Meet Donna Shugrue [Can She Find Your Perfect Match?]

Looking for love in Colorado and wondering if Donna Shugrue can help you find it?  

From how she got into matchmaking, to her matchmaking philosophy, what it costs, and more, this short profile has all the info you need to decide if she’s the right one to head up the search for your ideal partner! 

Our team of matchmaking experts has been in the industry since 2009, so we know what customers value most when working with a personal matchmaker. 

We've reviewed 200+ services, diving deep into their process, success rates, cost, and customer experiences. 

Let’s start with how this Colorado Springs matchmaker got into the business!

Meet Matchmaker Donna Shugrue

Before launching Perfectly Matched in the early 90s, Shugrue devoted her life primarily to her family, raising two daughters while working part-time jobs. However, after her decades-long marriage ended, she found herself in need of a full-time career.

As she shared in an interview, 

"Never in a million years did I think it would be matchmaking. I probably had half a dozen weddings under my belt before I even thought about being a matchmaker. It’s something that I feel like I have the talent for."

According to Shugrue, she had an instinct for pairing couples together even back in high school. Her ability for making matches was even acknowledged during her 25th high school reunion, where she was given an award for the "most obvious career path." 

Before launching her own service, Shugrue started working with 2 dating services in Denver: Successful Singles International and Matchmaker International.

In 1991, Shugrue decided to become her own boss and launched "Perfectly Matched" in Colorado Springs. 

With over 30 years in the matchmaking realm, Shugrue extends her dating and relationship advice to singles across Colorado. 

In her own words,

"My job really starts when somebody gets into a relationship. I do more counseling and coaching than I do matchmaking."

Shugrue strongly believes that for couples to have a long-term successful relationship, their future goals need to be aligned. 

In an interview with the Colorado Springs Business Journal, she said, 

"I tell people, 'Don't waste your time dating someone who wants to get married if you don't, and 'Don't waste your time dating someone who wants to have kids if you don't.'"

Additionally, Shugrue emphasizes the importance of allowing time for healing after the end of a relationship, rather than rushing into another one. 

She suggests as a general rule of thumb that people should estimate one month of recovery time for every year the couple was together. However, she highlights that the healing process might vary based on the circumstances of the breakup. 

As she puts it, 

"The person who chooses to end the relationship generally has an easier time moving on and could be ready sooner." 

Donna Shugrue’s Matchmaking Philosophy 

Donna Shugrue takes an old-school approach to matchmaking. She maintains records exclusively on paper, only using computers to print out the compatibility test results. As she shared in an interview, she even manually calculates the test scores. 

Shugrue’s approach to matchmaking requires that each client not only complete a compatibility profile test, but also fill out interest and activities forms. Additionally, clients go through exercises to envision their ideal relationship. 

Shugrue described it this way:

"You sit down and you think, What would the right person for me be like? What kind of qualities would I want him or her to have? The best way to draw that out of yourself is to think about past relationships or marriages that you’ve had and what you’ve really liked about that person. And then think about what you didn’t like, and turn the negatives into positives and write it down.”

These test results help Shugrue identify potential matches she thinks are compatible. For instance, she tries to pair people with similar views and outlooks on life, but who have different temperaments. 

As she explains, 

"Because if you have the same temperament you’ll either butt heads and fight or avoid confrontation to the point of avoiding communication. Opposites in temperament can balance each other out.”

And when it comes to meeting those matches, Shugrue has a few ground rules she advises her clients follow to move things toward a healthy relationship:

Postpone Physical Intimacy For At Least 3 Months

"... once you're physically involved, you're emotionally involved. It takes the focus off the friendship and puts it on the intimacy, and that's not what you want to do when you don't even know someone."

Refrain From Defining The Relationship Too Soon

"Don't ask yourself where it's going or how this person could fit into your life long-term for six months because you don't have enough information to answer that question yet."

Wait A Year Before Making Major Decisions 

"Don't do anything as serious as getting engaged, married, or moving in until you've gone a full year. People can change with the seasons. One year is not a long time to wait if you think that this is someone you're gonna spend the rest of your life with."

What It Costs To Hire Donna Shugrue

Perfectly Matched packages are based on the number of matches Shugrue will provide. 

Typically, this ranges between 10 and 20 matches, with the pricing for a 10 match package starting around $1,800. Matchmaking contracts are generally for 2 years, with the option of extending the contract for an additional year if the number of matches hasn’t been delivered yet. 

Along with matchmaking, Shugrue also offers relationship and dating coaching for both clients and couples who met outside of her service.

Want to learn more about the Perfectly Matched matchmaking process and see what actual clients are saying? Check out our Perfectly Matched Review next!

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