Susan
March 4, 2024
According to Netflix’s public ranking system, Love Is Blind is currently the most popular show on Netflix, according to the streaming service’s public ranking system. And is it any wonder? In an age where millions of singles are swiping left or right on potential dates solely based on their looks, it’s refreshing (and even thrilling) to watch people fall in love through a wall — sight unseen. But how well does Love is Blind work?
The numbers say a lot — so, here’s what we know about the success rate of Love is Blind.
Does Love is Blind Work?
During every season of the show, 15 men and 15 women date in the pods with hopes of meeting “The One.” Typically a small handful of couples get engaged from there, and fewer will actually say “I do” when they get to the altar. Season 6 is still underway, so we don’t know how many of those couples will make it just yet. But here’s how many got engaged in previous seasons:
Season 1: Eight engaged couples (Note: Netflix only showed six)
Season 2: Eight engaged couples (Note: Netflix only showed six)
Season 3: Five engaged couples (Netflix showed all of them)
Season 4: Seven engaged couples (Note: Netflix only showed five)
Season 5: Six engaged couples (Note: Netflix only showed three)
So, does Love is Blind work?
Well, at this time, only eight of those Love is Blind couples are still together. That’s eight out of 34 couples to get engaged on the show — which is 23.5%. It’s higher than you might expect for a reality dating show, but still — not that high. What’s more, even the couples from the inaugural season of the show have only been together for five years at this point. The average length of most marriages that end in divorce is about 8 years — so time will only tell whether these Love is Blind success stories actually remain success stories.
Is love really blind?
People often ask, “Do looks matter in dating?” The answer — unequivocally — is yes. Physical attraction always comes into play in any relationship. Sure, you can grow more attracted to someone over time as you get to know them—in fact, there’s research to prove that this phenomenon is real. But if there’s absolutely no physical spark to begin with, that can be difficult to work with.
So, the question becomes: how much do looks matter? This can vary from person to person, so I’ll just point to the facts.
When it comes to women, some research has shown that although women do look for non-physical personality traits such as friendliness, kindness, and ambition, they also admit needing to have some level of physical attraction in order to consider someone as a mate. But more recent research suggests that women may be even a bit more looks-focused than they let on. A 2020 study exposed women to online dating profiles, and asked how likely they were to enter into a relationship with each person. Researchers discovered that physical attractiveness had the greatest impact on their choice of potential mates.
For men, studies show that looks seem to matter even more — while they do value personality traits like humility, spontaneity, and thoughtfulness.
The reality is, people are often a bit more shallow than they’d like to admit. Even on Love is Blind , this is glaringly evident during the reveals when contestants finally get to see their partners for the first time. Sometimes, their disappointment is obvious. Despite forming a deep emotional connection with someone in the pods, they just can’t get past their physical appearance. And if you examine the stories of Love is Blind couples who haven’t worked out, you’ll notice a trend: At least one person lacked physical attraction to their chosen partner. Case in point: Zanab Jaffrey and Cole Barnett (Season 3), Nancy Rodriguez and Bartise Bowden (Season 3), Zack Goytowski and Irina Solomonova (Season 4), and Deepti Vempati and Abhishek ‘Shake’ Chatterjee (Season 2). In all of these cases, a contestant expressed — either privately to the camera or directly to their chosen partner — that their fiance simply wasn’t their “type.”
To be clear, I’m a huge advocate of dating outside your type. I think too often, singles get far too close-minded about what they’re looking for. If you have too many boxes for your potential mate to check, no one stands a chance — and you’ll end up missing out on some great matches. That said, to a degree, we can’t really control what we’re attracted to. A client who prefers fit men with a nice smile simply has standards. A client who only dates tall, skinny but full-busted is unrealistic. See the difference? In other words, it’s totally OK to have a type, but hopefully, that type also encompasses non-physical traits, too. Otherwise, you’re just chasing fleeting infatuation rather than real, lasting love.
If love were truly blind, then every single couple who fell for each other in the pods would remain in love and say “I do” at the altar. But that’s not always what happens. So, I rest my case. In the real world, physical appearance does matter. Certainly, it matters less to some people than to others — but it’s a factor in the success of relationships all the same.
How to find a partner outside of dating apps & dating shows
Obviously, going on Love is Blind isn’t feasible for every single person. And even if it was, there’s no guarantee it’ll work for you because as I explained, physical appearance does play a role in your compatibility with someone.
Many singles may turn to apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge to find love — but dating on these platforms often result in ultra-shallow experiences on the opposite end of the spectrum. After all, potential matches are basing their first impressions of you primarily on your photos. If they don’t like the way you look, they probably won’t even give you the chance to go on a single date.
That’s where I come in.
What does a professional matchmaker do? Well, after getting to know you and everything — and I mean everything — that you’re looking for in a partner and relationship, I’ll set you up on dates with people who I feel confident you’ll hit it off with. But that’s not all. I’ll also guide you every step of the way in preparing for your date and following up so that you can present the best possible version of you — thereby increasing your odds of a second date (and a third, and a fourth, and so on). I encourage clients to trust me throughout the process, which may or may not mean refraining from looking at photos of their dates beforehand. This can lead to preconceived notions about your matches, and the idea is to have faith in the method and keep an open mind. After all, you’re not being set up with random strangers — you’re saving time and energy by going on dates with people who actually align with your goals, interests, and preferences.
Imagine what the Love is Blind success rate might be if they had a professional matchmakers on hand to help make the connections? Or to coach them through the process of dating, serving as a sounding board for their goals and concerns while also offering honest advice on how they can make themselves more attractive to prospective mates?
Does matchmaking really work?
People often ask: Is a matchmaker worth it? To that I’d respond, “Well, can you put a price on lifelong love?” If you’re tired of the superficial dating app merry-go-round, and you’re hungry for a genuine emotional and physical connection, start by filling out a confidential profile or emailing us at [email protected]. If you registered as a paid client, you’re guaranteed to be sent on dates — but even if you register as a free member, you’ll still be considered as a match for other clients.