A professional matchmaker who claims to have established over 800 relationships has opened up about her work. Sarah Louise Ryan, from Prestwich, decided to become a modern cupid after moving to London 12 years ago.
She had been working for a marketing company when she saw an ad online for a matchmaking job, prompting her to quickly apply for the position.
A “chatty northerner”, Sarah landed a job at a dating agency in Mayfair and began matching professional singles, and hasn’t looked back since.
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Fast forward to age 30, Sarah is now an international matchmaker and couples therapist, helping those who want to rekindle their relationships, as well as bring strangers together.
Sarah has now revealed some of the most memorable love stories of her career, and how long it takes to find ‘the one’.
“I match singles far and wide,” he said. “A few years ago, I took on a client who wanted a bespoke contract because of his preferences around building a family, religion, values, life goals, and overall compatibility.
“He was a global traveler due to the success of his career and business in multiple cities and countries. He traveled everywhere for the dates I created for him: New York, Los Angeles, London, France, Switzerland, Germany.
“I think she met 30+ potentials before she found her forever love, but when she knew, she knew. His latest match, having dated female clients at his discretion all over the world, was only an hour away from him.
“Now they are married and have kids, and I went to their engagement, wedding, and got updates from them. I love how much they love each other; They are the ones that fit the best.”
Another couple, one from Manchester and one from Cambridge, knew they were perfect for each other from the first date.
A month later, they booked vacations with their families and got married soon after. “It’s important to consider how success is measured,” she added. “I don’t measure it in marriages, I measure it in committing to a long-term monogamous relationship, because not everyone wants to get married.
“I’ve had about 800 success stories and testimonials over the years,” he said. “We have had eight couples since we returned from the UK Christmas holidays in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Surrey.
“I also help couples whose marriages have broken down to reconnect; They are also a success story, but I did not equal them and I would count them separately, but a success nonetheless.
To find a client her perfect match, Sarah first conducts an interview so she can learn more about their values, personality traits, and compatibility. She then sets up a list of possible matches for them, and the process takes four to six weeks.
Considerations include worldly perspective, views on relationships, level of personal development, value systems, sexual desires, lifestyle, thoughts on how to build a relationship, location and logistics, desires about having a family, and education.
Sarah and her team also look at religious similarities and levels of observance and economic circumstances.
“We tailor our searches to the person and their wants, needs and desires, as no two people or their searches are ever exactly the same,” added Sarah. “
All our work is directed by humans, there is no algorithm. That’s a lot of matchmaking meetings, coffees and zooms with our matchmaking clients and gathering information in the inquiry phase, suitability profiles… plus gaining a deeper understanding of each individual along the way.”
Customers connect with a potential match every six weeks. On average, clients find a match between months seven and eight of their membership, Sarah says.
“At that time we are also creating a behind-the-scenes compatibility profile and synopsis,” he continued.
“They are welcome to have a training session, photo shoot or go to an educational event or workshop in those weeks to prepare them for a positive dating journey.
“We connect our clients one at a time and on average it’s one introduction every six weeks as singles in our community always connect with more than one date and watch the chemistry and connection develop.
“In addition, on average, we find our clients a partner within months seven to eight of their membership, as we also rely on their feedback from conversations, connections and dates to get to know them better.
“That being said, many find the connection much sooner.”
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