7 Best Elite Matchmakers [& How Much They Cost!]

Hiring a luxury matchmaking service is an investment, but one that can come with enormous benefits. 

A targeted search for matches who fit all the qualities you’re seeking in an ideal partner, not to mention a professional matchmaker to guide you through every step in the dating process.

Those two factors alone are practically worth their weight in gold!

High-end matchmaking services are worth the money - when you hire the right one for you. And reading matchmaking service reviews like this one is a great way to make that decision with confidence. 

From small independents to the big industry players, our team of experts has reviewed over 200 matchmaking services. Our insight comes from extensive research, actual customer reviews, and the type of deep understanding that comes with being part of the industry for over 14 years.

Check out how 7 of the best matchmaking services out there compare in terms of cost and other important details, like contracts and what to expect.

Then at the end of the list, keep reading for 3 crucial factors to consider before using any upscale dating service!

Let’s start with…

Enamour

Offering white glove matchmaking services to successful, busy singles all over the world, Enamour's team has been curating exceptional matches since 2009.

Enamour uses a powerful blend of AI, cutting-edge recruitment technology, relationship psychology and old-fashioned intuition to hand select highly compatible matches for you to meet.

How It Works

Matchmaking packages start around $20,000, with cost tailored to accommodate your specific search requirements.

As a client, your dedicated matchmaker will get to know your preferences, most sought-after qualities, and other essential matching criteria. The search for your ideal partner starts with Enamour's exclusive, invitation-only database. Every potential match undergoes an interview and screening process to help ensure compatibility before being presented to you.

Enamour's scouts also proactively search beyond the database, sourcing highly compatible, remarkable singles for you to meet. After every introduction, your matchmaker checks in with both you and your match. This gives you the opportunity to fine tune the search if needed, and also gain valuable insights into the dating process.

This elite matchmaking service also offers dating and relationship coaching, personal styling and professional photography.

VIDA Select (by Scott Valdez)

VIDA Select has been in the elite matchmaking business since 2009. Our team of expert matchmakers has the unique ability to select your perfect match from the world’s largest database of eligible singles - and the dating support you need to boost your confidence and look your best.

Most elite matchmaking agencies have significantly smaller pools of potential matches, which often leads to a lack of choice and sacrifices in the quality department. With VIDA, quality is the name of the game. You can be as selective as you want about who you meet!

In fact, you’ll exclusively meet singles who check all your “must have” boxes. You’ll have the final say on who stays and who goes once you’ve checked out their comprehensive profile and photos. This means no time will ever be wasted on a lackluster blind date.

How It Works

VIDA Select offers an array of membership packages for you to select from, depending on the level of service that best fits your needs. Clients can choose from Basic, Premium and Elite packages. Basic packages start at only $1195 for each month that you decide to use the service, and our Premium packages start at $1795 per month. Elite options begin at only $2595 per month.

Package prices are highly correlated with the number of hours that should be devoted to your search for compatible matches each month.

There are no multi-month contracts, so you can see for yourself that it works for you before committing to anything further.

If you haven’t already met someone with long-term relationship potential by the end of the first month, you can choose to continue from one month to the next until you do meet that someone special. On average, it only takes 11 dates before that happens!

Kelleher International (by Jill Kelleher)

Kelleher International is an exclusive matchmaking service based in San Francisco. They have affiliated offices in 16 major cities across the US. Locations include New York City, Boston, Chicago, Miami, and Seattle.

True to their name, these professional matchmakers also have a presence in London, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Headed by mother/daughter team Jill Kelleher and Amber Kelleher-Andrews, this elite dating agency has been in business since 1986.

How It Works

Memberships last for 1 to 3 years, and package levels are based on the scope of your search:

• A local search starts at $30,000 and covers one location. You have the option to pay an additional $5,000 for each city added.
• A national search starts at $45,000.
• An international search starts at $150,000 and ranges to over $300,000. Coined the “CEO Club,” this elite membership package includes a personal consultation with Jill or Amber.

Your contract comes with up to 12 months of “hold time". So you can temporarily suspend your service if you meet someone promising. Service can be paused repeatedly until the entire year of “hold time” has been used up.

Signing up starts with a preliminary phone call. Next is an in-person meeting or Skype session where your relationship goals and the particulars of their service is discussed.

Selective Search (by Barbie Adler)

Headquartered in Chicago, matchmaker Barbie Adler launched her service in 2000. Adler comes from a corporate background, having been an executive recruiter for Fortune 500 companies before switching careers.

Selective Search’s paying clients are predominantly men, with women typically joining the database of matchable candidates. Adler has a national reach, with a presence in other major cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Austin, and more.

How It Works

Matchmaking packages are tailored to each client. Contracts typically span 12 months, with details like the number of matches, freeze time, and the geographic scope of your search discussed during your initial consultation. 

Selective Search costs range from $25,000 to $1,000,000, with those factors all taken into account. 

The matchmaking process begins with a 2-hour interview where you’ll dive into your lifestyle, matchmaking criteria, dating history, and more. 

This discussion is part of Selective Search’s “Meet Your Future” process. All the information obtained during this session is built into a document she calls “The Benchmarks”, which will be referenced throughout the search for your ideal partner.

You’ll be meeting compatible matches selected from Adler’s database of candidates, or singles that her scouting team have sourced.

When you approve a potential match, Adler’s team will check to see if the interest is mutual. If so, contact information is exchanged and you’re expected to reach out to your match within 48 hours to set up a date.

To learn more about Barbie Adler’s elite matchmaking service, check out our Selective Search review!

Millionaire’s Club (by Patti Stanger)

Millionaire matchmaker^® Patti Stanger started her elite matchmaking service in 2000. If her name sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen her TV shows on the Bravo and WeTV networks.

Millionaire’s Club is based in Los Angeles. But she works with affiliated matchmakers across the country in cities like San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and DC.

Stanger’s dating service offers a wide range of services besides matchmaking. You can also purchase relationship counseling, dating coaching, image consulting, and professional photography.

How It Works

Potential clients choose from several membership packages. Prices range from $45,000 for the Bronze package to $100,000+ for the Platinum package. Working with Patti herself adds an additional $35,000 to the price tag. She just works exclusively with an average of 10 clients per year.

Up to 5 clients per year in each city can pay an additional $30,000 for “Priority Status". That means you’ll get the chance to meet the best singles in your area first. This upgrade is available on a first come/first served basis.

All packages include 12 months of unlimited dating and 2 months of hold time, which allows you to temporarily freeze your membership. This elite matchmaking service does not offer refunds.

If you don’t want to purchase a membership package, you can purchase an upscale dating “Mixer Experience”. That costs $35,000 (plus the cost of the space rental, food, alcohol, etc.). You’ll meet 25 hand-picked singles during a cocktail, dinner, lunch, or breakfast party hosted by Stanger at a venue in your city.

Paying clients can also add a mixer experience to their membership package for an additional cost:

Want to learn more about luxury matchmaker Patti Stanger? Check out this Millionaire's Club review!

Serious Matchmaking (by Janis Spindel)

When it comes to luxury matchmaking, Janis Spindel's agency is one of the most established. She’s been in the game since 1993, and now works with her daughter Carly Spindel. Together, they’ve built a rep as one of NYC’s “go to” millionaire matchmakers.

How It Works

The Spindels only take on men as clients. Women can pay a one-time fee for the chance to be included in the member database. If they pass the screening, they are matched with male clients and invited to mixers and events.

Yearly membership costs start at $25,000 to work with Carly Spindel, and $50,000 to work with Janis Spindel. They also offer an assortment of higher level packages where you can work with both of them. Those options range from $80,000 to $1,000,000.

Contracts also include both a signing fee and a finder's fee. The actual amount varies per client, but starts at $65,000. Both fees are the same, with the finder's fee only being due if you wind up in a long-term relationship with a match the Spindel's found you.

If you don’t want to purchase a membership, you can opt for a “Flash Match” package. It costs $6,000 and includes 6 hand-picked matches that you’ll meet face to face during an evening at a high-end venue.

Want to learn more about Janis Spindel? Check out these Serious Matchmaking reviews!

Amy Laurent

An elite matchmaker since 2005, Amy Laurent runs a boutique matchmaking service in New York City, with additional staff located in Los Angeles.

How It Works

Like the Spindels, Amy Laurent only works with male clients - and she only takes on 30 at any given time. Membership prices start at $25,000 a year, and include an additional 12 months worth of hold time.

The number of introductions varies per client, as it depends on the individual’s relationship goals, location, and match criteria. Clients are matched with high quality women Amy Laurent has recruited at various events, or who have sought her out after seeing her in the media.

A published author, she’s written a book called “8 Weeks To Everlasting,” which focuses on navigating those crucial first weeks of a relationship. She’s also written articles for magazines like Cosmo, and made numerous TV appearances.

Prospective clients discuss their “good match” criteria and relationship goals during an interview, and if she feels her elite dating service is a good fit, she’ll show you some matches she thinks you’d be interested in meeting. If the feeling is mutual, you move forward from there.

Check out this Amy Laurent review to learn more about her elite matchmaking service.

4 Things To Consider Before Using A Luxury Matchmaking Service

Most high-end dating services require you to sign a contract and pay for your service in full up front, which means due diligence is in order before locking yourself into a lengthy commitment.

But even with VIDA’s pay-as-you-go structure, a little introspection and reflection will go a long way towards helping your matchmaker find your ideal partner.

With that in mind, you’ll want to consider these 4 key points before consulting with a matchmaker:

#1: Your Relationship Goals

Spend some time reflecting on your true “dealbreakers” and what personality traits you feel are essential to long-term compatibility. What’s worked for you in previous serious relationships, and what hasn’t? What do you feel has kept you from meeting someone special, and what made you decide to hire a matchmaking service at this point in your life?

Would you consider a match who is geographically distant if relocation is on the table, or would you prefer your matchmaker do a focused local search? How much importance do you place on factors like occupation, faith, education, etc? Do you want to see a full portfolio of potential matches, including photos, or are you okay with blind dates?

The answers to questions like these will help you narrow down your field of options, and focus on the dating services that align best with your specific needs.

#2: Where Your Potential Matches Will Come From

This is one of the most important considerations, especially when you're not living in a big city like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, etc. If your potential matchmaker is limited to singles within an internal database, her ability to do quality pairings is very limited since compatibility runs both ways.

For the best odds of meeting a relationship-worthy match, look for a matchmaking service that casts a much wider net!

#3: How Much “Dating Support” You’d Like

If you’re not confident with your dating skills, or you feel like perhaps your “look” could use a bit of updating, hiring a matchmaking service that offers additional services like coaching, image consulting and personal styling makes a lot of sense.

#4: How Much Flexibility You Want

This is a key consideration if a contract is involved. If you don’t pay by the month for your service, you’ll want to think about how much time within the contact period you want to be actively dating.

For instance, if you take a few vacations throughout the year, or some months are busier than others at work, do you want the ability to “pause” your matchmaking service?

Or if you meet someone special, what happens if you want to explore that relationship without the potential distraction (or awkwardness) of meeting a new match?

Some matchmaking services include a set number of months of “pause” time into the contract, with others you’ll need to anticipate in advance how much time you might need and negotiate it into your contract.

Think about how much dating flexibility you want, as that will help you determine which one is the best matchmaking service for you!

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