Meet Professional Matchmaker Genevieve Gresset [2024 Service Review!]

Considering bringing executive matchmaker Genevieve Gresset on board to assist you in finding that special someone? 

It's only natural to want to gather some information about her before making such a crucial decision. After all, seeking help for your love life has both an emotional and financial impact.

Having reviewed over 200 services, our team of experts is familiar with the matchmaking landscape. 

And thanks to 14+ years of firsthand matchmaking experience, we know exactly what clients value most when it comes to choosing which matchmaker is right for them.

Let’s start with how she got into the industry!

Meet Matchmaker Genevieve Zawada Gresset

Genevieve Gresset is a relationship coach and matchmaker who appeared on season 5 of Married At First Sight. However, her career of helping singles find love started long before the show, spanning back several decades.

Gresset's professional background began in the recruitment space. During her time working with numerous companies, she often found people asking her to fix them up with someone during her free time. 

In 1991, she began hosting dinner parties to hopefully help singles in her orbit connect with someone special.

As she recalled in an interview with Dating Agency Reviews, 

"I was a head-hunter in recruitment and all my clients asked if I could find them a love partner as easy as I could find them staff, so I started a supper club once a month for single clients." 

These monthly gatherings, known as the Secret Supper Club, gained traction, bringing in professionals from across her social network. 

In 2014, she expanded her reach by purchasing Elect Club, a UK-based matchmaking company that initially opened its doors in 2005.

Gresset wanted to provide more options for the Secret Supper Club’s members by offering traditional matchmaking and access to other singles events. However, in 2020, she left Elect Club to shift her focus towards other business endeavors.

Reflecting on her career choices, Gresset expressed that there was no better feeling than being a matchmaker. 

"I love it all (after 20+ years) I love the success stories and watching people grow and fall in love. There is no job in the world better in my view."

Genevieve Gresset has launched multiple companies within the matchmaking and coaching industry over the years. 

In 2017, she founded "Relationship Retreats," a firm that caters to both singles and couples through onsite immersive experiences.

These retreats are designed to help identify any relationship patterns and communication styles that could be causing challenges and then work on behavior change. 

As a matchmaker and dating coach, Gresset also works with singles through "The Setup," a matchmaking company that operates across several locations in the US, including Sacramento, San Jose, Petaluma, Walnut Creek, Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.

In addition to her matchmaking ventures, Gresset currently owns and manages a consulting firm called “Zawada Consulting”. This company supports start-up businesses by offering training, investment, management, and business development strategies.

Genevieve Gresset’s Approach To Matchmaking  

When working with clients, Genevieve Gresset emphasizes the importance of considering the whole person, not just their relationship life, in the matchmaking process. 

According to her, the process needs to be tailored to each individual, with both the matchmaker and client taking an active role. As she said, 

“We want them to go on a journey with us.”

For Gresset, matchmaking is a “whole transformative process” where clients can flourish and grow on a personal level. She has observed clients gaining confidence and attracting more attention as they move forward, remarking that “It’s just lovely to see them blossom.”

In her approach, Gresset implements a 3-date rule for clients, suggesting it takes at least that long to truly get to know someone well enough to see if there's any connection or compatibility. 

She shared that clients can sometimes be overly critical, judging others before genuinely understanding them. 

As she explained to Cosmopolitan, 

“They look for the imperfections and reasons not to date someone. I’ve seen so many clients want to wash their hands of someone after the first date. And by the third date, they’re ready to propose.”

Gresset also shared her insight on compatibility with Cosmo, stating that to be truly compatible, two people's overall life goals should be aligned. As she puts it, 

“If you’ve got someone highly ambitious and somebody who’s not at all, that can be a turn-off. Your ambition levels have to match.”

Having worked with singles for decades, Gresset finds it extremely rewarding to witness clients getting married or starting a family. The positive outcomes of her work bring her joy, as she described it, 

“It’s lovely when you see marriages and babies come out of the work we do. Being a matchmaker is a special job. It’s magical.”

Her Dating & Relationship Advice  

Genevieve Gresset is known for providing dating and relationship advice across various media platforms. She's been featured in The Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail, Thrive Global, Huff Post, and Dating News, to name just a few.

In an interview with Dating Agency Reviews, she shared that a common dating misstep she sees is individuals allowing their friends and family to have too much influence on their dating lives. 

She mentioned that singles often let someone else dictate who they should date and their romantic needs. As a way to overcome these obstacles, she suggests dating coaching. 

According to Gresset, 

“Just one coaching conversation will change the way you date forever.”

When questioned about whether men or women should make the first move, Gresset considers it a level playing field, with no need for anyone to hold back on taking the initiative.

In her own words, 

“It is fine for anyone to approach anyone. I believe if you like someone, go for it! What do you have to lose? You have everything to gain. Be natural and be yourself, start with a smile, and if someone smiles back, acknowledge it and talk to them.”

Gresset also advises clients to trim their partner criteria and “ditch the expectations list.” 

She observes that many people cling to these superficial expectations like a safety net, but they only serve to keep someone single. She emphasizes their detrimental repercussions by saying, 

"You may think they are there to protect you but actually they lock you up in your own world and never allow anyone in."

According to Gresset, a key focus when dating should be on enjoying the journey and having some fun along the way. As she explained in an interview, when the day is over what really matters is being with someone who uplifts you and brings a certain amount of happiness.

“Go out and meet people who make you smile and you have fun with. Nothing else matters! Life is so fluid, jobs change, life’s circumstances change, and what does it matter if he’s only 2 inches taller than you! At the end of the day you want to be with someone who makes your heart sing and you do the same for them.”

Gresset suggests two crucial components for maintaining happiness: 

“Great communication and humor are two of the key ingredients.” 

In addition, she says that continuing to date within a relationship and never taking the other person for granted is crucial for sustaining the bond.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire Matchmaker Genevieve Gresset?

Genevieve Gresset serves singles and couples through a variety of companies and is also part of other national matchmaking teams. 

That means the amount you can expect to pay depends on which of her businesses you engage with, what level of matchmaking service you’re looking for, and the length of your contract.

To help you estimate what you can safely expect to spend, let’s take a quick look at what a few other executive matchmaking services charge!

Enamour

Enamour, for example, should be on your short list if you’re accomplished, discerning, and looking for someone who brings as much to the table as you do. With an ultra-exclusive, by-invitation-only database, you’ll be paired with highly compatible, exceptional singles.

With a presence in major cities around the world, Enamour’s team offers executive matchmaking services to both men and women. Packages start around $20,000 for a 6-month search.  

Selective Search

Selective Search, an executive matchmaking firm founded by Barbie Adler, is based in Chicago but helps singles throughout the US. Like Gresset, Adler has a professional background in corporate recruitment.

Basic matchmaking packages start around $75,000, with the cost ranging above $250,000 for the more elite options.

VIDA Select

Looking for executive matchmaking service with a more budget-friendly price tag? VIDA Select is another service that should be on your list of possibilities. 

With a modern approach that leverages the largest source of eligible singles there is, VIDA takes on clients in major cities around the world. VIDA also offers an alternative to long-term contracts, which are the industry norm.

Instead, clients purchase packages by the month, having the flexibility to start, stop, and pause the service as needed. The cost of a package highly aligns with the number of hours your personal matchmaker needs to spend each month on your search, given the complexity of criteria, number of cities involved, etc.

Basic matchmaking packages begin at just $1195 per month, with Premium options starting at just $1795 per month. Elite packages start at only $2595 per month. On average, VIDA clients start a relationship with a match within 3 months of beginning the service.

To find out more about VIDA’s modern matchmaking and to see if you qualify, get started here. 

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