Single and Ready To Mingle? Try Speed Dating!

*Collaborative post.

Lockdown restrictions are finally starting to lift in England, which is great news for all the singles who are ready to get themselves back on the market. The COVID-19 lockdown has been hard on everyone, but I know my single friends have been the most keen to get back into the world and socialise, have fun and meet new people.

I remember dating as a single woman and as a single mum and although sometimes it can be absolutely terrifying, it is great to meet new people and the thrill of going on a date is pretty intoxicating.

If you’re ready to get yourself back out there and begin dating once more, speed dating is a great way to connect with others and have loads of fun whilst doing it. Here’s a really brief overview of how speed dating works and what you can expect from a night out at a speed dating event.

How Speed Dating Works

We’ve all heard of it, but if you’ve never been to a speed dating event before, you may be unsure of how it all works. Typically, when you purchase your ticket for a speed dating event, you input a few basic bits of information which helps the organisers to gather like-minded singles. Interestingly, these events are also run by Gay Matchmaker, so regardless of preference, speed dating is an interesting opportunity for people of all types of orientations.

When you arrive, your host will give you the rundown of all the essential information you need to know and you’ll be given a scorecard, a name badge and a pen. Then the fun begins!

The Speed Dates

There are speed dating events hosted all over the country, so date timings may differ, however most organisers agree that 4 minutes is the optimal time for speed dates. This gives people enough time to judge whether they’re interested in someone, without repetitive conversation. It’s likely that you’ll go 10+ dates at one event.

Speed Dating Matches

This is where the scorecard comes in! You’re able to indicate on your card whether or not you’re interested in any of the people who have been dating for the last couple of hours. After the event, organisers will get in contact with you and let you know if you have any matches with the other people at the event. A match occurs when you indicate you’d like to see the person again, and they do the same for you on their card. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get any matches, there are always lots of events on and plenty of chances for you to meet new people.

That’s it!

It’s all fairly simple and it is, undeniably, a lot of fun! Lots of people tend to stick around after events finish and continue to mingle and socialise, which gives you a chance to better get to know the people who caught your eye. If you really fancy giving yourself an extra edge when it comes to speed dating, you could even have a think about pheromones. We all know that pheromones increase attraction, this pheromones attraction trick can work for both men and women, so if you really want to make an impression, this is definitely something to consider.

Who Goes Speed Dating?

All sorts of people try their hand at speed dating as its a fun, exciting way to meet new people. Professional working in the city may be interested in some of the dating events London has to offer due to it being a great way to extend your social circle beyond that of co-workers and existing friendship circles. Speed dating is a great way to not only match with potential partners, but also to match with people you’d love to get to know better as friends.

Some speed dating organisers have news letters that you can sign up to that’ll help you stay up to date with events in your area; Naturally Dating has a great newsletter that’ll land in your inbox with exclusive discounts too!

When all is said and done, speed dating is a great way to meet new people, have a fun night out and let your hair down after the last few months of lockdown! Naturally, dating can be a little intimidating, but there are people from all walks of life who are all feeling the same nervous excitement as you, so don’t worry!

Have you ever gone speed dating? I’d love to hear your experiences, leave me a comment to let me know how you found it.