love again.

But dating after you’ve been widowed can have its challenges, so we’re here to offer a word or two of advice for when you do decide to take that step. Below, we’ve pulled together five tips for dating after you’ve lost a partner.

1. There is no right or wrong answer

As we said, everyone is different, and there is no specific time period you have to wait before getting back on the dating scene. For some, it can take years, others just a few months, but in the end it is a very personal decision and no one can tell you that you’re moving too fast or slow. So just go at your own pace and don’t worry about what others think.

2. You might feel guilty at first

As you begin to date again, you might find that feelings of guilt creep in, and some people have even reported feeling as if they’re being unfaithful to their partner. These feelings are common, they are perfectly natural and they will subside over time, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

That being said, if these feelings don’t subside after a few dates, it might be a sign that you’re not quite ready. In that case, take a little break from the dating world and try again when you’re feeling up to it.

3. Don’t do this alone

Dating when you’re grieving can be tough, even for the strongest person, so if you’re struggling it’s important that you don’t do it alone. Firstly, think about reaching out to friends or family for support as they can be someone you feel comfortable talking to and confiding in.

Alongside this, choosing to work with an expert matchmaker can really help you to get back out there. For example, personalised matchmaking services such as those offered by Ignite Dating give you complete discretion, provide ongoing support throughout your dating journey and help to find perfect matches. This can take the hard work and stress out of looking for love, easing you gently back into the dating world.

4. Forgive yourself for forgetting dating etiquette

If you had been with your late partner for several years, it’s likely that the dating scene has changed somewhat since your last date and you might not remember (or not be familiar with!) some dating etiquette.

Again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Most dates will completely understand if they know you haven’t been on a date in a while, so just learn from your mistakes and make sure you don’t take these with you onto your next date with you. You’ll be surprised how quickly you pick it back up.

5. Remember, dating should be fun

Even though dating might feel awkward or challenging at first, remember, it is supposed to be fun. There is no reason that being a widow should hold you back and stop you from enjoying your life again. After all, life is for living, and your late partner wouldn’t want you to waste your years; they would want you to be happy.

So, if you’re a widow or widower and you’re ready to start looking for love again, our team of expert matchmakers can help. Get in touch today to find out more about how they can support you on your dating journey.

So, you’ve taken that first step and made the decision to join a dating agency and that’s great news! But how do you go about finding the right one?

With hundreds of dating agencies out there all offering slightly different services but promising the same results, it can be overwhelming to decide which one to go with. Well, the good news is there are some subtle but powerful ways that you can determine whether an agency is going to be right for you, and a major part of this lies in the lingo they use.

Often, you’ll find that each agency uses its own language to describe its service offering, so when it comes to choosing the right agency for you it is important to remember that age old saying “the difference between something good and something great, is attention to detail.”

Why dating agencies use different language

Dating is an industry that plays host to dynamic trends and ever-changing lingo. From benching and catfishing to breadcrumbing and ghosting, dating trends and the way we talk about them is getting increasingly creative.

However, this difference in language isn’t just specific to the individuals that are looking for love. Dating agencies also use different language patterns and trends to highlight their services and entice new members to sign up.

By understanding and interpreting this language, you can determine whether an agency is going to be right for you.

Decoding the lingo

In order to be successful in your dating journey, you need to choose the right agency and matchmaker for you. Some agencies use salespeople to sell the service and you may never actually meet your matchmaker face-to-face. We believe that the connection between you and the person finding your future partner, is just as important as the relationship itself. At Ignite Dating, the person you meet will be the person that is partnering you on your journey, not a salesperson who you will probably never hear from again.

Once you understand the various roles that agencies have in order to sell service, it makes finding the right one that little bit easier. the next step is to determine the language that the different dating agencies and websites use and more importantly what it means. By diving deeper into these examples below, you’ll get a better understanding of how you can identify and choose the right agency for you.

1. Making matches

Lots of agencies, and particularly those that offer database matching rather than headhunting, offer a ‘like it or lump it’ approach when it comes to matching. It is easier to spot these types of agencies by carefully examining their website or literature to see what language they use. For example, ‘we select matches for you’ and ‘we put forward an unlimited selection of profiles for you to choose from’ might sound good on first impression, but it very much puts the control on the matchmakers and leaves little room for input from yourself. The likelihood is that if you decline that introduction, you will have to wait a while for your next one.  

At Ignite Dating, in order for a match to be deemed an introduction, three boxes must be ticked. Firstly, the client has to agree that it is a good match, then the introduction has to give permission that they would like to go ahead with the match, and finally, the man has to make contact. If these three key points are not met, it won’t be counted as an introduction.

2. Ensuring your safety

Just like the lingo itself, the onboarding process of clients can vary greatly from agency to agency. For the most part, if you are looking for an agency that offers personal introductions it is likely that an interview process will take place before the registration is complete. The extent to which this interview process looks to ensure the safety of its clients differs greatly and you’ll probably find that a lot of sites and agencies will claim that their members are ‘vetted’ before finally being added to the database.

While this obviously isn’t a bad thing, in a world where it’s all too easy to create fake online accounts or personalities (we all remember the catfishing trend), singles today are looking for more safety and security in their dating journey. While no agency can guarantee 100 percent the safety of its clients, there are a number of steps that they can take to ensure the highest possible levels of security are achieved.

At Ignite Dating, we stipulate that all of our clients are ID-checked rather than simply ‘vetted’. Our matchmakers carry out a thorough interview process for any potential clients. This includes ID and address checks, questions around health, addictions and criminal convictions as well as an in-depth digital footprint check. Clues like this will give you a better insight into how seriously a dating agency takes the security and protection of its clients.

3. Using science to back it up

While having similar goals, hobbies and attributes may be important things to consider when dating, it’s not enough to match people on these alone. As such, it’s a good idea to look out for agencies that back up the art of matchmaking with scientific practices.  

At Ignite Dating, we understand the importance of personality types when it comes to matching individuals together. As such, psychometric testing and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are referenced throughout our literature and conversations as we firmly believe that intuition and years of experience should be supported by science to help find our clients their perfect match.

Helping you make the right choice

Now, these are by no means the only language trends that you need to look out for when choosing a dating agency., but they do highlight the importance of reading through the websites and small print carefully. We also recommend having an open conversation over a coffee with the matchmaker who you will be working with, allowing you to ask any questions and clarify anything you are unsure of to get a better understanding of the services that they offer in order to decide which agency is right for you.

If you are single and have made that decision to join an agency, but are not sure where to start then get in touch with our friendly team today for an open and honest chat about how we can help you on your dating journey.

When I look back to 18 months ago when I first launched Ignite Dating, I never could have imagined just how successful it would be after just one year. Even though we now have two offices – a head office in central London and a regional office in Rutland, a team of nine and accreditation from the Matchmaking Institute under my belt I still have to pinch myself as I can’t believe that this is real.

What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I suffer massively from imposter syndrome. Contrary to the evidence of all that I have achieved over the last year and a half (despite the pandemic), I still have those moments where I feel that familiar wave of self-doubt wash over me and struggle to recognise my competence and skills – and I know that I’m not alone in this.

As I reflect on all that I have achieved so far and continue to achieve, I feel so lucky that despite the challenges that have seen many industries and businesses suffer the Ignite Dating brand continues to go from strength to strength.

My secret? Staying true to my values for an ethical and moral industry, listening to my clients and what they really wanted and building a network of the most supportive, smartest, and passionate people who share my aspirations and dreams for the future of Ignite Dating.

1. Set your goals and stick to them

From the moment I decided to launch my own matchmaking agency, I knew what I wanted to achieve and how to get there. Having worked with one of the UK’s largest introduction agencies, I realised that the dating world was going through another transition. Educated and successful people were bored of labour-intensive online dating, had perhaps found that database matching wasn’t quite hitting the right note and wanted to be more prescriptive as to what they wanted in a partner. So, I set myself one rule, always listen to my clients and develop a personalised service that meets their needs.

If the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that not everything goes to plan. You can never fully know what is going to happen in the future, so it is important to remember that if the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never change the goal.

2. Never stop pushing no matter what challenges you face

When I set up Ignite Dating, I had no idea what was to come in just a few short months. Ten weeks after launching, the whole country went into lockdown. For an industry that thrives on personal contact and building relationships, there was no way of knowing the true impact that this situation was going to have on not only Ignite Dating but the industry as a whole and everyone seemed to have a bleak outlook on the future.

Faced with a situation where we couldn’t meet face-to-face to interview clients, and they in turn weren’t able to meet up to date, I was concerned with the impact this would have on the new business. However, rather than give up at the first hurdle I took a “push harder, work longer and build faster” approach.

When many people in the industry decided that they would concentrate solely on the clients that they had already taken on to see them through the pandemic, we took a different approach. Instead of waiting to see what happened as the pandemic unfolded, we embraced the opportunities of lockdown and the more traditional relationship approach that it necessitated. This determination to stay positive and swim against the tide allowed us to come out of lockdown stronger and in a better position than ever – something which looks set to continue.

3. Networking is the foundation to a successful business

Those first few months of launching Ignite Dating passed by in a haze of networking events and business meetings. From morning through to late evening, I would be meeting other matchmakers, potential ambassadors and clients that were interested in the unique way in which Ignite Dating works and the service that we offer. I networked relentlessly, and even to this day a huge part of my day is spent growing my network, seven days a week.

4. Don’t underestimate the value of sisterhood

Working in a very female-heavy industry, sisterhood and community are vital when it comes to building a business in the dating sector. Over the years I have formed fundamental relationships and a close-knit community, and we support each other with all aspects of growing a business. From collaboration on the services offered to swapping skillsets and supporting one another, those connections have been my driving force to achieve success, especially Genevieve Gresset our in-house coach who has been my ongoing sounding board and Peter Brodnicki who has had constant belief and passion in what we do.

Even in these modern times, only 1 in 3 UK entrepreneurs are female. This highlights the importance in increasing opportunities for women to be able to start their own businesses and it is something that I am deeply passionate about. To help combat this, we offer women a business venture that is truly their own, allowing them to fit work seamlessly around their personal life to give them time to focus on their children or give them a more balanced work and social life – something that can prove quite difficult when employed. After all, just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean you can’t also have your own successful business!

5. Build a supportive and passionate team

Not every day in a new business is going to be a good one – that is just reality. But with a strong team around you keeping you connected, focused and healthy you can face anything – no matter what life throws at you. This is something that is very important to me and part of the key building blocks behind the Ignite Dating brand.

To drive the team and keep morale boosted, we have implemented strategies to ensure that all Ignite Dating Angels maintain a happy and healthy work life. From a compassionate workplace to flexible hours, promotion of a good work-life balance to team building activities and small gestures on birthdays or when they achieve their first sale, these strategies make the world of difference to morale and encourages both employees and franchisees alike to achieve a happy and healthy work-life balance.

When you’re looking for a long-lasting relationship, there are certain challenges you might come up against. One of the biggest, but one you might not anticipate, is that you’re not in the right mindset to find love and genuine connections.

Being in the right frame of mind is crucial if you want to attract the right person. After all, if you’re putting out negative or cagey vibes, you’re likely to attract partners in a similar situation – and that is not going to result in a happy, healthy relationship!

People who are trying to date when they are not ready will only attract the wrong people, and they will continue to attract the wrong people until they break these patterns and reframe their way of thinking.

Often, finding a dating coach can be a helpful way to break the bad habits and patterns that haven’t served you well in the past.

Signs it might be time for you to get a dating coach

If you notice that you have any of these dating habits (and especially if you have more than one), then this is a sure-fire sign that you need some professional help.

A dating coach will work with you to change your mindset, and they will support you on your journey towards finding a happy and healthy relationship.

The seven key signs you need a dating coach include:

1. Feeling anxious about dating
2. Trying to fast track the dating journey and establish a relationship within the first three to five dates
3. Always finding faults with those you meet and feeling like no one will ever be good enough
4. Cancelling dates and even making up excuses for why it’s not the right time for you to date
5. Obsessing over an ex and comparing everyone you meet to them
6. Always going to your friends for dating advice and doing your own thing anyway
7. Constantly seeking approval and validation from others about your dating life

If any of these signs sound familiar, it might be time to address the problem. But how can you go about finding a dating coach that will support you and help you get back on track?

How to find a dating coach

If you’ve never even considered a dating coach before, let alone hired one, it can be tricky to know where to start. The good news is, there are lots of simple ways you can find a dating coach and determine whether they’re going to be able to support you on your dating journey.

Firstly, do some research online to find out which dating agencies operate in your area, as this is the best place to start. After this, you should:

• Check out their website to see what it says about them, and look out for their credentials and experience
• Look at their blog (if they have one), as this can often reveal whether they are a knowledgeable and reputable source within the industry
• Look for reviews and testimonials from other people they have helped in the past

If you do all of this, you should be able to get a good feel for whether a dating coach or service provider is right for you.

And don’t just settle for the first website you find. Getting the right coach is important, so do some looking around and compare a few agencies before you sign up. This will ensure you find the best possible dating coach for you.

At Ignite Dating, our expert team of matchmakers and dating coaches are on hand to help you reframe your mindset and champion success on your dating journey. They are there to listen to your needs and help you find the perfect partner. So, if you think the time has come to get some support, get in touch with our friendly team today to see how they can help you find love.

Until very recently, women were always seen as the caregivers, who should stay at home and take care of the family. For most people, this has shaped our perceptions of gender roles and how we traditionally understand relationships.

And because successful businesswomen challenge these norms, they often struggle to find loving, long-term relationships.

Does this sound familiar?

If so, then this article is for you. Below, we are going to uncover the changing role of women in recent years and what they can do to achieve success in both their professional and personal lives.

We will share our tips and advice on how you can find love without compromising the life you have established for yourself or the goals you have yet to achieve.

You need to be able to switch off

One of the key challenges that businesswomen face is finding it hard to switch off.

What do we mean by this?

Well, for lots of women in the workplace, it is a common conception that they have to work harder to be taken seriously and to gain the respect they deserve.

As such, many continue to take this more ‘masculine’ energy with them into their dating life, as they feel they have to work hard to find love just like they do in their career.

But rather than applying this energy and coming across as overly forceful, driven and in control when dating, businesswomen need to learn to lead with their ‘feminine’ energy. It’s about realising that you are loved for who you are, not what you do, and instead allowing yourself to switch off, relax and be yourself – away from your professional persona.

Love requires a certain level of vulnerability

One of the things that many of us struggle with when it comes to dating is the ability to be vulnerable and to open our hearts to someone new. Even the toughest of us need to learn to be vulnerable in love in order to develop deeper connections with a potential partner, particularly strong businesswomen.

And this can be understandably hard when you’re used to having your guard up at work all the time and keeping people at a distance. 

So, although it can feel unnatural at times, it’s important that you’re able to let your guard down when dating and show that vulnerable side of yourself. Otherwise, you’re unlikely to form genuine, long-lasting relationships.

Look for love in the right places

A hugely important part of finding love as a successful businesswoman is making sure you’re looking in the right places. If you’re looking for someone that shares the same values, lifestyle and aspirations as you, it is unlikely that you will find them by frequenting bars, coffee shops, art galleries, etc. hoping that they will just walk in.

Instead, you need to be using the right platforms to help you look for a partner. For example, online dating apps are not likely to be the right place either, because let’s face it, the calibre of people on there probably aren’t quite what you are looking for.

And who has time to sit and swipe for hours on end anyway?

As such, dating agencies and matchmaking services like Ignite Dating are going to be far more beneficial for successful businesswomen. Working on a headhunting basis, they allow you to share exactly what you’re looking for in a partner and in turn introduce you to like-minded individuals who have similar aspirations and dreams to you.

Find a partner who’s going to support your success

Finally, it’s important that you look for and appreciate a partner who is willing to support and champion your success rather than compete with it.

This means holding out for someone who has similar career goals or achievements as you, or at the very least, someone who won’t be intimated by your success, even if they are yet to reach their own goals.

Working with a dedicated matchmaker means that you have someone that fully understands what you are looking for, not only in a partner but also in your future. They can use their intuition and expertise to find that potential match that supports your goals and aspirations and is willing to work towards them with you.

So, if you’re a successful businesswoman who is looking for love, don’t just settle. Get in touch with our talented team of matchmakers today to see how they can help you achieve a loving and long-term relationship.

Many people turn to dating apps and websites for convenience, quick connections and, let’s face it, because a lot of them are free.

Some of these dating platforms use databases and algorithms to match single people with like-minded individuals also registered with the site. Others simply send you a load of profiles that loosely fit the criteria you set out on registration and let you make your own mind up.

Sounds pretty good right?

Well, yes and no.

Depending on what you’re looking for, database matching might work for you – particularly if you are searching for something more casual. But if you’re looking for love and genuine connections, headhunter matchmaking services can be a lot more effective.

And we’re going to tell you why.

You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket

By relying on database matching, whether in the form of dating agencies or apps, you are essentially putting all of your eggs into one basket.

You’re essentially trusting that your perfect partner-to-be is with the same agency or database app as you, at the exact same time that you are looking for love, and that they happen to be looking for the exact same things that you have said you bring. Realistically speaking, those odds aren’t great.

Ultimately, it’s a bit of a game of luck and when it comes to finding love, you don’t really want to leave it to chance.

Not only this, but database matchmaking can feel restrictive (even with thousands of potential matches in the system) because it reflects a more ‘take it or leave it approach’. What we mean by this is that once you’ve explored all of your potential matches, you might end up settling for someone who ultimately isn’t exactly what you are looking for simply because you believe those are the only options available to you through your chosen platform.

However, it’s important to remember that there’s a big wide world out there that you don’t ever see, so don’t settle for someone that you know isn’t right from the start.

Databases rely on robots

One of the key differences when it comes to database matching versus headhunting matchmaking services is that databases rely on machines and algorithms, where headhunters rely on actual people with a real intuition for finding that perfect partner.

And these people can understand your wants and needs better than any robot ever can because they have human emotions themselves. 

What’s more, matchmaking services like Ignite Dating are very personalised and allow you to be more descriptive and specific about what you want from a relationship and a potential partner. Your matchmaker’s job is to help find you love, and they are totally dedicated to matching you with the perfect partner – someone who shares the same values, aspirations and lifestyle as you.

Plus, when it comes to the dating journey, if you’ve not had much luck in the past or you feel like you’ve exhausted all your options, matchmaking services can offer the extra support and personal touch you’ve been looking for.

Matchmakers take on a lot of the hard work

And finally, why spend hours swiping through dating apps or chasing potential partners that might not be looking for the same things as you when a dedicated matchmaker can take on a lot of this stress for you.

The matchmaker’s job is to not only understand what you’re looking for in a partner but also to appreciate the little things that make you who you are. This will help them to decipher what is really important to you and find you potential matches that have the best chance of success. So, all you have to do is sit back, relax and wait for the call, knowing that your dedicated matchmaker has done all of the hard work for you to find you that potential partner that you have been searching for.

This can make the dating journey a lot less stressful for you as you get the fun parts of dating, like getting to know someone and enjoying a dating journey that is sure to leave you feeling energised, confident, and safe – just as it should be!

So if you’re tired of hoping that database matchmaking will throw out the partner of your dreams, it might be time to get yourself a dedicated matchmaker to help you find love. Get in touch with the talented team at Ignite Dating today to see how we can help you find that person you’re searching for.

Three years ago, if someone had told you that one day in the near future, the Government would impose a nationwide lockdown that would put a ban on socialising and dating, you would have laughed in their face. But as we all know too well, that was the reality of 2020.

For some, that meant months of not being able to see friends, family and in some cases partners, while for others, it meant months of lockdown with their other half.

Either way, this unprecedented reality led to many of us re-evaluating lots of aspects of our lives, including our relationships (or lack thereof).

Although we all pray that there won’t be another lockdown and that there will never be another challenge like this in our lifetime, after the last year we know that nothing is guaranteed. This is why so many have begun preparing for the future, no matter what it might bring.

And this includes preparing for future relationships. 

Many changed their minds completely

There are plenty of people out there who for years would have said they were happy to be single. However, once faced with the unnegotiable reality of isolation and with a lot more time on their hands, many of those people have changed their minds since the pandemic.

This is most likely because being alone for months caused them to re-think their relationship status and what they want from their life. But whatever the cause, sign-ups to dating sites, apps, and agencies sky-rocketed during lockdown as people realised the importance of finding companionship for the future.

The pandemic helped people to understand what they really want from a partner

Following on from this, there were plenty of couples during lockdown that, once together for extended periods of time, realised that they just weren’t right for one another.

When put under a microscope, it’s much easier to find the flaws in each other, and in the challenging times of lockdown, lots of couples found that they wanted different things.

This led to an influx of break-ups as people began looking for newer, healthier and happier relationships and prepared themselves to get back in the dating world to find the perfect match.

Lots of women began preparing for their future family

As we said, we hope that there will be no more lockdowns again in the future. However, this doesn’t detract from the fact that lots of women have just lived through 18 months of their life unable to date or find a future partner.

This saw an increase in women choosing to freeze their eggs, with some clinics even seeing a staggering 50% rise in enquiries.

In some ways this is unsurprising given that most of us want to be with a partner for several years before starting a family. But the scale of the response is startling and shows how seriously these women are taking the situation that lays ahead of them.

It’s time to look to the future

Whether you went into lockdown single or with a partner, there are lots of people who are now ready to get back out on the dating scene and look ahead to the future.

From re-thinking what it is you’re looking for in a partner to making huge decisions like preparing for a future family, it’s clear that lockdown had a huge impact on our lives and our future relationships. If you’re one of those reconsidering your priorities, you’re in good company.

So, if you’re hoping to find love in the future and you’re currently looking for the perfect partner, we can help. Get in touch with our team of expert matchmakers today to find out more about how they can support you on your dating journey this year to find that partner that shares the same values, aspirations and life goals as you.

Do you like your partners to be Tall? Small? Older? Younger? Curvy? Thin?

Perhaps you think you know exactly what your ‘type’ is and what you’re looking for on your dating journey. But in reality, you could actually be hurting your chances of finding the right person.  

In fact, all the things you think are deal-breakers could be holding you back from finding love. Being too focused on specific elements of your criteria is known as mono-manic dating. And we’re here to tell you why sometimes a number should remain just that.

You could be fixating on the wrong things

As we said, you might think that you know what your type is, but when it comes down to it, this could just be something you’ve told yourself and never tested.

Because often, those who have spent their whole life saying they only like men over 6 foot will find love with someone who is 5’8. Or a man who says he loves younger women can find the perfect partner his own age or older.   

Essentially what we’re saying is that you might be telling yourself you have a type, but if you met the right person, this would no longer matter to you.

It could cost you the perfect partner

What’s more, when you spend your time fixating on numbers like height, age, size, etc., you overlook so many other important factors. This could then cost you the perfect partner just because you believe they aren’t meeting the criteria that you have set out for yourself (and them).

By keeping an open mind, you open yourself up to so many other exciting opportunities, and you’re far more likely to find the right partner and ultimately that long-term success that you’ve been searching for.

If you’ve spent your whole dating life looking for a particular ‘type’ with no luck, then maybe now it is time to open your horizons. In the end if you want to get something different, you must do something different. 

The mental is just as important as the physical

Of course, physical attraction is important when dating, but it’s also important to remember that there are lots of other aspects that you need to consider if you want a long-lasting, happy relationship. After all, as the well-known saying goes ‘looks fade but personality lasts a lifetime’.

The mental and emotional part of a relationship is just as crucial as the physical. You want to find a partner that shares similar interests and aspirations to you so that together you can build a meaningful relationship.

If you only focus on someone’s appearance and numbers (height, weight, etc.), then you limit yourself to a smaller number of potential partners and you reduce the likelihood of finding someone with whom you share a genuine emotional connection.

So, why don’t you leave the numbers to the mathematicians and ask yourself, is it really a deal-breaker? And instead of mono-manic dating, try to keep an open mind when embarking on your dating journey.

At Ignite Dating, we understand that the physical side of a person is important, but we also know what is needed to make a deeper connection. That is why our expert matchmakers work closely with you to find out what you really want from a partner, so we can help to find you the perfect match. So, if you’re ready to put your ‘type’ aside and look for a meaningful relationship, our team can help, simply get in touch today to find out more.

Ben and Jennifer, Katy and Orlando, Khloe and Tristan, Gigi and Zayn – is it just us or has getting back with your ex become the new dating trend in 2021?

While it can feel all too easy and familiar to rekindle an old relationship, especially following 18 months of limited dating options, it’s important to remember that you broke up for a reason.

And much like many of the insane diet trends out there, just because the celebs are giving it a go, it doesn’t mean you should too, right?

So, if you are about to give up on the dating world and go back to a past love, we are here to remind you that if you want something different, you are going to have to do something different. Here are just four reasons why you should avoid getting back with your ex at all costs.

1. Some people don’t change

Have they told you it will be different this time around? Well, unfortunately, this very often isn’t the case. One of the things that makes us human is the fact that we are all creatures of habit, and typically people don’t change overnight.

So, although it’s easy for them to promise that they’ve changed and for you to believe that you’ve both grown and moved on as people, the reality is that the same problems are likely to emerge in the future. Once that happy, loved-up, honeymoon period is over, you could find yourself falling back into the same damaging behaviours and cycles as before, leading to a sense of déjà vu and another break-up.

2. The trust has been broken

Trust is so important in a relationship; it takes a long time to build and, sadly, not very long to break. If you’ve already broken up once, it’s likely that there will always be that underlying fear that it could happen again.

This can often be amplified, particularly if it was as a result of infidelity, lying or keeping secrets. More often than not, that  major reason that you broke up often remains as the elephant in the room and is brought up in the heat of an argument, whether related to the current heated discussion or not. This is a surefire sign that the trust is still lacking, and that is no way to start a relationship.

3. You can’t move forward if you’re moving backwards

Unfortunately, you can either move forward or backwards, but you can’t do both – otherwise, you’re just standing still!

So, if you want to start a new life, find yourself, be happy and fall in love again, going back to an ex is not the way to go about this. 

You want to look forward to the future, to the new adventures ahead of you with new people and focus on building new relationships that are much more positive and beneficial for your life.  

4. There are so many other people out there

Finally, you might feel like you’ve been on the dating scene for a while now without much success, but let’s face it, there are quite literally millions of people out there that are single and looking for love, just like you, so why are you going back to an already proven unsuccessful relationship?

You’ve heard the cliché that there’s plenty more fish in the sea, and while it might be cheesy and overused, it is also true. There are so many people out there that could be better suited to you, sharing the same values, aspirations and lifestyle that you hold dear, so don’t settle! Keep at it, and you’ll find someone new who is much better suited to you, or better still enlist the help of an expert matchmaker to take the hard work out of it for you and find that person that you have been searching for!

At Ignite Dating, we understand that the dating journey can take time and that there will be moments when you want to give up and go back to a relationship that’s familiar. But our expert team of matchmakers can help you on your dating journey and offer you support when times get tough. So, if you’re hoping to find the perfect match this year, get in touch with our friendly team today.

Whether you’re at the start of a blossoming relationship or been with your significant other for years, every relationship goes through the same five stages of dating. These five stages are attraction, reality, commitment, intimacy and finally, engagement.

It may seem pretty obvious, but relationships – whether romantic or platonic – grow with time and undergo distinct changes as bonds are formed and intimacy is developed. As your relationship evolves through each of these stages, you’ll learn more about each other and determine if you and your partner are committed and destined for a lifetime together.

If you’ve begun dating someone new or if you’re unsure at what stage your existing relationship is at, this blog is for you. Below, we’re going to talk you through each of the five stages of dating, so you can work out where you and your partner are right now and more importantly, whether your relationship has the strength to flourish into a long-term commitment.

1. Attraction

Attraction is the first stage of dating, and plays a fundamental part in whether the connection can develop into something more. Whether you meet each other naturally whilst out with friends, family, or acquaintances, through a matchmaker or on online dating sites or apps, there has to be an element of attraction between each couple for it to develop into something romantic. Often known as the honeymoon phase, this is the stage at which everything feels very new and exciting and seems almost perfect.

This stage often lasts for the first few months of your courtship and will see constant communication between the couple with lots of messaging back and forth on different channels such as texting, dating sites, social media and WhatsApp as well as long phone calls and video calls in the evenings on the days that you are not together. You will also find that during this period you will go on lots of dates and make time to get to know more about one another before you decide whether to take things to the next level.

2. Reality

Stage two is reality, and it tends to creep up on you slowly and can last for around six months. This signals the end of the honeymoon phase and is the point at which you might start to see flaws in your partner and notice things that annoy you.

This doesn’t mean you no longer like or love each other; it’s just reality and life setting in and you tend to become more aware of your partner after the rush of hormones has subsided. For example, you may find that as you start spending more time together you notice little quirks or habits that you might not have noticed at first.

Unfortunately, it is this second stage where lots of relationships fail. But the good news is, if you make it past this stage this is a good sign of things to come.

3. Commitment

Once you get past the reality stage, you enter the commitment phase. At this point, you express a desire to be with each other exclusively and you have grown to not only recognise but accept the flaws that may come with your partner.

This agreement to commit to each other regardless of circumstances also means accepting their dreams, goals, wants and needs in life. This could mean things like deciding where you want to live together, helping them to achieve career goals and discussing plans for the future. 

4. Intimacy

Stage four is intimacy and this typically involves nurturing the true love that has been cultivated over the last year or so. Contrary to popular belief, this stage doesn’t just relate to physical intimacy either, it’s also about connecting beyond the superficial.

Once two people have bonded with each other, this is when true love really begins. This stage usually means opening up to one another and really letting your guard down. For the first time in the relationship, you will become vulnerable without holding back, learning about each other’s pasts and deeper feelings and seeing their true character in a new light.

5. Engagement

The final stage is engagement and blissful love. This is where you ultimately decide to pledge a lifelong commitment to your partner and take things to the next level. This level of commitment comes with working together to plan a happy and fruitful future with each other.

Even though you have made a commitment, it doesn’t mean that your relationship will be without its ups and downs in the future. The important thing is to learn to apologise and forgive when things go wrong and instead work together as a solid partnership to overcome any challenges that life throws your way.

At Ignite Dating, our expert team of matchmakers are on hand to help you navigate through all of these five stages, so you can find ever-lasting love. If you’re ready to find the right person and to build a relationship, get in touch with our team today.