Frustrated with dating apps, singles are shelling out for high-end matchmaking.
“We had our biggest month of sales in the history of the company last month, and we’ve been around for 15 years,” says Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO of the US-based matchmaking service Three Day Rule. “Our business is not shrinking.”
He is not alone. Demand for personalised dating services is growing, according to companies interviewed, with clients citing “app fatigue” and a desire for meaningful connection as the motivation for ditching the swipes.
Matchmakers aim to find compatible romantic partners for serious relationships or marriage. Members are vetted before a first date, with checks on criminal and marriage records, and often get paired by preferences such as height or religion.
The service is back in the cultural zeitgeist with Materialists, a film about a high-powered matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) torn between a wealthy suitor (Pedro Pascal) and a poor one (Chris Evans) in her own love life. The film was written by director Celine Song, who once worked as a matchmaker in New York.
Opening weekend for Materialists brought in US$12 million, making it the third largest box office for producer A24 after Civil War and Hereditary.