In the age of digital dating, Ravi Mittal, CEO of online dating app Quack Quack, suggests fun ideas to create your own modern meet-cute and make it special.
- Looking for useful dating tips? Ask rediffGURU Ravi Mittal HERE.
GenZ's chances of meet-cutes are increasingly decreasing, or are they?
Just because they are meeting the love of their life online does not mean it is any less than a meet-cute.
After all, every match is a chance encounter. It is not a date set up by a friend or an alliance brought by a relative.
The modern meet-cute is a perfect balance of fate and clever strategy.
But just in case things have been feeling a little too digital and filtered, here are some ways to make your dating app meet-cute stand out or at least more interesting than the multitude of 'Heys' in your inbox, usually followed by an awkward silence from both sides.
1. Create a sense of coincidence
You and your match might think it's the algorithm that suggested you to each other but it suggested many other users as well.
Why then did you choose to match with this 'one'?
Use the same theory in your first message to create a sense of a 'chance encounter' and 'coincidence'.
In the online dating world, the algorithm is the digital equivalent of the cherub with his love bow.
You can open the conversation with your match by saying, 'The digital gods of love think we are a perfect fit!' It's more likely to get a response and gives a feeling that this was more than a calculated match.
If they reply, you have the most organic way to turn the conversation flirty and see how things go.
If this is not a meet-cute, then what is?
2. Take the deep dive
Not all meet-cutes are as 'by chance' as they seem. Some are strategic.
In real life, when you like someone, you might notice them going to the coffee shop exactly at 10 am and, one day, you finally build up the courage to go after them and maybe bump into them 'by mistake' which leads to a fun conversation.
See, not as organic as it seems.
Similarly, there is nothing wrong with creating your own digital meet-cute.
Take a deep dive into your potential match's profile and try to find the most unusual thing in it. For instance, if you find an interesting bio, centre your message around that -- 'I am intrigued; did you really travel to the highest peak in the country? Can I see some pictures?'
Specific messages are always the most memorable; it also makes people believe that this is not just some random message, that it has a meant-to-be vibe to it.
3. It's all in the imagination
If not an IRL meet-cute, a digital one can work just fine. And the best part, since it is your imagination, it can be as rom-commy as you want it to be.
You can start a conversation with, 'I am a sucker for rom-coms. Can we pretend we did not get matched here?'
Or 'Let's see; what would be your ideal meet-cute? Mine would be bumping into you in a bookstore with a dramatic book drop.'
Not only will this be memorable for your match but it will also give them a chance to be creative and you a chance to evaluate if their weird matches yours. This can also create the perfect scope to slide the idea of a real-life date.
4. The accidental DM (direct message)
Meet-cutes are all about chance encounters and so are accidental DMs. Slide into a potential match's chat and pretend it was by mistake.
Start with something random like 'What do you mean you can't go try the new biryani place this weekend? We had it planned for so long.'
It is guaranteed to fetch you a response and once they clarify they are not the person you meant to send the text to, you can seal the deal with, 'Maybe you were meant to see this text. Do you want to go on the biryani tasting date with me?'
5. Virtual meet-cute
Turn your meet-cute virtual. Once you are past the chatting stage and are ready to go on a virtual first date, plan it in a way that mimics a meet-cute.
Go to your ideal location -- let's say a quaint little cafe.
Call your match and act like you meant to call your best friend but called them by chance. It can be your digital equivalent of the 'perfect mixup' that leads to the most chaotic and romantic love story.
It will be interactive, fun, and intriguing enough to etch you in their memories.
And once you are ready to move things IRL, you can always plan the first date and play out your favourite meet-cute scenario.
Let's face it, romantic conversations fizzle out, irrespective of the place -- virtual or IRL. The onus of keeping things fresh and charming in a relationship is not on any app; it falls on the daters.
These make-believe scenarios and flirty exchanges can make dating feel a little less calculative and a lot more spontaneous.
- Need expert dating advice? Ask rediffGURU Ravi Mittal HERE
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