Matchmaker Success

Susan & Joe

Ann & John

“We have the same dream when we retire, to become full-time RVers. We both just want to see the whole country.” - Ann

How would you describe your dating lives before joining eLove? 

Ann:  Non-existent. 

John: I wasn’t dating at all; all I was doing was working. 

Did either of you have any opinions about matchmaking services before signing up with eLove? 

Ann: I never thought of it. 

John: A couple of decades ago, I tried Successful Singles. The women were looking for wealthy men. I don’t consider myself wealthy, not even close to it; I’m a working man.  I got slightly involved with one woman, but that didn’t work out. Before Ann, the last dating I did was 10 years ago, someone I met in 1998, at the end of the year. For the last 10 years I hadn’t dated anyone. 

What inspired you both to sign up?

John: I was vulnerable and lonely and I went down there and got talked into it.  It was something that had come up on my computer about eLove and a free interview.  I got talked into signing up, and right now I could hug the girl (their matchmaker)! 

Ann: I was on different websites, and eLove came up. I entered my information and they called me and I went in and talked to them and figured I’d give it a shot. 

What was the interview process like? 

John: The interviewer was extremely personable and very congenial and pleasant to talk to. She wasn’t pushy. She knew what she was talking about and she wasn’t going over the line, and she just knew how to move things along. It was a pleasant experience. 

Then you two were matched. What happened next? 

Ann: They sent me an email with John’s name and a little bit of information about him and his phone number. I wasn’t going to call John; I was going to wait for him to call me. 

How many other people were you both matched with?  

Ann: I had only met one and John was the second.

John: She was the seventh name they sent me.

What was your first date like? 

Ann: We went to the Cheesecake Factory in the mall. He was waiting at the front door and I was waiting at the back door. It ended up that I was a little bit late because I was out back. We had lunch and we just got along really good and were talking and I went back to his house because he had a pool and it was a very hot day. Then we went for a ride in his motor home, and he brought me back to the mall. We met at like 1 o’clock in the afternoon and I got home at 10:30 that night! 

What were some of your first impressions of each other?

Ann: He had a full beard and I didn’t know if I liked that or not, and he’s as tall as I am. Other than that, he just seemed very outgoing, which I liked. Then he gave me my choice whether to eat inside or outside, and I’d forgotten how hot it was, dummy me, I was dying. But he never complained. From talking that night on the phone, we found out that we both liked camping. And we have the same dream when we retire, to become full-time RVers. We both just want to see the whole country.

John: She was pleasant-looking. She was very nice to talk to and we got along and things went fine. It worked out good that she’d picked outside because since it was so hot, it gave me the opportunity to ask her to go swimming. 

Ann: He had a method to his madness! 

John: That we had the same dream was great. I had almost given up on that idea. I didn’t want to do it by myself. It was a lost dream, and then when Ann said it was something she wanted to do, I thought it was a kick in the head! Maybe this can happen! That was a big motivation to make things work even more, from the very beginning.

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

Ann: My kids know and they like John, so they don’t care. They were pushing me to do it. 

John: Everyone really likes Ann. She’s a hit. My nieces made the remark, “Don’t screw this up!” She’s a big hit with my whole family.

It’s been close to six months now and you talk about the future, so are you engaged? 

Ann:  We have a commitment to each other.  

How do the two of you enjoy spending time together? 

Ann: Movies. Shopping, but I like shopping more than he does. He’s a good sport though. Playing cards, playing trivia, so he can beat me. We went on a road trip in October and he made me drive the motor home. The first time, my jeans were wet from the sweat on my hands; the second time, not bad. 

Do you have any advice for others considering signing up? 

Ann: Go for it and don’t get discouraged if the first ones don’t work out. Try it because you never know who is out there waiting for you. 

John: Find someone you like to be with, someone you like to be around on a pretty constant basis. Once  you have that, you’ve got something.

Sharon & Butch

I tell everybody it was like meeting someone that I had known for all my entire life and I had just lost touch with him. That was kind of what it was like. It was like I knew: This is The One. – Sharon

What were your dating lives like before you joined?

Sharon: Non-existent.

Butch: I was a hermit for seven years. I played golf to occupy my time and it worked. I was married for 40 years and my wife died.

Sharon, did you have any opinions about matchmaking services before joining?

Sharon: I was leery; I was afraid to date anyway. I was married for 35 years and went through a traumatic divorce. After that happened, I just stayed involved with my church and taking care of my mom. Then I made the decision that I needed to change my life and get out of the pity party.

Did either of you have any opinions about online dating?

Sharon: That in particular I didn’t want to do. I was afraid to do that.

Butch: Me too.

What inspired you to sign up?

Sharon: I knew they were local. I knew that someone had interviewed these people; it wasn’t just a name and a face. I saw an ad somewhere.

Butch: I saw a sign on the side of the road.

How would you describe the interview process?

Sharon: I knew that if they were asking me these questions, they were also asking all the other people. I felt like it was a little more personal.

Butch: I saw the sign and thought, "What the heck? It’s time to make a change in my life. Maybe I’ll meet a nice lady like Sharon, why not?" I had breakfast with two other ladies and this one here rolled up and she smiled and I said that was it. She didn’t even get out of the car and I said that was it.

How does the matchmaking process work?

Sharon: They call the lady first and give her the information about the gentleman and she makes the decision as to whether it sounds okay. I had made a New Year’s resolution that I was going to step out of the box. I was not going to turn anybody down because even if they didn’t turn out to be someone special in my life, they might be a friend. Unless they were absolutely obnoxious on the phone when they called, I told myself I would step out and go ahead and meet them.

I met three gentlemen, none of which did absolutely anything for me. And then I met this man and that first date at the Pancake House we sat across from each other for 2 ½ hours. I tell everybody it was like meeting someone that I had known for all my entire life and I had just lost touch with him. That was kind of what it was like. It was like I knew: This is The One. It was kind of like getting reacquainted rather than just getting acquainted. It was comfortable.

He had a passion for life. He told me he didn’t smile a lot, didn’t laugh a lot, but I’m thinking, "Are you kidding me?!" When he smiles and laughs his eyes just light up and you can see this zest for life in his whole face. Of course, I’m that same way and it was like this guy has to be part of my life because he loves life like I do. He has this passion for golf, loves playing golf, and he likes making people laugh. I tell people that he was the piece of my puzzle that I was missing.

The summer before last I took a 1-day lesson to see if I liked it. I’m a retired physical education teacher but I’d never played golf. I thought, "this is fun, I’m going to have to learn this." So this last summer I took golf lessons and we played golf and had a ball.

Butch, what were some of your initial impressions of Sharon?

Butch: I tried to make her feel comfortable. I called her and asked if she would mind driving; that way, if she didn’t like me she could get in the car and drive off and it wouldn’t bother me. But she agreed to it. When she rolled up, I looked over and she was smiling and it just took my heart.

2 ½ hours later we were still talking. I asked for a date after and she said yes and that surprised me. Since then we’ve had a lot of fun together and enjoy being with each other. I wish I would have met her 40 years ago. It’s well worth the money I spent to find a good lady like this.

What do your friends think about the way the two of you met?

Butch: Everybody looks at me and says, “What is wrong with you?! You look happy!” I say, “I am. It's none of your business, I’m happy and that’s all that matters.”

Sharon: Only my really close friends know. They think it’s great and in fact, I’m trying to talk one of my friends into doing it.

What else do you two enjoy doing together?

Sharon: The church that I go to has a really big singles program ministry. They have dances two or three times a month. They have bowling parties and we’re frequently going to a lot of those. We go dancing and in fact, we went to a dance last night and we two-step around the gym and have a great time.

Butch: I have a Corvette and we belong to the Corvette club and do a lot of traveling with the Corvette club. If I’m not working, we’re going somewhere all the time. Day trips, sometimes the weekend, but we have fun doing it and there are maybe 30 or 40 cars going down the highway.

Sharon, do you two talk about the future together or have any plans?

Sharon: We did take a trip in October together. He was working for a while in Colorado so when that job finished I flew up there and met him and we traveled for a week around Colorado. Future plans, I’m not sure either one of us want to get married right now and so we have decided we really like what we have together and we’re going to stay together and have a committed relationship. Who knows what is going to happen down the road? We don’t know.

Do you have any advice for people who might be considering joining a service like ours?

Sharon: Be open. I was originally told that conversations on the phone should be kept to a minimum, but I found that it was helpful because I did have some conversations on the phone with a couple of people that I didn’t go out with because there were just some things that didn’t sit well with me. I think it’s good to have not an extended conversation, but you don’t want to waste their time either if you know that you’re not going to like them. Be open because you just don’t know.

Butch: It is well worth the cost of the service because I couldn’t have found this lady without them.  It is important that when you do go out with a lady, I think the best way to do it is call and make a date and let her drive and meet you there. Don’t pick her up because then she may feel uncomfortable and wish she had driven. That is what I did.

Sharon: Give her an escape route.

Butch: That’s right. It’s a good deal for people like me that were scared to go out and find somebody. I didn’t want to go to a bar and find anybody. I wanted to find a nice lady that was attractive and had a smile on her like this one does. All I can say is thanks to Singles Station for putting me together with this lady.

Sharon: I want to thank them, too.

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.

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.

Becky & Steve

Once I took hold of his hand, it was like everybody just melts away like in the movies where the couple just swirls up into the air and I’m hearing, “I love you and I want to marry you.” - Becky

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

Becky: How does “nil” sound?

Steve: I’d had just one or two dates. I hadn’t been widowed too long at the time.

When you did meet, how many others had you been referred to through The Right One?

Becky: Steve was my first referral.

Steve: She would have been my third name or the second date; one, we just talked on the phone and didn’t decide to meet.

Becky, what was your opinion of Internet dating sites before you signed up with The Right One?

Becky: I thought a lot of the guys on there were just after somebody who is a size 8 and looks better than they do. I hadn’t had good success with them at all.

What inspired you to try a matchmaking service?

Becky: It was interesting because I knew I wouldn’t find somebody online, but I thought, "I’m going to check this group out, what the heck, what do I have to lose? I want to find out about this and see if it’s any good." I went online and gave my phone number and they called me, and after that there was no more online and I liked that. I liked the personal touch.

Steve: They cold-called me; mine was just a phone call asking if I was single and that was my reference. I had no point of reference prior to that. I was open.

What did you particularly like about the interview process?

Becky: The person I met with was very personable and willing to share and made me feel very comfortable. I was apprehensive when I first went in, but after I talked to her for a while the apprehension left and I could communicate my thoughts, desires and needs.

Steve: They were sensitive; they were asking me several questions about the timing of my wife’s death, rather than just trying to get me to sign up for something to get the money. I was impressed with the testing and the interview part. I was just interested to see what it was because of what they said. I was open and I wasn’t not going to sign up, but I sure hadn’t thought about doing it that much prior to the phone call and interview. They wanted to make sure I was ready before we even started filling out the papers. I wasn’t interested in the bars and local scene, that wasn’t where I was coming from.

Becky: I think I can echo what Steve says, and they were very thorough. Before they let me do anything and before they even told me what the cost was or anything like that, we talked about how long it had been since Brad had died and how I was feeling about getting back into the dating scene.

Steve, what inspired you to contact Becky?

Steve: Just whatever information they had there just appealed to me right off the bat. I just had a personal gut feeling about it more than what was actually in there, because there wasn’t that much information.

Steve, what did you do for your first date?

Steve: We went to Red Lobster and had lunch.

Becky, what was your first impression of Steve?

Becky: I thought he was a good-looking guy. I just thought it might be nice to talk to him.

Steve, what was your first impression of Becky?

Steve: I thought she was attractive, neat, and I don’t know how they matched us that well, but she was what I was looking for. I just felt good from the very beginning of this relationship. It just looked like really where I needed to go.

Becky, what do your friends and family think about how the two of you met?

Becky: If they ask us how we met, we tell them and they say, “Oh, interesting!” I never got a negative reaction. I was clear with people that we didn’t meet blindly. There was sufficient testing and checking; it wasn’t just someone saying they were something that they weren’t. I make sure people understand that. I was not interested in somebody trying to convince me they were something. I knew somebody else checked things out and the interview part was the most valuable part of this whole thing for me, and the background checks.

What was the proposal like?

Becky: We had dated a while and I decided we were just too much alike and we would never make it. So in May I informed him of that, and I was very good at getting my point across. He was almost ready to hang everything up but he had promised to be my friend, so he wasn’t going to quite let me get out of his life.

Our church has an annual conference once a year and they were doing a memorial service; they do a memorial service every year for the pastors and spouses who have died. I told Steve as his friend I would be there, because I remember what it was like when they did Brad’s service, because my husband had also been a pastor. Steve had gone back three times looking for me and the dinner I was at had gone over time so I was a little late, but I wasn’t late for the service.

I sat with him and his mom. I thought that when they were doing this service for Brad, it would have been nice for somebody to hold my hand. Without thinking that we hadn’t had more than just a polite hug between the two of us - we’d talked a lot but there hadn’t been much physical contact - I just grabbed hold of his hand. That was it. Once I took hold of his hand, I don’t know what the guy was saying that was speaking, it was like everybody just melts away like in the movies where the couple just swirls up into the air and I’m hearing, “I love you and I want to marry you.” And I’m looking around trying to figure out who is talking.

Steve: Our first lunch was nearly four hours, not just a five-minute “in and out.” She just inspired me to get more done. She was someone who lit my fire to get going. We agreed we would stay friends because I knew I had made a friend for life from the beginning; we have so many similarities. The matching was perfect in that sense, though a lot of the things that are similar in our lives weren’t on the test or in the questionnaire.

I had taken my mom with me that day and I just knew right there that that was it. I just felt comfortable with that. I just knew we were going to get married from that minute on. We both knew that and we just felt it together.

I never considered trying to meet somebody over the Internet. That wasn’t an option for me. But the way this was done was a very complete way and a very comfortable way. I tell people the similarities in our life: Emotional situations, loss of spouses, and loss of children. In our ceremony at the wedding, we acknowledged, we had pictures of both our husband and wife and our two children. Becky wrote a special part for that and the pastor read that and we shared the flowers with the family members that were there from the loved ones that had passed on.

We’re able to deal with that on the same emotional basis. It’s a strengthening thing and not a weakening thing for us. We didn’t replace that person, but we didn’t die with that person when they died. God gave us life to continue on. That was good and that allowed us to continue. And the more we find out about each other, how much more it is just what it’s supposed to be.

You two were married last summer?

Steve: We got married six weeks from that date.

Becky: That was June 7th that we fell in love, and we were married July 12th.

Wow! When did you actually meet?

Becky: February 4th.

What is your life like now? How do you like to spend time together?

Becky: We started going to the parks and walking around and watching nature and spending time like that, which was real meaningful for both of us. We continue to have a date night every week and because we have other commitments, we have to be apart some. We have more than one residence right now, so that’s a challenge but we’re able to work through that. We’re both very busy when we’re apart so the time doesn’t go slowly. We only talk to each other four or five times a day!

Steve: We also cruised to Alaska with our family for our honeymoon in August.

Becky: It was wonderful.

Do you have any advice for people who are considering joining The Right One?

Becky:  One of the ladies in my church, she’s been widowed a couple of years and I referred her. I told her about Steven and I, and I think that when she heard a success story she was more inclined to do something like that. So I think I would just say try it, you never know what you’re going to find or where you’re going to find a person. If you don’t go through a reputable service like The Right One or you just go online, check them out, Google them, do a person’s report or something. It’s worth the money you pay.

Steve: For me, the other thing about the process here was that we were both ready to move on in our life and we were looking to have someone special in our life. You’ll see somebody who might be attractive to you for whatever reason or someone you meet in an organization similar to yours, but that person may or may not be at that point in life that they’re ready. They were checking with us for that beforehand and then we were put together with someone where we didn’t have to go through the part of, “Well, I don’t know if I want to date yet or have a relationship yet,” that kind of thing. That was very refreshing and good. I think that was a real plus in the program.

Any closing comments?

Becky: It’s been great, and our friends and family have embraced both of us and that has been a good thing. It was fast, but it felt like forever between the time we fell in love and got married. After I came to the point where I decided that I would like to get married again, I said, “I don’t want to mess around with dating and everything, I just want to find somebody and know that’s it and get married,” and that’s what I did.

The Right One saves a lot of heartache and a lot of pain.

Kristi & Jason

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

Kristi: I didn’t have a lot of dating experience. I’d been on a few dates, but no real serious relationships. I’d tried online dating for a while and didn’t like it; it was just very random, nothing to tell you much about the person. This was supposed to match you more compatibly.

Jason: I didn’t have one.

Did you have an opinion of matchmaking services before you joined The Right One?

Kristi: I didn’t have much of an opinion; I just thought I would try it. I had gone there to see what it was about and she talked me into it. I had seen an ad when I was on the computer one night.

Jason: That’s how I found it too, an online ad.

What inspired you to sign up with The Right One?

Kristi: I wanted to meet somebody that I would like and be compatible with. The person I talked to at The Right One inspired me to do it, because she said that they usually have pretty good outcomes. She just talked me into it.

Did you enjoy the interview process?

Kristi: It was okay; it was very long, lots and lots of questions. Most of it was filling out that questionnaire, but I thought the questions were pretty on-target. I think it was appropriate, because you need to know all that stuff to be able to match somebody.

Jason: She made it seem like it was secure, and she was really nice. They did background checks, and that way I didn’t get anyone that was psychotic or anything. That is what I liked about it. I just felt comfortable there. When I started doing the paperwork, it went pretty smooth. It was very long - very, very long.  The night I was there, we had tornadoes and we had to go to the basement for a while, so that took a long time.

Kristi: You never told me that!

What was your first date like?

Kristi: We had talked on the phone for a while before our first date. I felt pretty comfortable with Jason before we met; he’s easy to talk to. We met at Outback and we ate and had a few drinks and got along pretty well and ended up going to the casinos that night. It went well; we had fun, I had fun.

Kristi, what was your first impression of Jason?

Kristi: He was easy to talk to, nice, and he’s cute. I think Jason is really sweet.

Jason, what were some of your initial impressions of Kristi?

Jason: She’s very, very easy to talk to; she understands a lot. She is cute and she’s just easygoing; there isn’t too much that bothers her. I’m busy with work and she understands that.

What do your friends think about how you two met?

Kristi: My close friends know and they think it’s a good idea because it’s hard to meet people, it’s hard to meet somebody in a bar. I just think it’s harder to meet people today than it used to be. My friends were very encouraging with it.

Jason: My friends were happy for me because I don’t go to bars or anything like that.

What kinds of things do you like to do together?

Jason: I enjoy bike and car shows and I think Kristi does too.

Kristi: I had fun those times that I went. We usually like going to dinner and hanging out and talking.

Any advice for people who might be considering joining The Right One?

Jason: Go for it, it’s worth the money.

Kristi: I would agree with that!

Sandy & Ron

“I knew it on the first date that she was the one I wanted to be with. I never said anything to her because I was afraid I would scare her off. I waited until the second date.” - Ron

Before you joined The Right One, what were your dating lives like?

Ron: Zero, zip and nothing. I never tried any other dating services, not having a computer or anything.

Sandy: I had a couple of dates through some other services, online dating. They’re a joke. I did a lot of it for laughs. I went out on a couple of dates and we had really nothing in common. I had also done eHarmony and actually they ask the same amount of questions that The Right One did, almost the same questions, as a matter of fact. But I still got just any old Joe Blow down the block. It didn’t match you.

What inspired you to join The Right One?

Ron: I had seen signs around town and having no computer, I went up to the local library and they helped me out to get online with it. Then from there they had the folks notify me by phone or mail.

Sandy: I did it as a lark, really. I figured I’d give it a shot, as I’d tried everything else and I was still dating online.

What did you particularly enjoy about the interview process with The Right One?

Ron: They were very friendly there and very thorough. I know they do a thorough background check on everyone.

Sandy: I felt very comfortable talking to them.

Ron, what inspired you to make contact with Sandy?

Ron: Oh, I tried to contact all of them they sent to me, and some of them never responded to anything. She didn’t at the time because she was busy, but she did call back later on and we talked and set up our first date.

Tell me about your first date.

Sandy: We met at Bakers Square and we had lunch there. Then we went to a flea market, followed by a walk through the mall. We just kept walking and talking and getting to know each other. We went to a couple of different parks and just enjoyed the day. It was beautiful weather and everything.

So how long was your first date? It sounds like you covered a lot of ground both literally and figuratively.

SEVEN hours: 1:00 in the afternoon to 8:00 at night.

Sandy, what was your first impression of Ron?

Sandy: He was too old.

Did you know how old he was before you met him?

Sandy: It was on the paper but I figured, “Oh, I’ll give it a shot.”  But all I kept thinking about was that he was so much older than I expected. I ended up the date with, “He is still too old.” But he was very easy to talk to and I just enjoyed being with him.

Ron, what was your first impression of Sandy?

Ron: I thought she was a very beautiful lady. We agreed to meet at Bakers Square, separate vehicles of course.  She parked the second car over from me. The minute she got out of the car, she smiled at me and waved to let me know it was her. I was just completely at ease at that moment. I had been nervous up to that point but after that, I was just completely at ease.

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

Ron: My family is glad that things worked out and I’m happy now. They accept her and her family.

Sandy: My two sons have both done the same thing. I don’t know what service they used but they both did it for their second wives. So they couldn’t say too much about it.

I understand you both met only one other person through The Right One. Sandy, when did you know that Ron was a keeper?

Sandy: I had a friend at work who kept telling me, “He’s a keeper, he’s a keeper.” But I feel that it was the second date. It was the fact that he was such a gentleman and he cared about things I was doing. He wasn’t into himself. He wanted to know what I wanted to do all the time.

What about you, Ron? When did you know that Sandy was a keeper?

Ron: It’s difficult to say in a way, but I knew it on the first date that she was the one I wanted to be with. I never said anything to her because I was afraid I would scare her off. I waited until the second date. We started talking about what we wanted in life and we both wanted to get remarried and everything like that. And started discussing what we like to do, where we like to go and all of that. And 85% of it was the same thing for each other.  As she said, we’re both soul mates for each other.

Ron, what was the proposal like?

Ron: We had been dating for approximately a month and we had talked about it throughout the dating process and we both wanted to get married. I just asked her one evening at dinner if she would marry me and she said yes. So we went shopping for a ring a couple of days afterward.

Sandy: Actually, I think I was surprised but I immediately answered yes.

What are your lives together like now? How do you like to spend your time together?

Ron: We still like to go for walks and we love to shop and we just love to laugh and have fun together.

Do you have any advice for others who might be searching for love through The Right One?

Sandy: You have to at least give it a try. It definitely works. I feel I’ve met my soul mate. He isn’t just my husband; he’s my soul mate. We have so much in common and every day we find something new that we have in common with each other. Like right now, over Halloween, we found out that we enjoyed the same candy bars, even.

Ron: Give it a try and don’t just stop at one date and say, “It’s not worth it.” Go out two or three times or more; it might take a lot longer for some people. But for us, it was basically love on the first date.