"Mixed feelings"

Showed up for Valentines event, there were supposed to be two age groups simultaneously but the venue had only accounted for one group booking. It was very noisy and there weren’t enough seats but the pizza looked amazing. (Not sure if it was for us? Never got a slice, didn’t hear anything about it but that could have been the noise) venue was grossly understaffed, waited 20 minutes at the bar trying to order a drink. (2 drinks costed 29$ plus tip) While i did a group of male patrons at the door questioned if I was part of the event. My guess is that perhaps they stationed themselves between the door and the event to cuss what participants looked like before deciding to ‘show up’. Already I wanted nothing to do with them. (At least one of them eventually attended) In one group I counted 5 men and at least 12 women. It was awkward and uncomfortable, a few women sat alone in a booth off to the distance, the vibe first felt disheartening. Some women left half an hour in when it became evident they would have to wait a while doing nothing while everyone else was dating. 4 stressed organizers ran around looking for pens while finally concluding they would take one group elsewhere. Once settled in a new venue nearby it was quieter and felt more organized. There were still more women but the ratio wasn’t as bad. I believe I had 5 dates in total (I’m a female) wondering where the other 20 were but there were a few quality people so no complaints there. Organizers tried their best to be friendly and accommodating, some seemed unsure of how to solve the issues at hand. One offered chocolates out of a heart shaped box, that was a nice touch and helped the evening theme along. By that time I could have used another drink but there was no bar in sight. Dates were a bit too short, most time was spent watching others date. The concept was great! A few tweaks and I could recommend. The venue was good, very central location and would have been a great place to mingle afterwards there was just no room for everyone to sit without having to commit awkwardly to a booth with strangers…so it wasn’t much of a mingling opportunity, more like beeline to sit with the person you might be interested in otherwise you’re out. Most participants left immediately afterwards. There could have been a prompt jar on table, or a drink included, or you know, the amount of dates promised. Overall it is a super fun concept the night just happened to be full of logistical issues. I paid $50, it was worth $25. I will attend in the future and give it another chance because the people were varied and organizers were friendly, approachable and putting forth effort. Perhaps there should have been fewer facilitators and someone exclusively allocated to sorting out logistical/ administrative tasks. I recommend establishing a system to weed out the judgy guys at the door and to have a fill in list when spaces become available. When events become sloppy or mismanaged consider 1. offer drinks 2. put your most personable facilitator at the forefront 3. be transparent ‘we’re all in this together’ to keep a vibe of laughing it off Additionally consider offering a refund or better yet, some kind of deal on later tickets to encourage additional participants (I.e attend for free next time or 2 for one in the genre lacking) I feel bad leaving so few stars but it’s mostly a reflection of costs. $50 ticket plus two drinks and a cab cost me $120. I’m used to being taken out and perhaps paying the taxi fare. For $120 (Vancouver, BC) I would have hoped to have enough potential connections that I walk away with a match.

"Friendliest people and great event!"

The owner and the hostesses here are the loveliest people. They went above and beyond anything I expected to help me with an issue I had, and in the most warm and friendliest way. They were so quick to respond, even though it was regarding an event I had attended two months prior (a long while ago) I felt totally valued as a customer and person.

The event in Toronto I attended was well organized. They were quick to inform of a change of venue and subsequent followed-up. I should mention that even though I did not have a match, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun, when one of my dates went over the time limit, the hostess was quick to step in to keep things moving, and was very friendly about it!

At times it may take a bit of effort to hear or talk over others at the venue (with everyone talking) but that is just a minor issue and something I believe can't be helped.

All in all, it was a great experience - I have signed up for the next one and will definitely be attending more events in the future if needed!

"Fun way to meet new people"

I have attended their events a few times and have always had a good experience. I enjoy meeting people this way over online apps/sites since you can tell if there is any spark or interest right away.

"Just attended an event this Wednesday…and again yesterday"

Just attended an event this Wednesday night and there was little to no preparation on their part. The ratio guys to girls was off as there were too many men. There were no pens, minimal direction it felt like the event was put together by someone who had never put an event together before. Lastly it's three days later and I still have not received anything matches or notifications that I did not have a match... When the expectation what two days after the event we would be notified

On a bigger scale, the event was a miss match, I think they should use more than just age as a pre-qualifier. This resulted in me really not finding anyone I could truly see having a relationship with and I would suggest many would have this same experience.

EDIT: I have since had email communications with one of the leaders of this organization and they have been communicative and seem to want to try and make things right. I have not attended another event yet but will try based on the conversations... I appreciate the customers care!

EDIT EDIT: So I was offered to try again as I was told my experience was not the norm. To their credit this event was much more organized and overall a better experience. The organizer was better prepared and the night went off without any issues...

It is something I think singles should try at least once. Personally it did not work for me but I am a single father and most of the women there were looking to start families, this however, is my issue not the events fault at all. If I had another suggestion it would be to organize an event like this in Barrhaven or Kanata aimed at single parents.. there are a lot of us!

"Honestly, worst experience ever."

Honestly worst experience ever. They had crammed at least 60 of us into a tiny little corner of a room at a bar in uptown Toronto. With that many simultaneous conversations, the sound was deafening. Every single person complained about how loud it was. You couldn't hear the person who was shouting at you 6 inches away across the little table. Instead of getting to know each other, we were occupied with the sore throats, and developing headaches due to the shouting.

"Lots of fun!"

Interesting evening - great fun.
The hostess was very nice and helpful and the staff were very efficient. Thank you!

"25Dates.com Changed My Life!"

Little did I know, that signing up for one speed dating event with 25Dates.com would change my life forever, for the better. I ended up meeting the woman of my dreams. We fell in love, married, had a beautiful son and have been having the most incredible and adventurous life full of love romance, challenges and excitement for the last 10 years! We are and continue to have a blast. I am forever grateful to 25Dates for allowing me the opportunity to meet my soul mate! It is a great business and the owner should be proud to have brought so many people together to share their lives! 14 years....good on you 25Dates! Keep it up....the world needs more companies like you!

Kind regards,
Aaron

"Great way to meet new people!"

It was my first time going to such an event on July 7, I was surprised how well organized was! Have met some great guys I thought will be awkward and 3min not enough time, it wasn't awkward at all! We talked a whole time!!! Great event! I didn't meet any suitors however you will see me soon again:) adri

"Fun!"

Grab a drink, talk to and meet some nice new peeps. Easy fun night.

"A First-Class Dating Experience"

25Dates is a fun, low-pressure way to connect with a lot of singles in one evening. The great advantage of 25Dates is the chance to assess personal chemistry with someone, and just get a sense of how well you "click" together.

The hosts are friendly as well, and really take time to make sure everyone feels at ease and comfortable. The event was organized and well-run, so I got to just sit back and enjoy the company. I liked that they offered food during the event as well.

I ended up with a lot of matches with great people, one of whom became my boyfriend. Although that relationship didn't work out (for reasons unrelated to how we met), I'm grateful for the introduction, and would definitely try 25Dates again :)