I paid over $3,000 for a matchmaker. I met my husband on our second date.

Lauren and Ryan Leon met through a matchmaker.

ANS Photography

• Lauren Leon signed up for a matchmaker after becoming frustrated with dating apps.
• She used two services and met her husband, Ryan Leon, on a second date through Tawkify.
• Lauren said she doesn’t think she would have found Ryan without a matchmaker.

This essay, as stated, was adapted from a conversation with Lauren Leon, a 35-year-old business owner who met her husband, Ryan Leon, 34, through a matchmaker. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I had met people on dating apps. I met people who projected themselves to be someone and started dating them, but then I realized it wasn’t the best for me.

Dating apps take a lot of time and energy. I wanted to have a better experience and meet more quality, purposeful and intelligent people.

I have an identical sister, and she kept saying, “Why don’t you try a matchmaker?” I don’t know why. She said: “That sounds interesting. I feel you should try it.”

In August 2022, I did some research, found a few companies and contacted them.

I signed up to two matchmaking services

I originally started with Three Day Rule and signed up for an introductory package. I did it for three months and they gave me about three dating matches a month. I really enjoyed the experience.

I wanted to do it again but decided to try Tawkify which had a slightly more reasonable dating package.

You fill out an online form, then someone calls you. They understand who you are and what you are looking for. They want to make sure you’re serious and committed.

Once this happens, you sign up, choose your package and then get matched with a matchmaker.

The package was $5,400, but they offered a discount for signing up right after the initial intake phone interview, so my total was $3,400.

I was matched with Lillian. She and I had a great conversation initially.

The conversation lasted almost an hour. She asked questions like: “What are you looking for? What type of person would be ideal? What age group? What is your personality? What do you do on a daily basis? And how do you envision your lifestyle?” These questions are very deep, more than you would ask on a dating profile.

After that, you let your windshield washer do its job. You get one match per month because during that month they research people and databases.

They then interview that candidate for you and do a screening before introducing that person.

My husband Ryan ended up being my second match.

My husband was in the dating pool

Some matchmaking services allow you to pay around $130 to join their matchmaking group. Believe it or not, that’s what my husband did.

He wasn’t matched with a matchmaker, but often people who had matches with clients would contact him and say, “Hey, do you want to go on a date with this person?” And they would say yes. We were introduced because it was in Tawkify’s pool.

He gave me some information about him and they set the date in November.

They don’t send you a picture of each other before the date, which I think is cute. If I had seen his picture, I probably would have rejected my husband because in my mind I was thinking of a certain guy. I was making this image of who I wanted to be with.

Associates say it’s best to be open, enjoy the journey, feel the experience and feel the person out of it before you hold on to your ego and judgment about what you really want. The best person for you may not be what you think.

The couple on their wedding day.

ANS Photography

Ryan walked into the restaurant and I looked at him and said, “Oh, my God, wait. Do I know you?” And he said, “Oh, yes. We went to the University of Michigan together.”

We crossed paths briefly one semester because he was doing a dual degree program where he had two degrees, one in engineering and one in science. It was my last semester and I spoke a few times at a student organization meeting.

Apparently we grew up 10 minutes apart and never saw him. It took matchmaking to sync up.

The meeting was a success

We went on our first date for four hours and he had such a lovely personality. We seemed to have a lot in common and I had fun.

I felt safe and could share myself completely. He didn’t seem to judge me at all, but he was genuinely interested in me. I think that’s why I kept going out with him just to see how I could feel being around him and found myself enjoying his presence.

He called me after that saying he knows I’m doing this matching process and will keep calling me until I say no.

Their windshield wiper attended their wedding.

ANS Photography

After the first meeting, Lillian made a debrief call. Once I told her I liked him and would explore going on more dates with him, she paused to introduce someone else because they didn’t want to cause confusion. But I was in communication with her.

It was Ryan’s birthday on our fourth or fifth date a month. Honestly, it almost felt like my birthday because I had planned this weekend complete with a hotel room and massages and he had it covered. I went out for drinks and games with friends and he treated me with such kindness, care and attention.

I called my girlfriend that day and said, “Well, he got me. I’m in love with him now.”

We got married a little over a year later

We moved in together in May 2023 and got engaged in October. We only dated for about 11 months before we got engaged.

Once we got engaged, we looked at wedding venues and realized, “Why wait a whole year to get married?” So we got married on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day.

Our windshield was at our wedding and gave a beautiful speech at our rehearsal lunch about how it suited us. She said she talked to Ryan, interviewed him, and got a really easy, fun, warm feeling about him, just like she did when she talked to me.

Since I only used two of the six Tawkify matches, I had a remaining balance of $2,266.67 which I gave to my friend at my wedding in front of everyone. He wanted to try.

Matchmaking allows you to relax during the process. Sometimes when you’re stressed and so involved, it creates this tension. But when you can just let someone take care of it and trust that they have better judgment than you when it comes to choosing a partner, I think it makes her feel a lot better.