Matchmaker Success

Beverly & Dennis

“We’re like two peas in a pod. I always said that when we dated.” - Beverly

What were your dating lives like before joining The Right One?

Beverly: I didn’t date at all. I was comfortable and I guessed after 40 that I was not going to meet anybody. You can’t meet anybody unless you to go bars and when The Right One called, she said, “Wouldn’t you like to meet somebody? Wouldn’t you like to get out there?” I said, “Yeah,” so I did. Otherwise I never dated.

Dennis: I wasn’t really interested. I was married before and she passed away. The kids kept telling me go out and meet somebody, so then I contacted them and started from there. Other than that, it was just nobody was interesting to me; I didn’t like anybody that was available.

Beverly, what was your opinion of matchmaking services and online dating sites?

Beverly: I never tried them. There were some in The Buyers’ Guide, but I thought, "Oh, you better be careful of that for screening and stuff", so I never really tried anything else. My brother and his wife met on some dating service in Appleton, but it wasn’t The Right One. They got married, and I thought that maybe I could try this.

Did you enjoy working with the people at The Right One?

Beverly: I did; she gave me big hopes when I talked with her.

Dennis: When I was in there talking to them, they were great, yes.

Dennis, how would you describe the interview process?

Dennis: They give you a paper with some questions on it and you answer the questions to the best of your ability. I don’t know how they analyze it, but then they look at it and then they can determine who is best suited for you; I don’t know how they do that either.

Who initiated contact, Beverly?

Beverly: The same day, we got it on a Monday, and I just was looking at it and Dennis called me right away. That was in my thoughts because he was the fifth one and I was giving up already, since I hadn’t had luck with the other ones. Two didn’t call and I only had a first date with the other one. With Dennis, he talked to me for three hours on the phone. It was supposed to be short, but I thought I knew him right away then.

What was your first date like?

Dennis: We went to The Fin and Feather here. It’s a big restaurant shaped like a boat.

Beverly: I didn’t want to be late and then I thought, "Hmm, I’ll see what he looks like when he comes in." I told him what I was going to wear and he said he was going to wear this one cap that says something about being retired.

Dennis: I’m retired and this is as dressed up as I get.

Beverly, what was your first impression of Dennis?

Beverly: I thought he was a nice man, attractive to me. He was such a gentleman.

Dennis, what was your first impression of Beverly?

Dennis: I thought she looked very lovely and I was hoping we could make things work out.

What do your friends and family think about how the two of you met?

Dennis: They don’t have any problems about it.

Beverly: Mine neither, they were happy for me. He has three grown children and they all accepted me and my brother thought it was nice too. I really have one brother that I’m close to, and he met his wife through a matchmaking service and they’re married some 20 years or so. It worked out.

So you dated a while and then it came time to decide to get married. What was the proposal like, Beverly?

Beverly: We met at The Fin and Feather, we got engaged at The Fin and Feather and we got married at The Fin and Feather. I wanted to tell you that first. He didn’t want me to get too sentimental. He knows I get a little sentimental, so he proposed to me on the bridge.

Were you surprised when he proposed?

Beverly: I kind of knew he was going to propose but I didn’t know that night because he took me outside. It was a little disappointing, I was like, Gee, I thought he’d said, “You’ll never know where or when I do this.” I figured it would be The Fin and Feather maybe but we went to Robin’s and I took my camera and everything and was dressed up nice and I was like, "He’s going to propose to me tonight." Nope! It was a little disappointing then.

He waited until we were going together a whole year. He had that planned, which is nice to wait. He proposed to me at The Fin and Feather and it was really neat. He said, “Would you be with me for the rest of my life?” And I said yes.

Dennis, when did you know that Beverly was special and that she was a keeper for you?

Dennis: First week.

Beverly?

Beverly: Likewise.

Beverly, you’ve been married just 4 ½ months now, so you’re newlyweds and you obviously spend more time together now that you are married. What kinds of things do you do together?

Beverly: We take dancing lessons, ballroom and Cha-chas and line dancing.

Beverly, do you have any advice for people who might be considering signing up for a service like The Right One?

Beverly: I think it’s a good idea. There could be somebody down the street or around the corner which Dennis was, way down on the other end of the street, on the other end of the highway here. And he likes to fish and I love to fish and we do summer fishing, not ice fishing. I let him go hunting; he loves to hunt and then I can get things done too. I did all the bridal clothes. When he was gone last winter hunting I had plenty of time to do it. I put my sewing machine in the basement and he saw the bridesmaid stuff as I was cutting it out but he didn’t want to see mine and I said that he shouldn’t.

Dennis: If you want to get some happiness instead of being by yourself, its time you have a look. And I’m a whole lot happier.

Beverly: We’re like two peas in a pod. I always said that when we dated.

Terri & Don

I didn’t know what to expect. He kept telling me he had this 30” waist, so I was worried about someone that was tiny and small-framed, but he’s not. He’s this real muscular, really fit guy, really masculine and very nice-looking. That, on top of his great personality: It was just love at first sight – Terri

What were your dating lives like before you signed up with The Right One?

Don: I tried online things, chatting online, and I met people at the gas station! My life is busy enough and a lot of times if I was seeing someone, it was on my terms and the majority didn’t work out, as our backgrounds weren’t the same.

Terri: I didn’t really have the opportunity or chance to meet anyone. I was a single parent with two children. I had met people at church, but our church is not that big. I also belong to a sports club, but the people there were not family-oriented people; they were nice friends to hang out with, but not the type of person I was looking to build a relationship with. I didn’t have an outlet or the time to go out and find people. I needed someone to match me up. I had limited time, so I needed someone to give me good matches so I wasn’t wasting my time.

Before you joined The Right One, did you have any opinions about matchmaking services and/or online dating sites?

Terri: Years ago there were some people in my social group that had tried some different services, and some of them had good success and met people they liked to hang out with, but I don’t remember any of them ever marrying any of them. It’s just becoming more and more common, so I guess I wasn’t afraid of it like maybe I would have been 10 years ago. I was running into people that were finding good people that they were building long-term relationships with. As for online dating, I didn’t have the time and I’m not good at writing, so I didn’t feel comfortable trying that route.

Don: I lived out in the country and really didn’t have access to the social thing like Terri did in Omaha here, so my resources were actually a bit more limited then hers were, but I was trying. I had a busy schedule and limited time also. The area where I came from, I knew everybody and everybody knew me. What single people were available, it’s about like dating your cousin or sister or something.

What inspired you to sign up with The Right One? Did you enjoy working with them?

Terri: They contacted me with a phone call, then I went in for a sort of information meeting and it just sounded like the right thing that fit me at that point in my life. They were very professional and they did the police check and some other things I thought were good for me because then I felt safe. They were giving me good matches and I wasn’t introducing some risk into my family, like someone who had a police record or someone fraudulent. I felt they were safe.

Don: I believe I saw it in the Omaha World Herald. The process was pretty long but I didn’t mind it at all. I was nervous of course, but answering all the questions, you have to take your time. I was nervous but I thought it was okay. I suppose they needed to know things, but some questions were really personal, but reasonably personal. It was to be expected.

Don, was there anything in particular about the information you had about Terri that made you decide to contact her?

Don: Everything probably, just curiosity.  On those things they don’t tell you anything about the person. All they do is give you two things about them, like they like to play darts and have children at home. I think hers was she had blue eyes and was 5’ 6” and that was it.

What was your first date like?

Terri: He got sick on the first date.

Don: I really did. I had the flu; it was so embarrassing, but it was nice. We met at a casino right next to Omaha and we walked around and talked. We spent probably 2-2½ hours just talking. We weren’t gambling, even though we met at a casino because we thought it was a neutral area. It gave us an opportunity to talk. We spent the whole two hours talking and we got something to drink and that was about it.

Terri, what were some of your initial impressions of Don?

Terri: He was very nice-looking, and after knowing him from the phone conversations, I was really excited to see him. I just didn’t know what to expect. He kept telling me he had this 30” waist, so I was worried about someone that was tiny and small-framed, but he’s not. He’s this real muscular, really fit guy, really masculine and very nice-looking. That, on top of his great personality: It was just love at first sight.

Don, what was your first impression of Terri?

Don: It was really good. I appreciated her background. We had talked about her past a bit and she was country-oriented and seemed like a country girl. She was a really down-to-earth girl and I see that as attractive.

What do your friends and family think about how you two met?

Don: They’re more accepting of it now; it’s more of a common thing now. It’s not a big deal. I had talked to my family before about a couple of the other referrals I’d had, so when I told them about Terri they weren’t so surprised.

Terri: My family never said either way. I think they were just glad I was doing something because they had for years kept telling me I needed to get a personal life and not wrap my life around my children. They were excited I was doing something about my own personal being.

What was the proposal like?

Don: It was something we had talked about before we got married. I did propose to her and actually the proposal was on Facebook and I asked her to marry me there. My kids have that and it’s something new, I guess.

You both have children?

Don: I have 2 kids, one is 26 and the other is 24. Hers are 10 and 7.

How do you spend your time together now as a family? What do you like to do for fun?

Don: For fun: Sleep!

Terri: We’re probably more wrapped up into family activities.

Don: With church activities and basketball for the girls. We’re just trying to do things right, we’re trying to build a foundation for the rest of our lives and the religious aspect too.

Terri: We’re both very family-oriented, so I think we’re okay with wrapping our lives around the family as a unit.

Do you have any advice for someone who might be considering joining The Right One?

Don: I’ve heard stories from other people who also went through The Right One or something else like that and their first one or two referrals, they kind of give up and quit all together. I guess my opinion on that would be: Give it time. Even though the first couple are kind of sour it just builds a foundation for a better referral the next time and they do seem to get better. The last one, Terri, was…

Terri: I better be the last one! I would say, like Don, don’t give up. The evaluation forms are important as to say what you liked or didn’t like, not in an insulting way but in a way that says: “I prefer someone that is maybe more like this or this,” because that’s how they’re going to get you better matches or someone that is going to be more to your liking, if you tell them what you’re not seeing or what you don’t like so that the next one is closer.

Don: It is a screening process, so each time they screen out one more characteristic or add one of the major ones. The questionnaire to me, when you fill that out the very first day, you really don’t know what you want or sometimes wherever your mind is on that given day may not be the same place you’re at on the second day. The evaluation form is very important in that you fill that out in a way that is right for you after you meet each referral.

Michelle & Greg

Looks-wise, I was totally attracted and then we just clicked. It felt like as we were talking more and more that we’ve been living parallel lives and never met! We’d never had an intersection until now – Michelle

What were your dating lives like before joining The Right One?

Michelle: When I joined The Right One, I was going through a divorce. My thought process was that I’d tried online dating before, I’d tried the traditional “go out and meet people,” and I’d tried everything else. But right before all that, I was going through a divorce.

Greg: Not very successful. I was on a website, FitnessSingles.org, and I tried other websites too that never panned out. I would write women and never hear back from them; maybe it was something I wrote. Most of my friends are in a relationship or married with kids, so it doesn’t help being a third wheel there. My dating life wasn’t all that great.

Michelle, what inspired you to join The Right One?

Michelle: I was going through not a great divorce and my screening process was not working on its own. I was watching TV and saw the matchmaking show “Manhattan Matchmaker,” and I got the idea to see if there were any matchmaking services in my area. I sought it out because I wanted somebody else to do the screening for me.

Did you have an opinion about matchmaking services or online dating before joining The Right One?

Michelle: Years and years ago, I went into Great Expectations and got the spiel, so I kind of had an idea of what it was all about or at least the concept at that time. I kind of knew what I was getting into, or at least what to expect, and an approximate cost associated because it’s more expensive. But I liked the idea that it is more objective, and the credit and background checks and things; I liked that too because I had been burned quite badly in that regard.

Greg: No, not really. It was kind of like, "What are my other options?" The Right One has an incredible telemarketing platform. I got calls from them all the time, stuff in the mail, and it was always lingering in the back of my mind that it’s there. Then it just got to a point where I said to myself, “Alright, I’ll throw this money at it and see what happens. I’ll try it once; it’s worth at least one shot.” Other than that, I kind of didn’t really want to try to expect anything and see where it takes me.

How would you describe the interview process with The Right One?

Michelle: It took a while; it took a couple of hours. But I really liked the person I dealt with. She was really good at explaining things without being really pushy, per se. I went through 50 gazillion questions it felt like, which took most of the time. To see what came of that as far as profiling and whatever, that was pretty cool. She took information around like age ranges, things you definitely didn’t want, like somebody who smoked or if they drank too much or were allergic to cats, which in my case would have been a deal-breaker. It was quite informative and quite in-depth, actually.

Greg: I would say the same. I was treated with a lot of professionalism. It went well, but then again, I came into the interview not putting up a lot of resistance, and she probably could read that I was there to just go ahead with the sale and sign on. I was there because I wanted to be there and my intent was that I was most likely going to sign up for this, so there wasn’t much selling involved. It was more like, "This is how it works."

Michelle, who made the initial contact?

Michelle: I think I called Greg and he was sick and he didn’t call back right away because he wasn’t feeling well. We waited to get together until the following weekend, but we spoke a couple of times throughout the week.

How many referrals had you had at this point, Michelle?

Michelle: Greg was my first. I was kind of hoping to be successful; I just didn’t anticipate it being the first try because that really doesn’t happen.

Greg, what about you?

Greg: I lost track there. In fact, they would send me a referral and then two days later they would send me another one, and I hadn’t called the previous referral yet. So I called Christina and said, “Which one should I contact there?” It got to a point where for me it wasn’t working out and then Michelle came along and I was like, “Excellent!”

What was your first date like and where did you go?

Greg: It was a rainy day and we decided to meet in a geographically-halfway point. We were supposed to meet at this coffee house in a college town and it was totally crowded with students, so it was like, "Okay what is a Plan B here?" There was a Starbucks across the street and I went in there and just by chance lucked out. There was a person who’d left a table that had two chairs right by the door in a good corner. I claimed that real estate and I remember Michelle walked in and we sat there for like three hours.

Michelle: It was a rainy day; I was in a crappy mood. I was like, "I don’t know about this; I’m just not into this right now. It’s only going to be a coffee date." We were there for at least three hours at Starbucks, which was a little weird. All I knew about him when I walked in was that he had long curly hair.

Greg: No, you knew more because you checked me out on LinkedIn, and I did the same.

Michelle: When you’re meeting somebody and you’ve never seen their picture before, it’s a little weird but I knew it was him immediately. I don’t know why but I just did. And then we just kept talking for hours and then we were looking at each other like, “Now what do we do? We can’t stay here forever,” so we went down the street and had appetizers and drinks and hung out some more. Then we were like, “Okay, now what do we do?” because we had finished eating and we weren’t ready to finish the date. Coincidentally, a friend of mine had sent me a text message saying they were going dancing, and I’m into line dancing and they were going to a local place I always go. Greg said, “Sure, let’s go!” and so we ended up going there and he followed me first to my house and I changed and then we went dancing. He was a good sport and it was just totally random because she just sent me the text. 11 hours later, our one hour coffee date went a little over!

Greg: I didn’t dance; I watched. Line dancing is pretty complicated.

I think 11 hours is the longest I’ve heard of so far for a first date! Michelle, what were some of your initial impressions of Greg?

Michelle: I walked in and thought, "Okay, this is cool; at least I’m attracted to him, because that’s always a concern." Looks-wise, I was totally attracted and then we just clicked. It was strange. We’ve got similar education backgrounds and career paths. It felt like as we were talking more and more that we’ve been living parallel lives and never met! How weird is that?! We were a year apart at the same university and we didn’t know each other, but we learned over time that there is a lot of overlap too as far as his father went to school with one of my mother’s cousins and just all these other weird coincidences. And he grew up in the same city my best friend from growing up lives in. It’s just a lot of strange things like that. So we just lived parallel lives and never had an intersection until now.

Greg, what were some of your initial impressions of Michelle?

Greg: I was attracted to her. I have been through a divorce myself 10 years ago and Michelle is going through hers more recently and it’s her second. I could really empathize with her and without getting into a lot of the story here, I could see in her eyes that here was somebody that totally didn’t deserve this, but that’s not the attraction part. It’s an impression and I liked her story, everybody has a story to tell. Her mother and my mother both have recently had some serious accidents or medical issues and so we talked a lot about that, and I could empathize with her and she could empathize with me.

Michelle: That’s the thing about it too. I don’t know too many people that go on a first date and have something to talk about or can be comfortable around the person for that long when you just met. So that says something in itself, I think.

What do your friends think about how you two met?

Michelle: Most people think it’s cool and at least the ones I’m willing to share the cost with, they say they think I’m nuts. A couple of people say, “You’re crazy for spending that kind of money, I can meet people other ways.” But my success isn’t that great other ways. And then other people are like, “Yeah, I would totally spend it.” So I’ve gotten kind of mixed reviews. No one thinks it’s crazy to do it, just some people thought it was crazy to spend that kind of money.

Greg: No, I haven’t shared my story with as many people as Michelle has. I never got any kind of feedback as far as being a fool for spending that kind of money though. But then again, I haven’t told that many people. I was different than Michelle initially: I didn’t want anybody to know I was doing The Right One. I don’t know where that comes from; maybe guys are more embarrassed or reserved about that kind of thing. They’re not afraid to say they do online dating or try to, but I think they would draw the line as far as a service like The Right One.

You’ve been dating for about eight months now. How do you like to spend time together?

Greg: Over the summer, we did a bit of canoeing and just going on walks and spending time with family. Michelle’s niece is wonderful. I met her brothers and parents and extended family and I enjoy their company.

Michelle: We tend to spend a little less time with his family because of location and timing and everything. So I’ve met his family but not extended family just yet, it hasn’t worked out. But we spend time with family on both sides whenever we get a chance. We rent a lot of movies. Back in May, I was out in San Diego for work and Greg joined me for a couple of days. Then more recently, we were at Disney World for a week. We tend to try and do things outdoors when the weather is good as much as we can.

Do you talk about a future together?

Michelle: We’ve talked about winter plans of going skiing and things in the immediate future. We have talked about the potential of moving in together at some point, but we’re in a bit of  flux with Greg’s career at the moment, plus the market is horrible. We both own property and it’s not that straightforward. We’ve had the discussion but no timing quite yet.

Do you have any advice for people who are considering joining a matchmaking service like The Right One?

Michelle: I say go for it!

Greg: If it’s in your budget, do it. I think I got up to referral number nine and I lost track, and some of the referrals, I didn’t even call. They were genuine about trying to find somebody for me and they did eventually. It just wasn’t the first one and it can’t be the first one all the time.

Michelle: I think people need to be patient with it and not give up on it. Just give it a try. It’s a more secure way of doing it, a more objective way of dating.

Greg: There is nothing like having a third party make the decisions for you!

Michelle: I think the only thing is maybe there could be some cheaper options to get more people involved. The only problem with that then is the screening changes. I don’t know if that would make a difference or not because obviously if you can afford a service like this, then that says something right there. But that’s the only downside for a lot of people, the cost. I think in theory people like the idea, at least the people I’ve talked to. I think it’s a great option, especially as you get into your 30s and the older you get, the harder it is to meet people.

Greg: It definitely is.

Shannon & Mike

I put in my criteria: “No children” and I’d never opened my mind to that possibility. When they called to set me up with Shannon, they told me she had a daughter and I thought I’d give it a try. What a blessing that turned out to be!  I’m so glad she was part of the package – Mike

How would you describe your dating lives before joining Together Dating?

Shannon: I met some crazy people and it wasn’t great, through friends.

Mike: I didn’t really date much. I would meet someone but we’d not hit it off. I thought I would give this a try and hopefully they would set me up with someone who I had some things in common with. I tried online dating with Match.com, but no success there. I literally didn’t meet anybody; I got no responses. I think a lot of online dating is completely dishonest. I don’t think you can really trust it. I dated a little through friends, but nothing really worked out.

What inspired you to sign up with Together Dating?

Mike: I found a flier in my mailbox that was for a website. It wasn’t Together Dating, but when I went to the site, it asked for information and then I got a call from Together Dating, so it was all connected.

Shannon: I wasn’t finding people who I had anything in common with and I had seen signs around town stuck in the grass. They were everywhere for a while!

Did you have any opinions about matchmaking services before joining Together Dating?

Mike: I never really thought of giving it a try. I had seen ads but never gave it much thought.

Shannon: I guess I remember it from commercials in the 80s, but hadn’t heard much about matchmaking since then. Through Match.com and a couple of other online sites, I wasn’t finding people who were very mature.

What did you especially enjoy about the interview process with Together Dating?

Shannon: I liked that they did a background check and credit check. I just want to be safe if I’m going to do something like that. I liked the personality profile and that it was actually people and not a computer matching me up with somebody.

Mike: I liked that the personality profile was very thorough; it pretty much hits every aspect of your personality. It asks you a lot of questions, but it gets around to everything and it’s very accurate. Although they set me up with a few I had nothing in common with, overall I think they did a good job. The ladies were very friendly and I felt welcome there.

How many other referrals did you each have before you met?

Mike: I had met four before I called Shannon.

Shannon: Just one.

What was your first date like? Where did you go?

Mike: We met at Starbucks. I forgot to ask her what she would be wearing, so I had no way of identifying her. I was just sitting there for a while and it turns out she was in there for a while too. I remember seeing her come in, but I didn’t know it was her. Every woman that walked through the door, I’m thinking, "Is that her?" I thought she was very attractive and cute. I was watching her as she ordered her coffee and sat down, and then she texted me saying, “I’m wearing a pink sweater.” I went over to her table and we started talking. It turned into a longer date. We went to a restaurant and had dinner.

I noticed she was a little shy, which I like. I dated women before who just yapped away and I thought Shannon was easy to talk to because I’m shy too. I thought it was really good. She let me talk and listen and I like that.

Shannon: It was good. I didn’t know what he looked like and I was a little nervous. He was very friendly and looked me right in the eye and I knew I could trust him. He seemed like a good match. We had some small talk and then a little more depth to the conversation. I think it was me who asked him if he wanted to go to dinner, for the record.

We laughed a few times, which was a good tension-breaker. We had some of the same taste in music. I wouldn’t say Michael was my “type” that I usually go for: The quiet, mean-looking guy. Michael was very friendly and it was easy to talk to him.

What do your friends and family members think of how you met?

Mike: Most say, “Okay,” and don’t really say much else about it.

Shannon: Some people I talk to say, “I don’t know if I would do that,” because they have the whole online dating stereotype in their head.

Mike: That’s the thing. You have to explain the difference. That is the first thing they’ll say: “Oh, online?” And then you have to say, “No,” and that you actually went into an office and dealt with people there.

How long did the two of you date before you got married?

Mike: It was April of 2007 when we met, and we married in September 2008.

Shannon, what was the proposal like?

Shannon: It was Christmas morning and we opened our presents. He opened his first and then I opened mine. We had talked about it beforehand but nothing was set in stone. We just said that probably someday we’d get married, and we were living together. I got to my last present and it was a Chia Pet, and that was a joke between us. I always wanted a Chia Pet when I was little but never got one, so he got me one. I was kind of expecting a ring but I wasn’t sure if he was going to give it to me. He said, “Why don’t you look in the box?” and there was this little cheesy alarm clock in there, and a ring box in there. Then he was down on his knee and he asked me. It was very sweet.

Mike: I was just happy she didn’t throw the Chia Pet out before I had a chance.

How would you describe your lives together now?

Mike: I love it. I love feeling stable knowing I’ll always have Shannon there for me. She’s very supportive and she’s like my rock.

Shannon: My daughter is four and we will go and get ice cream or go to the mall and the play area or go have a nice dinner out. Monica just adores Mike.

Mike: She’s great; I adore Monica. She’s sweet and like the daughter I always wanted.

Do you have any advice for people who are considering signing up for Together Dating?

Mike: Be patient, because the first few times you might be disappointed. The first couple of times, I was getting pretty frustrated and feeling that it wasn’t working. It will work - you just have to give it time.

Shannon: Keep an open mind because you never know. Mike wasn’t my usual “type.” We’re both so shy I don’t think it ever would have happened any other way.

Mike: That’s a good point. It’s hard with two shy people, to get to talking you pretty much have to be forced into that situation, but it worked out for us. I put in my criteria: “No children” and I’d never opened my mind to that possibility. When they called to set me up with Shannon, they told me she had a daughter and I thought I’d give it a try. What a blessing that turned out to be!  I’m so glad she was part of the package.

Kristy & David

I’ve pretty much told everybody that this has been the easiest relationship I’ve ever had in my life. From that first night we met, it was very easy – Kristy

What were your dating lives like before joining The Right One?

Kristy: Very minimal. I did some online dating, but not much. I was a single mom and I didn’t like spending time away from my son.

David: Non-existent. I wasn’t into the bar scene and I was fairly busy. I did a little bit of online dating, but people’s honesty on the computer is not very good.

Kristy, did you have any opinions about matchmaking services before signing up with The Right One?

Kristy: I had actually used The Right One several years ago and it was good.

David, what inspired you to sign up with The Right One?

David: I found The Right One online, but I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was just another online dating service.

What did you particularly like about working with the people at The Right One?

Kristy:  I felt safe. There was the background check. Everybody seemed to be pretty much on the same page. I never had any problem with myself or the other individuals being very honest about it when it just didn’t feel right or we weren’t really interested. Instead, we could decide not to pursue this because it wasn’t like being set up with someone through a friend. There were no ties, that part I liked, but I didn’t like the number of guys I had to meet before I found David.

Kristy, how many referrals did you meet or talk to before you met David?

Kristy: The second time I used the service, David was either my fourth or fifth introduction.

David, what did you particularly enjoy about the interview process with The Right One?

David: Everybody is on the same page; everybody is after the same thing, the end result. They cut through the preliminary hassle; everybody knows what their ultimate goal is going into this. You’re looking for a life partner, it’s not just random dates. Kristy is more of a “people person” than I am and I have a hard time meeting people. I work a lot of hours and I’m busy most of the time. I don’t have a lot of time for unnecessary socializing. Kristy was my third referral.

What was your first date like?

Kristy: I was just feeling a little disheartened about the whole thing. I was really busy with my career and focusing on finding more of a father for my son and I’d given up a bit on that, the ideal situation that people talk about. It was one of those things where I set up another date and I was going to go out and do this, but I didn’t have high hopes or expectations. I just thought it was going to be another date and hopefully I’d have a good supper and go home.

But I got there and he was a pretty good-looking guy, and very nice. We just seemed to hit it off and we were able to talk pretty easily. I didn’t have to force anything. I’ve pretty much told everybody that this has been the easiest relationship I’ve ever had in my life. From that first night we met, it was very easy.

He was entertaining, funny, and very intelligent. I could have a conversation with him, which is something I struggled with, with a lot of other guys I met. They were almost impossible to carry on a conversation with and I didn’t have that problem at all with David.

David: I thought she was cute. We had dinner and 1½ hours later, she was out of babysitter time and we had to go. It felt like we had been there for only 10 minutes; it went very, very quick. She’s a very pleasant, intelligent lady.

She has a good career and is far more intelligent than I am. She’s very devoted to her son and family. Hey, she wasn’t nuts!

Kristy, what was the proposal like?

Kristy: We’d been having some generalized discussions about what we wanted from life and what we anticipated or saw happening. It wasn’t just out of the blue; I had an idea. One night we were just talking and I don’t even remember how the conversation started, but he smiled at me and said, “You know I’m going to ask you.” And of course I was just like: “Yes!”  He proposed to me and took me ring shopping on my birthday. That was a pretty special day.

How long had you been dating when you got engaged?

Kristy: Two months. Other than that first date we went on alone, I don’t think we had another date alone until after we got engaged. We always had one of the kids with us or we were doing something with the family.

Kristy, how do you all spend your time together now as a family?

Kristy: Dave drives race cars, and my son, who is five now, will start driving race cars or go-karts too, so that’s where a lot of our family activity stuff is, as well as just family time and doing things together. Going to the movies or spending time at home is about as much of a treat as anything.

What future plans do you have as a family?

Kristy: I think raising all the kids is huge. I think just getting to spend our time together and getting to know each other better is probably one of our most immediate goals.

Dave: There are three things that come to mind for me: One, trying to combine two entire households; two, we want to put an addition on the house; three, go to Greece in a year.

Do you have any advice for someone who might be considering joining The Right One?

Dave: It seems like an expensive outlay, as it’s fairly pricey, especially for someone on a limited income, but it was well worth the money for me. Be honest with yourself is probably the biggest thing.

Kristy: That is probably the biggest thing really, that soul-searching at the beginning. The reason this thing works is because everybody is in it for the same reason. Their heart is in it at that point in time to have a true lifelong goal of marriage or whatever. So if you’re not there yet and just want to date, it’s probably not going to work so well. It’s not the same kind of tool as the bar scene, going out to meet somebody for the fun of it. That’s not at all what the service is about.