The Scoop: Single to Shaadi stands out as a modern, affordable South Asian dating service tailored to single professionals over 25 in the U.S. and Canada. Unlike traditional matchmakers, Single to Shaadi’s one-time registration fee and pay-as-you-go $50 rate make it a cost-effective choice. It offers a personalized approach to dating and relationships, free from the constraints of exorbitant fees or long-term contracts. If you’re seeking a partner with a similar cultural background, Single to Shaadi is an unbeatable option.
If you’re tired of surface-level connections and constantly swiping on dating apps, it may be time to give a matchmaker a try. It’s not the most conventional route to take while looking for a partner, but it can save a lot of time.
Searches are curated to find a match that is likely a better fit than if you were to go about seeking someone you like on your own.
Radha Patel founded Single to Shaadi with the aim of providing accountability and compatibility for South Asian singles looking throughout the diaspora for committed relationships .
If you have not had luck with online dating and you’re having a hard time making genuine connections while navigating the dating scene, working with a matchmaker may be a great choice.
Marriage is on the mind of many busy professionals who have just finished college and entered the workforce, and a matchmaking service relieves the hassle of searching for eligible singles looking for a long-term relationship. The service is beneficial as finding someone who shares your morals and beliefs and your other non-negotiables can be rather time-consuming.
The matchmaking service makes it easy for South Asian singles to connect. It focuses on being an affordable and accessible nontraditional South Asian dating platform. Single to Shaadi emphasizes that it is not your parents’ matchmaker and proudly uses the hashtag #PyaarHaiPyaar — Love is Love, in English — to show love for every background.
Single to Shaadi’s Story
Single to Shaadi’s founder Radha Patel came up with the concept for a cost-effective matchmaking service in 2018 when she noticed that her friends and family looking to date were having a hard time finding success with dating apps. Radha had never used dating apps herself. She wondered how she would be able to help if technology wasn’t able to.
It was a much more common issue than she realized initially. After successfully assisting those close to her, Radha looked into how this would be a viable option for South Asian singles in North America who were interested in long-term relationships that could result in marriage.
A matchmaking service was a logical next step. She then came up with the concept of a matchmaking service that pairs up South Asian singles who haven’t had success with dating apps or are trying to meet people on their own. She started Single to Shaadi, a South Asian dating platform dedicated to being a cost-effective matchmaking service for the diaspora. The results have been remarkable, with over 7,000 referrals and almost 400 matches to date.
Single to Shaadi is unlike any other matchmaking platform for South Asian singles in North America. The word ’shaadi’ translates to wedding or marriage, and the platform targets people who are ready to settle down or are looking for long-term connections. The service takes pride in its hashtag: not your parents’ matchmaker. “Our hashtag really encompasses and shows why we’re different from everybody else out there,” Radha stated.
The platform is affordable, and that’s the most significant differentiator for those looking for a matchmaker, as it typically costs at least a few thousand to get started with one. “Most matchmakers sign you up for a six-month package,” Radha explained. “On my side, you pay a simple one-time registration fee…we do a personal one-on-one interview…get to know who you are, and set up your internal profile.”
After the initial profile is set up, clients can receive matches based on the people the platform wants to meet. Everyone is verified and interviewed through their network, so there’s no need to worry about romance scams. If clients are interested in working with the service, they will follow a pay-as-you-go structure, and each person will pay $50.
Single to Shaadi works with professional South Asian singles in North America. “We work with South Asian singles all over the U.S. and Canada. “Our ideal client is over the age of 25,” Radha told us. “They’ve had a chance to date and have their heart broken while figuring out their lives professionally… they have the life experience and are ready to meet their person.”
The service does ask that singles have a bachelor’s degree or higher. But it’s flexible about this requirement as it isn’t the only way to measure professional success. As long as the singles have a South Asian background, it’s up to them how they would like to highlight this.
For singles who are interested in undergoing the additional steps after creating their profiles, Single to Shaadi provides singles interested in the guidance of relationship advisors so they don’t struggle to navigate the dating scene with matchmaking alone.
”This allows them to pop in and out of intense dating or more…see what’s out there, but still have a personalized approach,” Radha explained. “Our biggest thing is no contracts, no expensive things.” This personalized approach is designed to make you feel understood and valued in your search for a partner.
Matchmaking That’s Focused on a Strong, Cultural Connection
Single to Shaadi is focused on matching like-minded singles who have an authentic connection. It doesn’t emphasize things like horoscopes or social status. “We don’t believe in matching based on horoscopes,” Radha stated. “While we might offer that as an added parameter, we will never match solely based on caste or horoscope.”
The coaches work with LGBTQIA singles to make connections no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. Single to Shaadi also offers a Second Time Shaadi program designed for people who are looking for companionship later in life.
If you’ve been on dating apps and haven’t made any satisfying connections, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find your person after the first date with a matchmaking service. Managing expectations but remaining optimistic is essential. It’s normal to match with someone and then not get further than a date or two, but with each interaction, you’re one step closer to meeting the right person with the help of your coach.
The coaches aim to get people back into the practice of going out on dates since many are coming to the matchmaking service after an unsuccessful run with dating apps for a year or more. It’s crucial for them to be prepared for more in-person connections and to do so confidently.
Ready for Love? Do the Work and Look Beyond the Surface
Most of Single to Shaadi’s clients are between 25 and 35, as this tends to be the age most people are interested in getting married. However, since online dating has gained tremendous popularity in recent years, singles are skeptical when meeting new people, even though they are ready for marriage or feeling the pressure to do so before a certain age. Doing the necessary inner work is important to ensure you are genuinely open to new relationships and not clinging to the past.
Make sure to be honest about what you’re looking for and why so you can respect everyone’s effort in the matchmaking process. “People always say, well, I want somebody who’s going to be my best friend. That doesn’t count, right? You need to know the actual traits and qualities,” Radha explained.
Don’t be afraid to express how you envision your future partner, and consider more than just the physical appearance. You want to make sure this is someone you can really be with long-term. Remember, looks fade, so focus on how you feel and make sure that feeling is mutual.
Dating can feel overwhelming at times, so taking a step back may be necessary if you need to reevaluate your feelings with various suitors. However, don’t take too long to get back out there. “The more you take a break or walk away from the concept of meeting new people…And every time you start from zero, it’s harder to get back to where you were, so don’t stop,” Radha said.
Many people experience additional pressure from friends and family to get married, which makes dating an uncomfortable experience as they cannot really build a bond with people and find out their actual preferences.
Single to Shaadi makes it simple as daters and users of the platform are doing so with the intention of getting married. It eliminates the guesswork and the awkwardness in the initial stages of making sure you and your potential partner share the same life goals.
Another thing to consider is the stigma against divorce in South Asian cultureswhere the emphasis is on finding the one perfect person as your match. Be practical so you don’t focus on the impossible and you can make progress with your dating journey.
Since divorce is looked down upon so strongly, it’s easy to understand why these singles feel the stress of finding the ideal person to settle down with. In their community, married couples stay together for life.
Single to Shaadi encourages them to have a more relaxed view when it comes to dating and relationships because there’s no certainty for longevity when meeting new people. You have to meet people where they aret, and this requires a level of compromise. While the singles using the platform share a common goal, everyone is moving at their own pace.
“The one has to be perfect. Everything has to line up; otherwise, I can’t take a gamble or take a chance….we gotta get back into dating,” Radha said. “Reevaluate why you want those things, tie them back to goals in your life…take the taboo out of dating. You don’t have to marry that guy. Go on the coffee date.”
Keeping things lighthearted is an ideal way to approach dating and new relationships because it removes the pressure and allows you to see things for what they really are and not what you’d like them to be.
Modern Matchmaking Made Simple With Community Meetups
Single to Shaadi offers more than matchmaking. The South Asian dating platform also offers in-person mixers and happy hours. On May 4, the platform will host two happy hours, one in Jersey City, New Jersey and another in Atlanta.
In addition to virtual events, they also offer speed dating, date coaching, long-term coaching, photography, astrology, a book club, and an online community. “We’ve got WhatsApp groups for people to interact with and communicate with locals for free…we have so many ways for people to interact and find their person,” Radha told us.
Single to Shaadi offers a genuine community for South Asian daters who are struggling to establish solid and life-long connections. The matchmaking platform is also an ideal place to foster platonic relationships. So whether you’re looking for something specific or open to trying something new, you’re in the right place.
“We’re trying to be that third space for South Asia if you don’t meet them online and you’re not meeting them in school.” Single to Shaadi makes it easy to take a different approach to dating and say goodbye to endless swiping.
Single to Shaadi is an excellent resource for professional North American daters with a South Asian background. They welcome all genders and sexual orientations and provide both virtual and in-person events to get closer to your ideal partner.
Daters who have previously struggled to find love on their own will greatly benefit from this accessible dating service with its low pay-as-you-go rate and supportive coaches.
