‘Love Without Borders’: International Matchmaking Services Can Cost More Than $100,000
Bravo is stepping back into the matchmaking game, this time with an overseas twist. The network that hosted the original Millionaire Matchmaker will now attempt to help unlucky-in-love Americans find their soulmates abroad. To do that, they’ll work with matchmakers who aim to find their “one ideal match.”
With no apparent limits on geography, that’s got to be possible — right? We suppose that’s the intrigue of the upcoming Love Without Borders. Even if the experience doesn’t end up with a love match for everyone, the investment into their love lives has to be tempting.
After all, international matchmaking services can come with a hefty price tag if you’re footing the bill yourself. For most people, the option to work with a professional for international love would be financially out of the question.
Bravo’s ‘Love Without Borders’ will use matchmakers to send participants abroad
Love Without Borders features six participants who are willing to give up their lives as they know it, and move to an unknown destination in hopes of getting paired up with their “perfect” life partner, according to Bravo. Each cast member will step onto a plane, destination unknown, to potentially meet their future love match. It reminds us a bit of TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé, but in reverse.
In the original press release about the new reality show, Bravo called LWB a “bold social experiment.” The participants will leave their jobs, homes, and loved ones behind for a set amount of time (no word on just how long it will be yet). At the end of the so-called experiment, they’ll make the choice to either continue their life abroad to explore new love or return home.
It’s unclear if the travelers will be paired with multiple matches during their stint abroad or if they’ll be looking for sparks to fly with just one person. However, Bravo states they’ll be working with matchmakers who will scour the globe for that perfect match on their behalf.
Professional matchmaking services can range from $5,000 to $50,000 a year, or more
Modern matchmaking is alive and well, particularly following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdowns. The industry is still fairly secretive about its success rates, but today’s matchmaking firms often use a blend of tech-based algorithms and traditional human touches to help make matches.
Some specialize in setting up dates, or “matches,” while others simply handle the heavy lifting for your online dating profiles, Esquire reports. If you’re willing to pay up, services like VIDA Select will set up those profiles, sift through candidates, and even craft the opening messages that are the most likely to get a response.
The range of prices for professional matchmaking services can be staggering. You can expect to shell out $5,000 to $50,000 per year if you’re looking to be paired by a professional, according to Consumer Affairs. But that’s not where the costs end, depending on what you’re looking for. Typically, international searches are considered a luxury service at a premium price point.
VIDA Select published a summary of costs and services for a variety of matchmaking services based in the United States. They have a clear interest in doing so: Of the services listed, theirs appears to be fairly flexible in scope and relatively affordable for the industry. Base packages with the company start at $995 per month or just under $12,000 per year. “Elite” options clock in just north of $40,000 per year.
Some luxury matchmaking services can charge up to $1 million
A handful of VIDA Select’s competitors have truly mind-boggling prices, although they claim to have a more personalized touch and higher success rates. Selective Search, for example, typically ranges from $25,000 to $50,000 per year. More tailored options from the company can cost up to $1 million. Literally.
But the company told Esquire it has an 87% success rate — a self-proclaimed record in the industry — and the right touches to find lasting matches. “It’s almost like self-serve at a grocery store versus someone that’s actually making you gourmet food, organic, farm-to-plate, in your home,” founder and CEO Barbie Adler told the magazine.
The matchmaking options don’t stop there. Other firms, like Kelleher International, have agreements for global searches that start at $125,000. The exact number of matches depends on the individual, but they typically include 8-13 over the course of the contract. Janis Spindel’s Serious Matchmaking can include searches with a global scope that cost up to a million dollars.
Bravo has yet to give details about the pedigrees of the matchmakers on Love Without Borders, but it’s safe to say that participants might consider moving countries and starring on the show worth the trade for having professional matchmaking services provided as part of the deal.
It’s unclear whether they’ll be putting any of their own money toward the efforts, but in many reality TV series, those types of services are provided in exchange for appearing. All things considered, it might be considered a great deal, even if the experience doesn’t end with a long-term relationship.
Love Without Borders premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, November 30 at 9 p.m. ET, and streams on Peacock.
