Matchmaking is a very tricky process, unless you happen to be the descendant of Cupid. Setting up people from the different aspects of your life could make them end up hating you, or conversely, love you forever and ever.
Here are our top tips on how to be an effective matchmaker that won’t make your friends want to hex you.
1. Forget blind dating.
A gay friend was horrified when he found out I had set up two friends without so much as showing them each other’s Facebook profiles. “Wala man lang picture before the date?” he gasps. In retrospect, he did have a point. Let your potential matches decide early on if they are physically attracted to each other. As much as we love the saying “love is blind,” its gatekeeper, attraction, certainly has eyes.
2. Match according to interest and personality
Your UFC fighter friend will probably not make a good match for your blood squeamish coworker. Match your friends based on interests and personalities, e.g. pairing two introverts may have them end up going on the date version of a silent film. Sure, opposites attract, but it might be hard for them to start a conversation at first.
3. Only set up your friend with someone who you’d (theoretically) date yourself.
Don’t set up Friend A with Friend B just because they are the only remaining singles in your phone book or with someone who you only tolerate at social gatherings. When matchmaking, make “I’d date him/her if I weren’t single” as your gauge in setting up friends. After all, you’d want the same consideration, right?
4. No pressure
If they end up not hitting it off, don’t force it! Don’t overanalyze where the date went wrong or why they didn’t have sparks on the date. Unless you have a magical bow and arrow, it’s probably not going to happen no matter how hard you build them up to each other.
5. Don’t raise expectations.
Before you set them up, don’t tell them how awesome they’d be together or how many babies you can see them having. Keep the date as casual as possible so they don’t come to the date as jittery, nervous versions of themselves.
6. To chaperone or not to chaperone?
If you feel that they need a moderator, i.e., you, make sure that you have plans on the day of their scheduled date. Otherwise, your presence may have them end up talking to you instead of each other.