This article is for the guys—especially those who think there’s no way they’d ever hire a matchmaker. Because that’s what my husband thought, too. But upon entering the dating scene again after being married for 23 years, he decided that signing up with a dating service was the smartest way to go.

I asked him what made him change his mind and he gave me the following three reasons.

1. It Takes the Pressure Off. “So, as Karin mentioned, after my divorce I started dating again—which was a bit awkward because I hadn’t been on a first date since I was in college! I’m somewhat of an extroverted person, but I’m no ‘player’. So I didn’t have any pick up lines—and even if I’d had some, they’d be 20 years old! Also, the adult social scene is obviously very different than college. When you’re in school and you go to a party, you’re fairly certain everyone is single and most women are available. But, that’s not the case in adulthood. For me, the prospect of approaching a woman at a bar only to find out she was already married or had a boyfriend seemed like a lot of wasted effort and energy. So I liked the idea of having a matchmaker provide me with dates to take the pressure off.”
2. You’re Probably a Homer. “Let’s face it. We guys like our routine. We tend to hang out with the same crowd and frequent the same establishments. And in my case, I’d lived in one neighborhood for over twenty years with my first wife. All our friends were married, so I wasn’t interacting with a large pool of eligible single ladies. Also, it was pretty likely that any women I ended up meeting would be going through a divorce too, and I might know their former husband—the potential for drama seemed pretty high! I decided to let a matchmaker help me break out of my current circle and introduce me to a new group of women.”
3. Time is Money. “If for no other reason, I’d recommend guys hire a matchmaker because it’s a huge time saver. We’re all busy—who wants to waste hours every day going through online dating profiles and emailing women—most of whom you’ll never end up meeting face to face? Joining a dating service allowed me to enjoy my life as I always did because the matchmaker did all the work. I just showed up to the restaurant and had a nice evening.”

There you have it—three compelling reasons from a guy who’s been there.

Dan, do you have any final thoughts for us?

“Only that I met the love of my life through It’s Just Lunch, so hiring a matchmaker was pretty much the smartest decision I ever made.”

Aw, thanks, babe!