Meet Manhattan’s Most Exclusive Matchmakers

Find out what New York's most exclusive matchmakers are looking for in a client...and the price tag attached

Scroll through to meet five of the city's best matchmakers.
The Bevy Instagram

Nikki Lewis and Greta Tufvesson, The Bevy

The Bevy is a super chic, super exclusive matchmaking service. They've created 29 marriages so far.

Tufvesson is a Manhattan native who previously worked at LVMH. Lewis was born in Beverly Hills and worked as a celebrity publicist. They provide curated matches for the fashion set with a 95 percent success rate.

How is The Bevy different? We are boutique, we don’t charge women and we don’t advertise. Each client gets an experience that is curated to their wants and needs—it’s like shopping in a high-end boutique versus a mall.

Why would you suggest someone use The Bevy? Apps these days are a hodgepodge. It can be hard to tell someone's intentions, or exactly how many people are dating on the side. We vet every single member personally. We learn the ins and outs of someone–their family background, their strengths and weaknesses…we really get in there. Each match is carefully selected using methods we have developed over the years–it’s a bit of science and and a bit of intuition.

How do you find clients? You'll never find us chasing anyone around, trying to get them to join. We honestly couldn't say that about competitors in the industry whom we've met. Since we've been working in the matchmaking space for seven years, we rely completely on word of mouth. The sole referral strategy results in high quality people coming our way. From there, we seek attractive and healthy individuals who are serious about a relationship, successful, sensible and come from solid foundation.

What are some red flags you look for? We are pretty good at spotting anyone who is just trying to date through our database. This is not a dating service, at all. This is pure matchmaking–we hope your first date with us is your last first date. Also, if we or our friends wouldn't date you, we won't work with you—we have to connect, we want to feel the chemistry with each individual we work with.

Courtesy The Bevy

Emily Holmes Hahn, LastFirst

Emily Holmes Hahn is responsible for more than 30 marriages with LastFirst, her bespoke matchmaking service.

More than 100 members of LF are currently in long term relationships. And unlike Tinder, LF has an 85 percent success rate for long term relationships. Everything about the experience is decidedly up-to-date, with a strong social media presence that would make most people consider signing up. Hahn doesn't take on too many clients at once. Instead, she waits until her singles are paired up before scouting for more clients at exclusive events around the city and in the Hamptons, or receiving them through referrals. Potential clients answer 75 question surveys about everything from their physical type to their family life. And it certainly costs more than a Hinge membership.

How do you find clients? We don’t advertise and we don’t buy Google Search. We do tell our club members to recommend us to their friends, if they feel like we are doing a good job; this method alone brings in multiple network candidates per day. We also find clients by putting ourselves in the right environments to meet great people. For example, city and social clubs, charity events and cultural engagements are all hands-on ways to spread brand awareness in a closed setting, through our own voices.

How do you vet potential candidates? When deciding who to accept into LastFirst, we look for all the appealing attributes that we would seek out in a match ourselves. We work only with people that we think would make a great husband or a life-long friend. This means many different things, but of course the ultimate must is a genuine and obvious intention to find a committed relationship.

Rocio Segura

Sameera Sullivan, Lasting Connections

Lasting Connections is in New York, Texas and California and has created 81 long term relationships, including five marriages

Sullivan specializes in a hands-on approach with her clients, even hosting a luxury women's retreat in Tuscany to connect her clients with relationship specialists and image consultants. There's currently a waitlist for new clients, and Sullivan keeps a database of thousands of potential matches. The average price is $45,000, with some services going into the six-figure range. The former executive recruiter has a background in psychology and only works with a few clients at a time.

How would you describe your clients? Busy, discerning, high-net-worth men who do not have the time or social network necessary for selective, relationship minded dating. I am their relationship coach, matchmaker and image consultant.

Why would you suggest someone use a matchmaker? Online dating sites and apps do not help you to grow and evolve or provide dating and relationship coaching. They do not have human intuition or the ability to screen, vet and conduct background checks on potential partners. You have to do all the work! Matchmakers prevent you from meeting the wrong kinds of people and can work with you to change undesirable relationship patterns.

What makes your services different? I offer a two year, three phase post-divorce program to help ease my male clients into dating and finding a relationship after marriage. When a man has been married for 20 years or more, he is no longer the same person as when he was last dating or looking for a relationship.

How do you find clients and what do you look for? My clients come through referrals or I meet them at social functions and events. Often, they have been through one or more marriages and want to get it right this time. Many come to me for help because they have made some bad decisions and no longer trust their own judgement when it comes to finding a suitable companion.

What are red flags when you're looking for clients? People who are serial daters who have not had relationships longer than six months in the past ten years tend to raise a red flag. Men and women who dedicate a great deal of time and energy putting down their ex partners or are unable to take responsibility for their part are generally not going to be as successful working with me as somebody who is more open minded.

Courtesy Lasting Connections
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Maria Avgitidis, Agape Match

Agape offers a full dating concierge to take care of reservations, confirmations and reminders.

She's following in the family business; her grandmother and great-grandmother were both matchmakers. Avgitidis hosts the Matchmakers Conference each spring and collaborates with other matchmakers internationally.

Why do you think more people are using matchmakers now? I think the major thing that has brought in a ton of business from our clients this past 18 months (we've been around for nine years) is the oversaturation of online dating apps and people experiencing dating app message fatigue.

What do packages typically cost? Packages typically cost $15,000 for a six month contract, or coaching for $8,500, which is particularly popular for female clients. Clients range from 26 to 62, with the average age falling between 35 and 44.

Agape Yelp

Rori Sassoon, Platinum Poire

Sassoon is a New York-based matchmaker often featured on Bravo as their go-to romance expert. Co-founder Dr. Errol Gluck is a life coach.

Platinum Poire currently has more than 600 members and they turn away more people than they take. After four years, 10 couples are currently in long-term relationships.

Why would you suggest someone use a matchmaker, instead of a dating app? It's so one-on-one, handholding, personal and safe. The service is not a silly algorithm that is putting you with someone, it is someone who knows you and understands you and your parter on a deep level. Every date is curated and made with intention.

How do you find clients? We have a team of recruiters. Many clients are sent to us through referral and word of mouth based on the past success we’ve achieved with our members.

What are some red flags? Unrealistic expectations. When someone isn't healthy on the inside or the outside, its a big red flag.

Platinum Poire Facebook

Once upon a time, using a matchmaker was the norm (simply look at Fiddler on the Roof for proof). Then, it became a bit passéas people hoped for their own romantic comedy worthy meet-cutes, instead of an old-fashioned fix-up, or turned unsuccessfully to apps in the midst of a dating apocalypse.

Now, using a matchmaker is officially chic again, especially since it’s a time-saver, with vetted, Catfish-proof dates arranged by a concierge service. These are perfect for busy New Yorkers who claim they don’t have time to date. Working with a matchmaking service is far more convenient than spending hours swiping, chatting aimlessly and then figuring out a bar, date and time that’s equally convenient for both parties. But finding the right matchmaker is almost like obtaining the actual match: it has to be a good fit, to guarantee they get to know you.

Scroll through to see what New York’s most exclusive matchmakers are looking for in a client, their dating red flags and the hefty price tag attached to looking for love.

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