With the focus of many young people firmly on their careers, it’s no wonder that a growing number are enlisting the help of professional matchmaker Linda Miller.
Her company, Misty River Introductions, serves all of Ontario and Montreal, but has 5,000 clients in the Ottawa area alone – a growing number of which are people are in their 20s and 30s, said Miller, a 15-year matchmaking veteran.
“In general, I think everyone’s tired of dating,” said Miller. “There’s a dating fatigue.”
If finding a mate is a hassle, then Miller does all the dirty work for her clients.
“I’ll ask all the hard questions. I’m blunt. We check to make sure people work where they say and live where they say.”
People who come through the service have at least one thing in common.
“People come to us looking for long-term relationships,” she said.
Over the years, any stigma attached to matchmaking has gone, she said.
“I think people have less time to waste. They’re putting more time into their education, they’re going for a master’s and working long hours. That cuts down on the amount of time they have to look for the right person.
“They find that all of a sudden, they’re 30.”
Most people are matched within three meetings. The overall success rate is high– according to Miller, people in their 30s have a 75 per cent success rate of finding a mate, with the number climbing higher with age. Most of the matches end in marriage.
“Most of the people that come to the service have traditional goals. Matchmaking is traditional. You need someone in your corner. We become your advocate.”
And why not? “Singles in Ottawa are great,” she said. “It’s an educated demographic, people tend to be health conscious and non-smokers.”
