Bowes-Lyon Partnership Dating Hints & Tips Where to find your perfect partner - September 2010
These days finding your perfect match can often feel like fighting a losing battle. There are numerous reasons as to why this is. Many people find that in days gone by, the social setting was more conducive to finding a partner – people attended more functions (like dances!), spent more time with friends and family and generally engaged in a more community driven lifestyle. But in today’s fast-paced world, where a vast amount of communication is done through cyber space, by text or over the phone, relationships (even platonic ones) are forged in a very different way, which does not necessarily lend itself to the development of long term committed relationships. However, there are still a plethora of ways and means of meeting a potential partner and below, Bowes-Lyon Partnership has explored a few of these for you... 1. Internet dating Internet dating has provided a great, inexpensive gateway to meeting new people. But with the success rate standing at just 10%, it’s unfortunately not a sure-fire way of finding your perfect match. Internet dating provides a large pool of people so surely it stands to reason that your perfect match must be there somewhere? This could be true, but profiles often reflect a person that the writer wants to be rather than who they actually are. With so many people to choose from, everyone must sell themselves in the best light, alongside their most flattering picture (even if it was taken 10 years ago!) if they are going to stand out from the crowd. 2. Hobbies When single, it’s easy for the pull of the sofa, after a long day at work, to be irresistible in comparison to finding the energy to take part in a hobby. Finding one or two hobbies you enjoy, whether this be cookery, team sports, wine tasting or perhaps a cultural pastime, is a great way to meet new people and share something in common with them. Experiencing new things and taking some time to enjoy life will help keep your confidence high and open up doors to meeting new and interesting individuals. 3. Socialising Meeting a potential partner on a night out initially seems like it could be one of the best options – spirits are high, people are chatting, they often make an effort with their appearance but still, meeting people in a situation like this isn’t as easy as it seems. Individuals often spend time with a group of friends on a night out, so approaching a stranger can be a little daunting and even feel a little cheap. Also, if you’ve been enjoying a drink or two, there’s always the judgement (or lack of it) to take in to consideration too! 4. Friends of friends Most single people have friends who very kindly recommend their friends as a potential partner, which can be a great way to meet people. Give this a go, let your friends invite you to a dinner party where they may have also invited another single friend along whom they believe you may like, after all they should be a fairly good judge of your character by now. But it’s important to be honest with you friend up front about the type of person you’re looking for and also that if there isn’t a spark between you and the friend there’ll be no hard feelings! 5. Exclusive introduction agency As an exclusive introduction agency, Bowes-Lyon Partnership works with often well educated, financially independent individuals. We meet with you for an informal meeting to find out what makes you tick, what you like and dislike and what qualities you’re looking for in a partner. We then do all of the ground work for you, matching people with people, rather than profiles with profiles. There is no sifting through unsuitable profiles or meeting people who turn out to be someone quite different to what you expected, as is often the case with
internet dating. The process is taken completely at your pace and we work closely with your feedback to refine the introductions we put forwards for your consideration, which is one of the reasons why our success rate is over 70%. An exclusive introduction agency like Bowes-Lyon Partnership, isn’t for everyone as there is obviously a financial, as well as the emotional and time investment to consider, but if you’re serious about finding a long term committed relationship, our membership should be thought of as an investment in your future. Hayley & Natalie Bystram are the founders and directors of Bowes-Lyon Partnership Ltd., a London-based, exclusive, international introductions company specialising in bringing together successful, like-minded individuals. For more information, please see their website www.bowes-lyonpartnership.co.uk or call 020 7152 6011.