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It’s no secret that its size makes Louisville a hard city to date in. Just about all the single people I know — myself included — are one more have-you-tried-online-dating? away from snapping on someone.
Yes, we’ve tried it.
But what have most of us not tried? A professional matchmaking service. That is why I was excited when I randomly met Amanda Rose, founder of Louisvile’s Dating Boutique. Rose was happy to give me the deets on how a matchmaking service can help my readers and tips for making your dating life better in the Ohio River Valley.
Rose got her start in the professional dating world in 2011. While following up a suspicion she was being cheated on, she came across a lot crap online dating profiles that made her wonder, “How are these men getting dates?” She launched a business as a dating stylist, giving profile makeovers. She soon attracted the attention of an international matchmaking agency, but felt like she could serve singles better by going solo. Eighty nine percent of Dating Boutique couples make it to the six month mark, she said.
The Dating Boutique does a thorough screening of potential matches that includes a criminal background check. It also interviews every candidate to make sure they’re really ready for love. Not only will this make you more confident about the selected match, but you’ll also benefit from this process because they can give you coaching if there’s anything in your dating technique that’s hurting your odds. Rose and her team are always on the hunt for solid love leads for their busy professionals.
Pricing varies by what you’re interested in. VIP packages include everything from fashion and hair services, recruiting and hosting parties so you can meet multiple matches at once. Smaller packages could include head hunting for a select number of months, dating advice workshops and singles mixers. Consultations are free, so schedule an appointment and they can put together the right package for you.
Size is Louisville’s main dating limitation because there’s very few degrees of separation between you and your potential soulmate. Rose recommended, “Branch out of your social circle and try a different area of town. Cross the bridge into Indiana! I know a lot of people don’t want to do that, but it’s such a great option.”
She even supports dating out of state. “I think they should be totally open to expanding the demographics.” She often has clients who are only interested in dating within a 10-mile radius of their home, but that means they’re missing out of millions of singles who live 20-miles of way or even an hour or two away.
Among southern clients, Rose says religion is a factor. “They do want that Bible-based relationship or, on the flip side, I do have the clients that are not religious and they can’t find anybody.” But Rose say cross-faith relationships can work. Her brother is married to a Jewish woman. He and his wife maintain a great relationship by combining both of their beliefs, “They teach the children both ways. You can definitely find the balance, but really it’s a personal decision if you’re open to that or you’re not.”
I’ve received a few emails from folks a few decades older than me wondering where they can find love. Rose encourages them to try online dating, but to be wary of scammers who tend to target the older set. Also, she said, “Switch up those social circles! Join some kind of different club, join a Meetup group — If you love hiking or wine tasting or whatever it might be. Just switch it up so that you’re constantly making new connections.” Most important, she said, “You just have to get yourself out there.” The older you are, the more open you have to be to dating further out. Louisville’s single population drops dramatically as you go up in age, “They’re married or they’re not healthy, so it’s important to be really open-minded about where you might meet that person.”
As challenging as dating is in our city, Rose can’t believe that some people make it even harder by having deal breakers about who their perfect person might be that includes things like hair color and height. Her most motivated clients aren’t letting the minor details destroy a good match and take her advice to check out a new place at least once a week. Women looking for men, also be aware that men are often intimidated by large groups of women. Don’t be shy about popping in some place solo, just be safe about it.
