Valentin and Ciara
Which FIND event did you two meet?
Speed Dating
How long have you been seeing each other?
September 2024
What was your first date after meeting at the event?
We went to Ale Emporium for dinner. I was so nervous to make a good impression that I made what I thought was a silly comment about how I didn’t think I could order wings on a first date because I didn’t want to be messy. I ended up ordering pizza and he also didn’t order wings, and he later told me that it was also because he didn’t want to be a messy eater, even though the reason why he wanted to go there was because it’s his favorite chicken wings ever!
Tell us about your love story!
“At the end of our speed dating event, I was debriefing with a couple of friends that I had come with, and I told them I had had a great conversation with one guy and they wanted me to point him out in the crowd.
He had walked up to the bar so I pointed him out and they all but shoved me in his direction to go and talk to him. Two hours later we were still at the same spot at the bar talking, and after that we became pretty much inseparable.
That was only about 17 months ago, and now we live together and have a really great relationship. He’s become a great cat parent to my two kitties and is just the most supportive partner.
We celebrated his 30th birthday together in October and I was able to surprise him with a trip to Disney World since he had never been, and it was such a fun week being kids again. I never would’ve thought I would meet my person at a speed dating event, especially after years of trying to meet people online, but now I can’t imagine life without him! ”
Why would you recommend in person events to others looking for love?
“In a world where dating apps are pretty dominant, having in-person opportunities to meet people is so refreshing. It was so nice to know that everyone else at the event was there for the same reason and that there was a mutual understanding of being willing to put yourself out there and meet new people. After being on dating apps it was such a nice change to be able to talk to people face to face. Communicating via text or social media is just so different than in person, and the speed dating conversations were just long enough that you could see if there’s a spark or connection before possibly pursing more. ”
