You said it
No swipes, no apps, literally just vibes
Remember the days when people serendipitously exchanged numbers in the queue at the coffee shop? No? Yeah, for most of us, encountering romantic prospects looks more like constant ghosting, promising matches that go nowhere and a bottomless list of options, designed to keep us all on a never-ending quest for the next best thing. In short, we’ve basically grown up on Tinder, with algorithms taking control of our love lives.
But believe it or not, romcom-worthy ‘how we met’ moments aren’t strictly a thing of the past – they do still happen today, and (because you’re asking) no, it’s not always creepy to approach a cute stranger in public. And yes, there are ways to talk to another human being without coming off as awkward or desperate.
To reassure you, and honestly, also ourselves, we asked people who met their person in person how they did it. Allow their stories to inspire your own foray into the off-app dating world – or at least to warm your swipe-hardened heart.
‘I deleted my dating apps after six years of failure and met my boyfriend at pre-drinks for a warehouse rave two weeks later. I asked his housemate if he was single and was told yes, so when I saw him taking a shot with some friends, I asked him to pour me one. We spent the rest of the night dancing, attached at the groin. As I was getting ready to go, I ended up drunkenly tripping over. He helped me up, and we’re still dating a year and a half later.’
– Emma, 28
‘I decided to go to a concert by myself after randomly hearing this new band on the radio. A cute guy immediately caught my eye, so I went up to talk to him. It turned out he’d actually drawn the poster for the show. He gave me his number on one of the extra posters and now we’ve been dating for three and a half years.’
– Ysabel, 27
‘My partner and I met at a queer bar where I was performing in a drag show. I “casually” grabbed a drink at the bar at the same time as them; we exchanged names and I went on with my performance – during which I did a jump split, hit my knee and started bleeding! They like to say they fell in love right then and there. They offered to help me after the show, we closed down the bar and we’ve been together ever since.’
– Alec, 23
‘I met my boyfriend at my hairdressers. I had just started dating a comedian (non-exclusively). She invited me to her bisexual comedy show. When I invited him, he dropped that he was also bi. Four years later and we’re still together.’
– Tiffany, 38
‘I met my fiance at the gym after moving back to my home town. We made eye contact and started chatting. I noted when I ran into him most and started going at t
