Friend Of A Friend Reviews [Best GTA Matchmaker For You?]

Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking is a GTA-based dating service now led by Claire AH, serving Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, and Ottawa. Packages range from $750 to $17,000+ CDN for one-year contracts. The service takes a blind-date approach—you receive profiles but no photos before meeting. It's inclusive by design, offering matchmaking for all genders, ages, abilities, and sexualities, including specialized LGBTQIA+ matchmaking.

Key Takeaways:

• Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking was founded by Sofi Papamarko in 2013; Claire AH purchased the company in 2020
• The service operates in the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington) and Ottawa
• Matchmaking packages range from $750 to $17,000+ CDN for one-year contracts
• Clients receive unlimited potential matches but no guaranteed number of dates
• The service uses a blind-date approach—profiles are shared but photos are not
• Friend Of A Friend is inclusive, serving all genders, ages, abilities, and sexualities
• Higher-tier packages include recruitment from dating sites like Match.com, Bumble, and OkCupid
• Stand-alone dating coaching costs $100 CDN/hour or $549 CDN for six sessions

Our team of dating experts has reviewed over 200 matchmakers and their services, diving deep into the process, cost, client experience, and more. With over 14 years of first-hand industry experience, we know what clients value most in a matchmaking service.

Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking was founded in 2013 by freelance writer Sofi Papamarko. As she explained in an interview shortly after launching, she'd been setting up friends for as long as she could remember.

Describing the moment she decided to pursue matchmaking professionally, she recalled watching one of her friends dancing at a birthday party:

“She was wearing this black vinyl dress and was just losing herself in the song and I thought, “I know who would like her.” The day after their successful first date, I launched into business planning Friend of a Friend.”

Papamarko also wrote extensively about dating and relationships as a regular columnist for the Toronto Star. She stepped away from the matchmaking business in 2020, selling the company to Claire AH—who had originally been a client.

Claire AH is the current owner of Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking. Before becoming a professional matchmaker, she worked in marketing and public relations for a sex education organization in Montreal.

AH was initially a client of Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking in 2013, the same year it launched. While that's not ultimately how she found a relationship, she had a positive experience with the service.

After going through a medical crisis, AH gained a new perspective on the power of having a supportive, healthy relationship. When she saw the service was hiring in 2016, she pursued a career in matchmaking and eventually purchased the company in 2020.

Personal empowerment and relationship growth is central to her matchmaking philosophy. As she explained, 

“I talk to my clients about the person they’re looking for and the relationship they’re looking for. We talk about what has and hasn’t worked in the past, the patterns, and the attachment style.” 

Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking helps singles in the Greater Toronto Area—including Toronto, Hamilton, and Burlington—as well as Ottawa.

The service is selective. Their FAQ notes they're a small business that knows their client base very well. If they don't feel they can successfully match you, they won't take you on.

Beyond that selectivity, the service prides itself on inclusivity. They offer matchmaking for all genders, ages, abilities, and sexualities. Friend Of A Friend has a matchmaker in Toronto who specializes in LGBTQIA+ matchmaking.

The process begins with an application on the website. It takes approximately 10 days to hear back if you're a good candidate for their client roster—otherwise they may not get in touch.

If you pass the initial screening, you'll have a call with Claire AH to discuss your dating situation and goals in detail. Assuming mutual fit, you select a matchmaking package, sign the contract, and complete a questionnaire used to build your profile and select matches.

The Matching Process

Clients are matched with other clients and members of the database. If you purchase one of the more expensive packages, you may also be matched with singles the team has recruited from a variety of places, including dating sites like Match.com, Bumble, and OkCupid. (Per their FAQ, clients are always notified beforehand when a potential match is sourced this way.)

Explaining that they prioritize matching based on compatible personalities, clients are sent on blind dates. You’ll be presented with a profile to review, but it doesn’t include photos.

The number of matches is unlimited, but they don’t guarantee a specific number of dates. Matches are introduced over email, and as their website points out, “The going-on-a-date stuff is entirely up to you.”

Matchmaking Packages: $750–$17,000+ CDN

Most packages include a limited number of dating coaching sessions and 1–5 matches minimum. Contracts typically span one year.

Stand-Alone Dating Coaching

For clients who want to focus on relationships, sexuality, and self-esteem without full matchmaking service:

• $100 CDN per hour
• $549 CDN for a six-session package

Online Dating Support

Packages range from $149 CDN to $459 CDN depending on the level of assistance.

Comparison To Other Toronto Matchmakers

Enamour, another option that should be on your radar if you’re looking for a more tailored experience, starts at around $20,000 USD for 6 months of service. 

A highly selective service, Enamour maintains an “invite only” database and also utilizes recruiting tech and an extensive network of scouts to source highly compatible matches.

VIDA Select offers monthly packages starting at $1,595 with no long-term contracts, or a 90-Day Match Guarantee for $5,750 (minimum 5 curated matches you approve, with guaranteed results or continued search at no additional cost). Unlike Friend Of A Friend's blind-date approach, VIDA clients review full profiles including photos before agreeing to meet.

On average, VIDA clients meet someone within just 3 months of starting service. 

Intrigued? Discover if VIDA Select is the best option for you by going here!

Friend Of A Friend Matchmaking offers an accessible entry point to professional matchmaking with packages starting at just $750 CDN. Claire AH's emphasis on personal growth and inclusive approach—serving all genders, ages, abilities, and sexualities—differentiates the service from many competitors.

The service works best for GTA or Ottawa singles seeking affordable professional matchmaking, those comfortable with blind dates (no photos before meeting), clients who value an inclusive, LGBTQIA+-friendly service, and singles who want coaching alongside matchmaking.

The blind-date approach is worth considering carefully. While it encourages focusing on personality compatibility, some singles prefer knowing they're physically attracted to someone before investing time in a date.

For singles who prefer seeing photos before every introduction, VIDA Select offers a different approach. You review full profiles including photos and pre-approve every match. With month-to-month packages starting at $1,595 and no long-term contracts, most clients meet someone special within 3 months.

Ready to explore your options? Schedule a free, confidential consultation to see which approach fits your goals.