It’s Time to Bring Back the “Meet Cute” Pre-Dating featured in Syracuse University student-run magazine
For those who are looking for someone organically by sticking to social settings, such as the bar or community events, meeting someone face-to-face can feel rewarding and offer the opportunity to feel out chemistry.
Written By Maddy Taylor Photo by Tina Selig Original link: https://mustard-helix-w8nc.squarespace.com/9mfehhs6kt2vag7aqn19w0hd2b5dka/2025/11/16/its-time-to-bring-back-the-meet-cute
The 2002 hit movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” gave audiences a relatable first encounter when the protagonist, Toula Portokalos, found herself speechless when waiting on the handsome Ian Miller at her family’s restaurant. More recently, the 2017 movie “The Big Sick” presented a couple who first met after one heckled the other at a comedy show.
Both of these couples experienced hardships but eventually ended up together. These movies tend to circulate in conversations when people discuss a desire to experience their own meet cute, as it offers a fun story to tell and differs from other couples.
As socializing shifts due to various reasons such as the COVID-19, inflated prices and increasing screentime, finding “the one” in a social setting might be difficult for some. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 4% of the Americans surveyed spend time on weekends and holidays attending or hosting social events. This is a significant drop from 6.3% of Americans in 2004.
For those who are looking for someone organically by sticking to social settings, such as the bar or community events, meeting someone face-to-face can feel rewarding and offer the opportunity to feel out chemistry.
In-person dating events are offered in the Syracuse area for people who are looking to put themselves out there and meet a potential partner. The company Pre-Dating Speed Dating offers adults the chance to meet new people in person. People can avoid the cost of setting up multiple dates from old profiles or scammers, as host of the Syracuse speed dating events Tina Selig described.
Selig said she has found success in these speed dating events and is even contacted by people who are still with their partners they met.
“It was a woman and a guy, they’re like ‘we met at an event in September six months ago,’” Selig said. “They said ‘we’ve been together since and we’re moving in together next month.’”
Marta Kowal, who has a doctorate in psychology, led a team of scientists who conducted a survey of 6,646 people in relationships from 50 different countries. They analyzed how people met their partners and how it linked to their overall relationship satisfaction and the love they reported feeling.
The study found that people who met their partners online had lower levels of relationship satisfaction and experienced love less intensely as compared to couples who met offline. The researchers said the findings may be explained by the fact that couples who meet offline share more similar characteristics.
North Syracuse resident Jonathan Burgess said that his friend kept trying to get him to attend a speed dating event, with Burgess finally obliging. He said that he has found some matches and been able to explore new restaurants.
Though the speed dating events have been rewarding, Burgess said that it’s important to have a thick skin as rejection can be emotionally challenging.
“Rejection is very difficult,” he said. “I think young people have trouble with rejection, too. So they do things like ‘swipe right.’”
The Knot, a wedding planning website, published an article in 2025 that surveyed nearly 8,000 newly engaged couples. The survey found that 27% of couples met online, which is a decrease from the 2023 and 2022 surveys.
In person first encounters were more common, with 16% meeting through friends, 15% met at school, 10% met at work and 9% met through chance encounters. The Knot reported stories of couples meeting on trains, bumping elbows at the library and even picking up produce from the grocery store.
Finding potential partners might take additional time and patience as well as stepping out of your comfort zone. A meet cute gives the opportunity to embrace your own quirks and pay attention to what is happening right in front of you.
Comments:
James 90 minutes ago · 2 Likes
I’m so sick of apps – it seems fun but never actually goes anywhere. I think speed dating is amazing. How else would you meet 12 people in one night without spending more time and more money. Meeting people irl is better you know right away if you re even interested
Rob 2 days ago · 9 Likes
My results with speed dating werent perfect but i did meet some amazing women, one im dating and hope we work out. Int he apps i jst tried to match with anyone and i guess thats the problem. In person I was forced to slow down and focus on one person for a few minutes, it basically rewired my brain a bit for dating. swiping in half a second is not the way to do it and no matter what happens i’ll never go back to that
Liz 3 days ago · 14 Likes
I didnt get it, I thought it was for losers or something. I thought i could meet a man on my own if i was attractive, just going about my buisness we would meet by accident and stars would align. I watched too many movies! in reality, going to an event where you know everyone has the intention of at least being open to meeting someone is normal behavior, smart, realistic. You go to t he gym to get results, you go get your hair and nails done, you don’t walk around waiting to get fit or bump into someone thats going to do your hair lol So i went becus i knew everyone was single, lived near by, and was open to a relationship. I did not meet mr wonderful the first night. But i talked to 10 men and got to know them, 2 were just awful, but 8 were not bad, not for me but not bad. I went again, about the same. Third times the charm right? 3 were really incredible, one didnt pick me but two did and we statrted emailing. After getting to know both of them one of them really stood out and we had a lot in common. That was last January and he proposed last night and I coulnd’t wait to say yes! If youre considering going to speed dating, look its not a magic wand, you still have to do the work of finding your person, but when I think that I could still be going about my life waiting to meet someone instead of being with him now it makes me feel so bad for the people still tlinking it’s just going to happen
Allen 3 days ago · 0 Likes
there s desperate women online ready to give it away tonight why waste time n money going to meet one when i can find a fresh one whenever i want?
Deb 3 days ago · 4 Likes
Allen: Yes please stay away this is not for you. Stay online
