The Modern Matchmakers
“Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a groom, catch me a catch!”
– “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” from Fiddler on the Roof
When we think of a Matchmaker, there are probably two images that come to mind. The first image is that of an old woman who is being a busybody and often gives her opinion, solicited or otherwise, to parents of marriageable children as to who would make good husbands or wives for them. The other image is also that of an elderly woman whom parents approach on a professional capacity to find proper spouses for their children and arrange marriages for them.
In olden times, it is considered proper practice for parents to go to professional matchmakers to find good partners for their children of marriageable age. During those times, love is thought to be the least of the considerations for both parents and the matchmaker in choosing which young person should marry whom. Other factors come into play, such as social standing and financial capacity. It is only in these modern times that love became the primary requirement for two people to wed.
And because most singles nowadays believe that love is the most important reason for two people to marry, many of these singles scoff at the idea of the matchmaker. Except in countries where arranged marriages are still part of the culture, the professional matchmaker is a dying breed. But they are certainly not extinct. There are still a number of professional matchmakers that offer their services via the Internet.
Sometimes, if you are looking to start a strong, long-term relationship, it is better to go to a professional matchmaker to help you, rather than to sign up with an online dating service. A professional matchmaker is supposed to be more thorough than an online dating service. The services provided by a professional matchmaker are more personalized and in tune to the client’s needs. The randomness that is often present with online dating services is not usually found with professional matchmaking services, but that is because the matchmaker herself will make the matches for you, based on the information you gave her. The success rate for finding someone to be with is higher with professional matchmakers than with online dating services because professional matchmakers really want to make their matches work. To fail to do so means they are not doing their job well.
How do professional matchmakers work nowadays? They often have their own websites,
Great Expectations for example, where their potential clients are made to fill up application forms. Shortly later, these clients will be contacted by the matchmaker to conduct an intensive interview. The interview is often about what makes the client a good catch, with a healthy dose of questions on the client’s personality, likes and dislikes, habits, etc. The matchmaker will then come up with possible matches, which he/she will submit to the client. The client may reject all these matches, but it has to be with an explanation as to why, so that the matchmaker may refine the process of matching her clients up.
So, if finding love is getting to be tough for you, remember that you can always go to a matchmaker to make you a match, catch you a catch.
- Roel