We went on a blind date through a dating agency. Now, we’re happily attached!
Jack and Joan from Singapore are amongst the many couples who found true love through Lunch Actually. Read on to find out about how they met, fell in love, and their thoughts on this entire process!
Q: How did you come to join Lunch Actually?
Jack: My friend from university recommended Lunch Actually to me. We were talking about how we should join Lunch Actually together as it was rather hard to find someone suitable outside of our social circle. But in the end, my friend got hitched and “pangseh” me, so I joined alone instead.
Joanne: I do shift work and it’s difficult enough to find time to meet my friends, let alone new people. Prior to Lunch Actually, I also tried online dating, but didn’t have a good experience with it.
Q: What did you think of the other person, before you met him/her?
Jack: We don’t get to see the person’s picture beforehand, so I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t mind though – I think it’s good because it takes a lot of pressure off the date.
Joanne: When I first read Jack’s profile, I was questioning whether we would get along. His profile stated that he listens to Chinese Pop, and I haven’t heard a single Chinese song in the last 5 years!
Q: How about your first date? Did it go well?
Joanne: He was late on our first date! But when he came, he was very apologetic and smiley, and so I forgave him.
Jack: I was late, and I was so worried about her response! Luckily, she was really nice about it, and we got on very well. Like I mentioned before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Joanne turned out to be such a pleasant, bubbly girl.
Q: How did things progress from there?
Joanne: Jack didn’t really ask me to make our relationship official. To us, it was just a very natural progression. He went on a trip after our first date and I was very busy with work. We caught up after he was back and dated for a bit more before things got serious. Since there wasn’t a specific date that we got together, we are taking the date that Lunch Actually arranged our date, to be our anniversary date!
Q: What do you think of Lunch Actually? Is it effective?
Joanne: I think it’s a great platform to find someone. It’s really awesome to have your dating consultant take care of the process, eg matching, arrangement of date, scheduling etc. For me, there isn’t any stigma in joining a dating agency – I’m completely fine with it.
Jack: Yes, of course it’s effective! If you use a free online dating platform, you can’t really tell how serious the people who meet are about settling down. But at Lunch Actually, I really feel that the members do genuinely want to get into a serious relationship and move on to the next stage of life. The crowd they attract is also different, and of higher quality – I feel! – because you have to pay for the service.
Joanne: To add on, the dating consultants are also very skilled at what they do. When I first joined Lunch Actually, I had a very specific criteria that I wouldn’t budge from. I was only keen to meet foreigners or people who have studied overseas before. My dating consultant advised me to widen my preferences and to keep an open mind, and although I was hesitant at first, she turned out to be right!
Q: What are your future plans?
Joanne: We have been together for a year now, and we’re planning to get married after Chinese New Year next year. Right now, we’re in the process of applying for our new flat.
Q: What do you like about each other?
Joanne: He is very loving, patient, and warm. I mean, he’s a teacher, I guess that’s the most patient occupation one can be in. Haha!
He’s also a very thoughtful and detail-oriented guy. I remember the first time he invited me for a home cooked meal with his family – he specifically instructed his mom to not put chilli into any of the food, because knows I can’t eat chili.
Jack: Joanne is very warm, homely (like me!), and very bubbly. I really enjoy every single moment spent with her.
Q: Have you done anything romantic for each other?
Joanne: Jack once sent a bouquet of flowers to my office. He also likes to send me these little hand-written cards, which I find really sweet!
Jack: Once, during her off-day, Joanne drove all the way down to my place to pass me food, because I said I was hungry. How much sweeter can you get?
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