At the prodding of single friends who are curious about what Singapore’s premier dating agency, Lunch Actually, offers and how it works, I agreed to sign up for a trial membership for a first-hand experience to review its matchmaking services.
Back in the days, meeting new people used to be relatively easy and a frequent occurrence as we hung out in different circles, in the thick of our socializing stage and attending many a group gathering. I often ask couples, how did you two meet? The answers usually are either along the lines of “we were introduced through a mutual friend” or “we met at a social occasion”. Nowadays how often do we have those large gathering of friends?! Everyone has busy schedules and the social circles we used to be in have been whittled down to very few singles in the midst. How many more times must you get invited to someone’s wedding and everyone seated at the same table are already attached or married, while you’re sitting there solo and date-less?
As modern day has evolved, so has the mechanics of meeting new people. There is of course, online dating and dating apps which have soared in popularity but most have been underwhelmed by ambiguous shady profiles that people put up there. I hear a lot of bizarre stories from friends, the most common one being “He/she doesn’t look one bit like the profile photo”… *GUFFAWS*
One of my friends recently remarked, “The best way to meet a potential someone is still through introduction by a mutual friend. That way the mutual friend can vouch whether that person is legit or not, so you don’t end up wasting time”. And that’s exactly what Lunch Actually does. Their friendly dating consultants pre-screen every candidate who may potentially be a match for you.
The first step is to have a face-to-face in depth consultation with an experienced dating consultant in their office, where you can share your search criteria. You will have to produce an ID and proof of employment, to make sure you are who you say you are. She will ask about your dating history, what you are looking for in a partner and take down notes. The key thing is to keep an open mind, as Lunch Actually boasts a very large number of professional members in their database and setting you up on the first date may or may not lead to love right away. The more dates you go on to and meet different matches, along with honest feedback post-date to your dating consultant, the better it is for her to fine-tune the matches that Lunch Actually can and will continue to find for you.
Additionally, Lunch Actually also offers dating coach services. I personally found this to be most enlightening as we can all use a few tips or two from an expert. ALWAYS – because men are from Mars and women are from Venus, ha ha. It didn’t occur to me before but I realize that dating in Singapore can be quite different than what I’m used to back in New York. After conversing for a bit, the dating coach whom I met gave me some really good and practical advice.
Uhm, let’s just say that I am generally quite reserved in this department; eg. I am not likely to approach a random hot guy and strike up a flirty conversation. On the flip side of the coin, I also happen to be oblivious and my mind goes blank whenever a hot guy flirts with or shows interest in me. Touché.
Lunch Actually’s dating coach provides guidance every step of the way in the dating phase. But most importantly, it helps single men and women navigate through dating with confidence and positivity.
Now, can we agree that first impressions are important? Undeniably, looks and mannerisms matter a lot when going on a first date with someone we don’t know. Lunch Actually offers image consultation services so that you can dress confidently on your first date.
From what colors look best on you, how to put on makeup that accentuate your best features, how to pick the right clothes that flatter your body type, the image consultant whom I met has got it all down pat so that you will go to your first date looking your best.
I shall say that I am pretty okay in this department and haven’t worn anything wildly inappropriate on first dates before. Then again, I tend to just go with whatever happens to be chic and comfortable for me at the time so I have shown up in a jumpsuit and jelly sandals before on a first date (which was a picnic, so I think what I wore was appropriate). I don’t always have to wear girly-girl dresses, right?! Even if it had been a proper dinner first-date, part of me silently would still scream: I need to let my individuality show through what I wear lest the other party thinks I’m falsely advertising myself!
Anyhoo… Lunch Actually is sending me on a real date after they shortlist a couple of potential matches for me (whoohoo, exciting!), so how about I ask you all for opinion on what’s appropriate to wear when that happens? Stay tuned on my Instagram for that.
With who, when, and where the date is going to take place will all be taken care of by Lunch Actually. In the meantime, I have homework to do as part of the initial consultation requires me to fill out a comprehensive questionnaire about my preferences. I’m not kidding around when I say comprehensive, it includes everything from preferred age range, height, body build type, education level, lifestyle habits, interests and hobbies, religion, divorced with kids or no kids, etc – on both parties (meaning I have to disclose all these too).
This facilitates Lunch Actually to find the best possible matches based on compatibility. I asked the dating consultant, what if after the initial consultation and upon reviewing the filled questionnaire, she is unable to shortlist any suitable match? She replied that’s why Lunch Actually is the ONLY dating agency in Singapore that offers a trial date, and if you decide to change your mind afterwards, you get your membership fee (minus admin charges) back.
For those who are seriously looking for love though, stay optimistic as Lunch Actually’s database grows daily with new members being added so they will and can shortlist compatible matches for you. Patience, patience. Crappo matches are merely a swipe away on your smartphone, but quality matches who have been screened and verified take longer. That’s worth the wait, don’t you agree?
I will write another post to follow up after my date; let’s see how they are going to find me a match. Honestly I don’t think I am easy to set up with anyone as I can be so diametrical in my ways. Leave it to the experts at Lunch Actually to sort this out and work their magic. ;)
To be continued…
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