PORTLAND, Maine — Finding love these days is not easy. People are less likely to strike up a conversation out at a bar or the mall or grocery store, gym, or even while walking their dog. Dating apps are an option for some, but many who've given that a chance haven't been successful.
Noreen Rochester is a matchmaker in Portland who helps Mainers find "the one." She is passionate about finding love and has been in this line of work for 32 years.
The busy woman said she always has new people contacting her and requesting her services, especially coming out of the pandemic, when it was very challenging to meet and date.
"Everybody was doing the swiping, and now they are tired of it. They are really tired of it. People come in, and it's the first thing they say: 'I just can't do the apps anymore.' They want a real relationship. They don't want to spend all that time texting or talking to someone they've never met, and then it fizzles out before they even meet. So now people are more serious," Rochester said. "They'll come in and just say to me, 'Look, I just want you to find me my person, I don't want to date 50 people. I've already done that. I want to find my person."
Rochester said she has observed that people typically go above and beyond in planning dates for the first three months, but planning fizzles out after that. She recommended to always keep doing that, so the spark stays active and shows your partner you care about them, that they are loved and matter. Even if partners have been together for years, it's important to continue putting in the effort.
"Sometimes when they walk through the door, I just know who their person is before they sit down. And I have clients that could tell you that," Rochester said. "Sometimes people say, 'This is what I want. Just find me this person,' and half the time people get matched with the opposite of what they thought they wanted. I think that being open and honest, and communication, is huge. Communication is the key."
Rochester said women are more likely to seek her services, but she has a strong pool of men, too, especially around the ages of 38 through 55.
Right now, there are hundreds of active daters, but her busiest time is during spring and summer.
"You sit with her, and you spend some time with her, [and] she figures out your personality, your likes, dislikes, and then she matches you with somebody," one client, Eric Agren, said.
Agren said he saw success through one of his friends who quickly found his forever love from Noreen, so he decided to reach out himself and see if he had the same luck.
"I've never used dating apps," he said. "I wasn't looking to do that, but I was looking to kind of get out of my circle. Everybody has a circle of friends, and a lot of times you date those people and I wanted to get out of that circle so when I went to Noreen, I was a little nervous."
Those nerves led him to jump at the chance of dating the women Rochester thought could be a match for each other.
"Usually these people have great jobs, they are successful, and they've been through a process, so it's not like swiping on a dating app and not knowing who this person is," Agren, who found success through Noreen, said.
After some unsuccessful dates with a few women, Agren found his person, too.
"'You guys have very similar personalities. I think you are going to really get along well.' So we went on a date. And Noreen was right. We spent many hours on our first date getting to know each other. We went on a couple more dates, and then we started dating," Agren explained.
You can learn more about Cara Matchmaking by clicking here.
More NEWS CENTER Maine stories