18 n AUG. 28, 2013 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
Fall 2013 Bridal Guide
By Jay Hathaway TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR STAFF WRITER star@toledofreepress.com
Anyone who has ever braved the dating scene can testify that a lack of compatible mates seems to simply be part of the game. With the exception of those rare, love-at-first-sight, it-wasjust-meant-to-be scenarios, matching up with one’s ideal counterpart can be a challenge. It’s no wonder, then, that online dating would eventually catch on. But just how much may come as a surprise. About 35 percent of couples married between 2005-12 met online, according to a recent Forbes article, citing a survey led by John T. Cacioppo of the University of Chicago. That’s a staggering number, considering that online dating was until recently considered a bit taboo. Angi, a former Toledoan who prefers her last name unpublished for professional reasons, moved to Columbia, Mo., to attend graduate school in 2006. However, she found herself in a tough spot for trying to date in an unfamiliar locale. “I was crazy busy with grad school and hadn’t met very many ‘good’ guys in Columbia,” she said. “I had gotten in a car accident. I was on serious pain meds and found that I couldn’t study
once I got home from classes and work. So I created an online dating profile on Match.com to give me something to do.” Eventually, she crossed cyber-paths with the man who would become her husband. “I ‘winked’ at him on the site, [but] it didn’t match us. He sent me a message and we sent emails back and forth for a couple of weeks before our first date. Interestingly enough, we didn’t talk on the phone except the day of the date to make arrangements.” Long story short, dating went well and they lived happily ever after. But Angi said a momentary lapse in confidence almost stopped things before they began. “We both almost canceled that day. It’s quite funny for me now looking back on it.” Online dating has some advantages over more traditional means, Angi said. “It provided a convenience I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I didn’t have time to go out and meet people. I also didn’t want to date the 25-year-old law student I met at a bar. I could chat a safe distance away from people before I decided whether I wanted to meet them in person.” For some, the option to choose someone who shares a similar spirituality or worldview is of high importance. Alyssa Stanton of Monroe, utilized ChristianMingle.com to meet her fiancé,
PHOTO BY JAMIE MARTIN
Growing number of married couples met online
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ALYSSA STANTON OF MONROE MET HER FIANCE ETHAN HATT THROUGH CHRISTIANMINGLE.COM.
Ethan Hatt. “To be honest, I just wanted to network a little and try something new,” Stanton said. “I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what kind
of guys were in my area already, and I wanted to see if there was someone more compatible with me.” n ONLINE CONTINUES ON 19
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