The rigid social distancing norms and limited number of guests have paved a new way with a revolutionary paradigm shift in the matchmaking industry. What is happening at the first step of the entire matchmaking process? Asian Voice spoke to matchmakers to dig deeper into the evolution of the traditional cupid.
While we live in the era of dating apps like Tinder, Aisle, Bumble, and other speed dating platforms, a large number of people continue to follow the traditional method of matchmaking - arranged marriages.
We asked Parag Bhargava of Suman Marriage Bureau to comment on the current dating and matchmaking trends. He said, “People are still very keen to meet but a few have resorted to video calling where a personal introduction has been provided. Apps and websites did spike during the lockdown, but I think that was more to do with boredom at home and trying to use the time to find a partner. Ultimately nothing beats meeting face to face and that was totally restricted for some weeks.”
Talking about the response in seeking suitable matches during the lockdown, he explained, “Personal services like ours went very quiet which is understandable. Things have however started picking up since the beginning of July. We have sufficient space in our meeting rooms to follow any social distancing guidelines. Where we are sending direct introductions, we are advising all clients to arrange a meeting within the social distancing guidelines.”
Parag shared the unfortunate story of a couple who had to cancel their wedding in April due to the lockdown. “They had met last spring. However, the couple decided they want to be together even if they can't have the big wedding that was cancelled so they got married at home with a priest and immediate family and the girl went to live with her new husband and his family. However, due to the lockdown they were stuck in the four walls with his parents and didn't get a chance to have a honeymoon and really get their relationship off to a loving start where they would have connected emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. The couple did not get much time together, were unable to go out together and the pressure of everything took its toll on their relationship. This week the girl left the in-laws after they asked her to leave, due to the both of them being unhappy and having arguments. The girl is very much in love with the boy but has had to accept the situation for what it is,” he said.
Speaking on the paradigm shift he expects in matchmaking and speed dating in the post Covid-19 world, he said, “So the matchmaking side of things is still very much here to stay. It is however the perception of individuals which needs changing. People need matchmakers but they don't realise it or feel something is wrong with them if they do go looking for help. No one is born with a talent of finding a life partner. Dates, one night stands and casual relationships are something totally different. Culturally matchmakers have been around in all communities (not just South Asian) in some way or another, and the Matchmaking websites and apps are also matchmakers but of a sort where the individual has to do more of the work.”
Meanwhile, Londoners are taking another interesting route to matchmaking. Bombay Central will witness a "singles pub quiz" by Connexions, that will be held on 28th August. The online social media post said, "This will be a fun event that will test your brains but also give you a chance to mingle with other singles. The event will give you plenty of time to mingle with other candidates too." The event is open to 25-35 year olds only.
Adhish Zaveri, Director – Marketing, Shaadi.com exclusively spoke to Asian Voice and shared more insights into the business of matchmaking. He said, “We’ve seen our registrations & engagement on Shaadi.com go up by 15-20% during the lockdown. We’re seeing people getting increasingly comfortable with virtual ways to connect. Our recently launched Video Calling feature Shaadi Meet saw over 100,000 video calls being made in the first 2 days and over 500,000 calls in the first week.”
Zaveri said that the site has gotten 5 couples married virtually during the lockdown and at one point they were receiving 4-5 requests a day. “That’s when we launched www.weddingsfromhome.com, a DIY wedding website. The couples we got married are from US, Canada, Mumbai and even from smaller towns like Bareilly,” he said. According to him, the lockdown has also made people realise the importance of having someone during such times. “The emotion of togetherness has never been more pronounced,” he said. Sharing a case study he described, “We know of one couple who registered during the lockdown and within two months of signing up on the platform they got engaged – during the lockdown. Such stories are testimony to our promise this lockdown – ‘Social distancing ke waqt, dil toh mil hi sakte hai’.”
