What to Do When You Are Ready to Date Again

Don’t be afraid to put the word out that you’re ready to date. Even if it seems like everyone around you is otherwise engaged in a relationship, you never know who they might come across in their travels. You’re single, you’re on the prowl, and you’re ready to meet someone new, so let everyone in your life know. Just make sure the message isn’t that you are “desperate” to meet someone though…

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Four Tips On Buying Flowers For Your Date

You’d like to buy a bouquet of flowers for your date? How adorable!

• Tip# 1: NEVER on a first date… this is not the Prom and you are not bringing her a flower for her boutonniere. 
• Tip# 2: NEVER buy the pre-packaged yucky flower arrangements which feature one of each cheap flower the shrewd florist wants to get rid of. The garish bouquet always includes a stinky Lily which will for sure stain your lovely date’s pretty outfit. 
• Tip# 3: No chrysanthemum. In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Croatia), chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves. 
• Tip# 4: No dyed carnations. This may seem silly, but the majority of women do not care for carnations – and dyed carnations are even worse.

OK. So what do you get then?? Stick to a bouquet with 2 colors maximum. Great color combinations include: white and green, yellow and orange, purple and pink… or just a few roses (Red roses are a little too intense early in a relationship but other colors work just fine).

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

The Best Way to Communicate While Dating

Talk on the phone. Although the world may have become accustomed to communicating via email, text and Facebook walls, talking on the phone is a good way to get to know someone. So much can be lost in email, and tone and meanings can be misconstrued so in talking on the phone you can avoid potential messes.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

A Simple Tip That Can Make a Huge Difference

Red wine is delicious! But it also stains like it’s nobody’s business… and not just your clothes if you spill it, but your teeth, too. If you decide to make wine your drink option during dinner, choice white so as to prevent having one of those dull grey toothed smiles by the end of the night.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Find Your Perfect Match in 2012 With These Tips, Part Four

Today we give you the final installment in our series on how to find your perfect match in 2012.

Love like you’ve never been hurt. No matter what 2011 gave you or took from you, don’t let it stand in the way of your future happiness. As we mentioned before this is a new year, so sweep any past disappointments and heartbreaks under the carpet, hold your head high and yes, love like you’ve never been hurt.

Get yourself out there. Maybe you’ve been afraid to make the jump into the uncharted waters of the dating world, but your match isn’t going to show up at your door while you sit around and wait. It’s up to you to make the first step and there’s no better time than a new year to do so. Our suggestion? Hire a matchmaker. You’ll get the emotional support and hands on attention that dating websites just can’t offer. And if you’ve been out of the dating scene for a while there’s no better way to find your future mate than by putting yourself in the hands of a professional.

In case you missed it, here is part one, part two and part three of our tips.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Find Your Perfect Match in 2012 With These Tips, Part Three

Today we give you part three of our tips on how to find your perfect match in 2012.

Put the judgment aside. Whether you’re judging yourself or potential dates, you need to stop. Leave your old judgments in 2011 and give yourself and others a chance. Remember you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Make time in your life to smell the flowers. As human beings we spend our lives in a hurry and bustle. Too many of us don’t stop to smell the flowers or meet someone new, and yet we’re confused as to why we’re still alone. If you make time to enjoy the things you’ve been rushing past these last few years, you never know what you might find.

Don’t just think positive; be positive. Not only does being positive have a major impact on the health of your mind and body, but it’s contagious, too. People want to be around positive people because even on a gloomy day, a positive person is a glimmer of sunshine. Be that positive person and people will naturally gravitate toward you. No one likes a killjoy.

In case you missed it, here is part one of our tips and part two. Come back tomorrow for the final installment.
 

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Find Your Perfect Match in 2012 With These Tips, Part Two

Yesterday we covered three tips on  how to find your perfect match in 2012.  Today, we discuss two more.

Be realistic. It’s time to understand that perfection doesn’t exist and romance isn’t a nicely packaged Hollywood movie with an impossible ending. In having realistic goals in what you want in another person, you open yourself and your heart up to someone special automatically. However, once you do meet that person, the next thing you need to realize is even with great love and companionship comes the need to cultivate, dedicate and work hard at maintaining it.

Expand your interests. Not only do well-rounded people make for interesting dates and conversationalists, but they also make for better human beings. As January gets underway consider taking a class in something that interests you or donating your time to a charity that is important to you. People love a person who’s selfless enough to engage in volunteer work.

Look for more tips tomorrow as we post part three.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Don't Be Clingy

Space is a good thing; clingy is bad. Learn how to walk that line between too much and not enough. Know that everyone has their own idea of personal and emotional space, so proceed with caution until you can gauge what this means for the new person in your life.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Dating Advice: Don't Be Too Available

Be available, but not too available. This, in no way, shape or form, means you should play that cat and mouse game that you may have mastered back in the day. It simply means that there’s something very attractive about people who have their own lives and their own pursuits. No one likes someone who’s always around and vying for every second of their attention.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida

Men, Don't be Afraid to Ask For Advice on How to Dress For a Date

Men, call in back-up when it comes to your dating outfits! We are not knocking men in the slightest, but let’s be honest: some men just don’t know how to dress up for a date. This is where a sister, a niece, a daughter, myself—any woman in your life can help you from making some major fashion faux pas. The last thing you need is to show up on your date with white socks peaking out between your dark pants and dark shoes. And if you thought white socks were OK, then call Estelle immediately!

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Your First Date: End it on a High Note

Keep it short and sweet. While we’re not suggesting you usher your date out the door immediately after dinner, you also don’t want to overstay your welcome. Everything in life is about moderation; if you have a date that ends before you have a chance to drive them crazy, then you’ll leave them wanting more. And isn’t that the point? So put a cap on the evening before you wear the situation thin.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

One Simple Bit of Advice to Improve Your Appearance

Don’t slouch. Whether you’re standing or sitting, be sure to push your shoulders back and straighten your spine. You’ll not only look taller, but you’ll also appear more confident and self-assured.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Eye Contact and Dating

No matter with whom you’re talking, eye contact is always essential. This is especially true when you’re on a date and in the beginning stages of getting to know someone.

Granted, we’re not suggesting you gawk in such a way so as to come off creepy, but maintaining eye contact shows that you’re both interested and engaged in the conversation. Eyes are also the window to the soul, as they say, and it’s amazing how much you can read about a person just by looking into their lovely peepers.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Body Language and Dating

Do you know that crossing your arms can be taken as a sign that you’re on guard? While subtle touching during a laugh or smile can play in your favor, keeping your arms crossed can have the opposite effect.

Although we may not be aware, we subconsciously interpret body language in different ways, and crossed arms is a big one that suggests you may want to keep your date far from you—even if you don’t! So, if you find that you cross your arms naturally mid-conversation, as many of us do, uncross them and let them relax. Open arms lead to an open mind.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Tips: Pay Attention to Details on a Date

Remember that your date is your main focus, so pay attention to the details. Make mental notes of things they say, so if, or rather when, you make it to round two, you can recall facts. You don’t want to ask: “Who’s Marilyn again?” when your date already covered more than a few times that Marilyn is her older sister. In being able to recall important bits of information, you’ll prove that you were interested in everything they had to say.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

One Simple Thing to Improve Your Physical Appearance for a Date

Check your back. Seriously, make sure you give your backside a gander: the back of your hair, jacket, pants or skirt. It may seem silly, but so many people head out the door without making sure their backside is free of holes and/or stains. So give yourself a double check. There’s nothing more embarrassing than your date having to point out that you have ketchup on the pants of your nice suit. Can we say awkward?

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Dating Tip: Avoid Excessive Bragging

A major no-no is bragging or name-dropping. Oh, you saw Robert De Niro at the Starbucks this morning and you get your hair cut at the same place as Meryl Streep? Might be an interesting story for your friends over brunch, but isn’t exactly going to impress your date.

Along with keeping name-dropping on the shelf, also put any desires to brag away, too. You may have a yacht the size of Yankee Stadium, but “casually” slipping that into the conversation is not only tasteless, but is bound to make you look desperate, too. You want your date to fall for you because of who you are, not what you can offer them as far as superficial and materialistic things go.

Avoid Looking Needy or Like You're Fishing for Compliments

Avoid smothering your date with compliments by saying such awkward things as “I’m so lucky to be on a date with you.” Think about it: how would you feel if someone said that to you? You’d probably think the person in question either had low self-esteem or was fishing for compliments themselves.

While it’s fine to be appreciative and gracious toward your date, don’t do so at your expense. Everyone has something interesting to bring to the table, and being aware of the parts of yourself that others will find intriguing will help you stay away from any “woe-is-me” type comments. And honestly, no one wants to be put up on pedestal—it’s dangerous up there and people tend to fall from them quite easily.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

Become a Person People Want to be Around

Just because you’re successful in your job, it doesn’t mean you’re well-rounded. In enhancing yourself and your passions, you’ll make yourself a more interesting and compassionate person.

Consider volunteering or looking into a hobby that you’ve always meant to investigate and do so with gusto. Passionate people exude passion on all levels, and those who give back to their community are better for it. This isn’t to say you’re not a good person now, but people can always be better and there’s always room for improvement.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.

A Positive Attitude is So Important When Dating

Be in a good mood. What puts you in a good mood? A certain song? Watching Love Actually on repeat? Whatever it is, do it before you leave for your date. You want to be happy and charming; you also want that feeling to be contagious. It’s hard to fake happy, so if you’re not actually feeling in a good mood, you may want to consider rescheduling for the sake of everyone involved. If your heart and mind aren’t in the right place, your temperament is bound to be sour, too.

-Estelle
Get daily dating tips from Estelle in your email in box - Subscribe
Estelle is the president/owner of Estelle Matchmaking, LLC a boutique matchmaking service for selective singles in the NYC area (including Westchester and Fairfield Counties) and South Florida.