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How Did Speed Dating Become A Thing?
Believe it or not, we have the Jewish community to thank for with speed dating. What started as a matchmaking plot in 1998 for Jewish singles in Beverly Hills has now become a modern-day formula for finding Mr or Mrs Right.
Speed dating started out as a way to find eligible partners for marriage. Now, the end goal of speed dating isn’t necessarily a walk down the aisle, but can be just a great way to meet and date. Speed dating is a simple way to concentrate groups and preferences and make blind dates less awkward by making it into a bit of a fun game. And who doesn’t love to have a little fun?
Pros And Cons Of Speed Dating
Pros
- It’s efficient: With speed dating, there’s enough time to get an initial impression with everyone in the room. You also get to meet more people in one evening than you probably would if you had spent it dating online.
- It’s a safe space: Speed dating is great, especially if you’re not comfortable meeting a stranger all by yourself. At least you’ll be in a room full of other people who are undoubtedly just as nervous as you are.
- It’s fun: Who doesn’t like meeting new people? And even if you don’t, there shouldn’t be too much pressure for you to like someone. Not your type? Then thank you, next!
Cons
- There’s not enough time: If you do happen to get paired with someone great, it’s never going to feel like you get enough time with them. But remember, you’ve also got to give everyone else a chance too.
- It can get a bit competitive: Because you’re all there for similar reasons, it could get pretty competitive. It’s one of those moments where you feel like you’re back in school again, and you’re trying to think of ways to stand out.
- It can cost a lot: The reality of speed dating is that a lot of them are organised for people to find someone they can potentially marry. Matchmaking has never been an easy or cheap profession, and finding the perfect someone for one person – let alone a whole roomful is no easy task.
Are There Different Types Of Speed Dating?
Speed dating started out as a quick and easy way to match-make within the Jewish community, so of course, you had to be Jewish to participate. Staying true to its rather exclusive roots, speed dating now has different genres or types to cater to specific groups of people. You’ve got speed dating specific to sexuality, ethnicities, beliefs, interests, professions, and more.
The most common themes you’ll find are gay speed dating, lesbian speed dating, Christian speed dating, Jewish speed dating, and Asian speed dating.
Speed Dating Tips
Keep Calm And Keep An Open Mind
Be open to the experience and to the different personalities you’re going to meet. Don’t be too quick to judge and give every person you meet a chance. If you’re nervous, the person across from you is probably just as nervous too, so take it easy.
First Impressions Matter—Look Your Best!
You’ve only got minutes to talk and mingle with each person, so it’s important to come as your best self. This isn’t just so you can present a glammed-up version of you, but it’s also to give your speed dates a lasting impression of you. Plus, when you look your best, you feel confident, and that’s a great quality to find in someone.
Be Prepared And Remember To Keep It Short
On the off-chance the event organisers haven’t set up some conversation starters to help break the ice, keep a few key questions in your back pocket. When you do ask your dates things, it’s best not to give them open-ended questions or anything too complicated. Meaning, don’t ask them anything too hard or anything that might require an essay-length explanation. Remember: you’re on the clock!
Are There Speed Dating Apps?
As far as dating apps go, you could already consider most of them to be similar to speed dating, just that everything’s on a screen and there’s no immediate interaction.
The usual format for most dating apps these days is the swipe format, where you’ll get to go through profiles as if they were a deck of cards and you have to decide the moment the card comes up whether it’s a yes or a no on that person. Generally, the most popular dating apps in Australia are Tinder, Bumble, Zoosk, OkCupid, EHarmony, and Grindr.
Where Can You Go Speed Dating In Australia?
There are a few sites you can check out that are specifically for speed dating in Australia. City Swoon offers speed dating events for singles in different Australian locations, primarily in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Newcastle. City Swoon offers gay speed dating and lesbian speed dating in those cities as well.
If you’re looking for other speed dating categories like ethnicity and beliefs, WeClick offers Asian speed dating and Christian speed dating events. You can also check out EventBrite or Facebook for local speed dating events near you.
Or you know, you can always just google “speed dating events near me”. Works like a charm!
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