Matchmakers have played an important role in pairing couples together throughout human history.
In the modern era of dating applications and websites, the old profession may have taken a hit, but there are still practitioners who make sure Cupid’s arrow hits its mark.
Lory Kelsey does matchmaking the old-fashioned way, with a personal touch, along with all the latest tools of social media. Billed as the Greenwich Matchmaker, Kelsey has gotten scores of romance-seeking couples together with a mix of skills.
“I’m like a headhunter for the heart,” she jokes.
On Valentine’s Day, Kelsey said it was a good time to remember that a little romance can be one of life’s great pleasures, and there’s a compatible partner out there for everyone — even if it takes a little nudging.
Kelsey got into the matchmaking field after her own divorce, finding it difficult to meet suitable partners, and realizing she wasn’t the only one in that position. “I was frustrated with the bar scene, and it’s hard to meet the right people, someone you want to have a relationship with,” she said.
She has a background in social work, and after working for a dating company in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Kelsey decided to set up shop on her own as a matchmaker in 2012.
The work combines the skills of a detective, a psychologist and a compulsive record-keeper. “I have almost a photographic memory for detail,” she said.
She works seven days a week but finds the results rewarding.
“I’m a romantic at heart,” said the matchmaker, the daughter of two English immigrants who grew up in New England. “And it’s really thrilling when two people meet and want to go out again. I can’t think of anything more thrilling, everyone is looking for that moment.”
Although there are plenty of opportunities to meet people online, Kelsey notes that traditional matchmakers offer discretion and confidentiality, so a person’s dating profile is not publicly available. Matchmakers can also look for special kinds of matches — for people who want to play golf together, or go to church every Sunday — in a more systematic fashion than the online hook-up sites. And they can use intuition and emotional intelligence that algorithms and apps can’t match.
Kelsey’s got a large database to draw from — some 2,000 women are in her files — and it helps she knows the region well. Kelsey also has a sideline as a “dating coach.”
And there’s nothing wrong with being single, she said. “If you’re single on Valentine’s Day, do something for yourself,” said Kelsey, who has raised two children as a single mother.
And it’s good to remember, she said, “magic does happen.”
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Article originally appeared on GreenwichTime.com
