Finding love through friends is better than online dating

Jump to navigation. Dating your best friend can turn your most significant friendship into something really special. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts.

He was very clear about wanting to approach his online dating experience as friends first. We discussed what this would entail when we met.

Skip navigation! Story from Dedicated Feature. Andrea Cheng. It’s a tale as old as online dating apps themselves: You swipe right, you match, you strike up a conversation, you plan a first date — and sometimes — it fizzles. The same song and dance repeats until one day, you meet someone you’re excited to see for a second date, a person you actively want to hang out with, a potential life-long partner you can rely on and trust.

For three couples among the thousands who match across the world , that day happened when they found their significant others on Bumble. And of course, like most modern-day love stories, it all began with their profiles. We talked to each side of these Bumble matches-turned-relationships to find out what exactly compelled them to swipe right, the engaging or in one case, not-so-engaging first move, and how it led to a first date and, eventually, a life together.

What I was looking for: “I wobbled into the online world after a long-term relationship ended. As complicated as online dating seemed, the chance to pre-screen dates without having to engage was a big plus.