Editor's Note: Dating Ring closed on August 31, 2018. Check out our ultimate guide To NYC matchmakers [/nyc-matchmakers/]! If you’re a fan of dating apps like CoffeeMeetsBagel [/coffee-meets-bagel-review-what-you-need-to-know/] where you receive a handful of highly-curated matches at a particular time of the day, it’s no wonder you’re curious about Dating Ring reviews. Depending on your Dating Ring membership level, you’ll get a new match every Sunday evening at 7. But what sets this NYC dating service apart is the human element - specifically Emma Tessler and her team of matchmakers - who do all the curating for you. Our team has been in the industry since 2009 and we've reviewed over 200 matchmakers and their services. So is Dating Ring’s approach to matchmaking the right one for you? Keep reading to find out! DATING RING’S ROCKY START Headquartered in NYC [https://www.vidaselect.com/nyc-matchmakers/], Dating Ring also provides matchmaking services for singles in San Francisco [/san-francisco-matchmaker/], Los Angeles [/matchmaker-los-angeles/], Boston [/boston-matchmakers/], and Washington DC [/matchmaker-dc/]. The company was founded in 2013 by Lauren Kay and Emma Tessler, and like many new business endeavors, the Dating Ring startup faced some hurdles. One of their first initiatives, crowdfunded by the now defunct Crowdtilt, stirred up some media controversy [https://www.thecut.com/2014/05/shipped-to-california.html] when Kay flew 16 single women from NYC to a 5-day dating spree [http://www.businessinsider.com/the-dating-ring-cross-country-love-2014-5] with 16 bachelors in San Francisco. While Tessler and Kay were just trying to even out the gender representation in their database of singles for each city, some critics saw the publicity stunt as a misstep. For instance, ValleyWag likened it to flying “comfort women [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_women] to Imperial Japan,” Salon [https://www.salon.com/2014/03/04/is_this_dating_start_up_sexist/] wondered if they were sexist, and commenters on the YouTube promo were quick to throw around terms like “gold digger”: But in the end it all came out well - Dating Ring’s database doubled in size after all the press, and today they’re still going strong. Today, the majority of their clients are in their mid 30s, although they’ve matched people from 21 up into their 70s. THE MATCHMAKING PROCESS Prospective clients can sign up via Facebook, or by filling out a short form on the Dating Ring website: Once you’ve submitted the form, a matchmaker will be in touch to discuss the membership options. You’ll then create your dating profile, which will be added to the database. Profiles consist of 3-5 photos, and all the standard biographical information you’d see on a dating app will be shared with your matches: first name, age, height, occupation, educational background and religion. You can also set your match filters (age, height, religion, and ethnicity) to help your matchmaker find compatible singles for you. Paying clients are matched with other members in the Dating Ring’s database of singles. Just like on Tinder [/tinder-guide/], an algorithm [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/smallbusiness/start-up-blends-old-fashioned-matchmaking-and-algorithms.html] determines your matches. But instead of you swiping through them, your matchmaker will do the curating, presenting you with the best single match of the bunch. Depending on which membership level you select, you’ll receive one match every Sunday evening, or every other Sunday. Once you’ve received the match, you indicate whether or not you want to meet them in person. If both people are interested, you’ll be able to text each other via a private SMS line. This phone number only exists for 7 days, so you’ll need to make plans or exchange “real” contact info before it expires. After each date, you can leave feedback with your matchmaker on how will the match fit your criteria. DATING RING COST You have 3 paid membership options, or you can add your profile to the Dating Ring database for free. However, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever be matched with a paying client. All of the paid membership options also include invitations to Dating Ring single’s events and the ability to communicate with your matchmaker via the chat function on the Dating Ring member’s website. IS DATING RING THE BEST WAY TO MEET YOUR SOULMATE? While Dating Ring has gotten a lot of media attention, both positive and negative, there doesn’t seem to be any online reviews regarding the quality of the actual matchmaking service. That means it all comes down to whether or not the type of service they offer aligns with your relationship goals. If you’re not in a hurry to meet someone, getting 2-4 matches a month may fit your schedule. Or if you want more than that, you can pay the $2,500 to get a few more than that. Or maybe you’d rather get the chance to meet an unlimited number of high-quality, carefully curated matches every month? If that’s the case, you should consider a matchmaking service like VIDA Select [/matchmaking-service/]. Whether you’re single in NYC or anywhere else, VIDA Select’s elite matchmakers can tap into a huge database of local singles, then hand-select the most compatible matches for you. You pre-approve all your matches, and we’ll set up the dates for you! Intrigued? Click here to find out how VIDA Select can help you meet your ideal partner! [https://qualify.vidaselect.com/] ALL PRODUCT AND COMPANY NAMES ARE TRADEMARKS™ OR REGISTERED® TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE HOLDERS. 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