H4M Matchmaking Reviews [Austin's Best LGBTQ Matchmaker?]

Wondering if Tammy Shaklee and her team at H4M are the right LGBTQ+ matchmaking service for you? This H4M review will help you decide! 

Researching any matchmaking service you’re thinking about hiring is a wise move, considering the investment of time, trust, and money. Our team of experts has reviewed more than 200 services, taking a deep dive into key aspects like cost, process, and client experiences.

With over 14 years of matchmaking experience, we know first-hand what customers value most in a service!

Let’s start with the founder…

Meet Tammy Shaklee - Austin’s LBGTQ+ Matchmaker

Tammy Shaklee's foray into the matchmaking industry started when she was trying to help a friend connect with a matchmaker, only to realize there was a distinct lack of services tailored to the LGBTQ+ community.

This experience ended up as the catalyst that led her to launch H4M in 2012, taking on her friend as her first client. 

Headquartered in Austin, H4M stands for “He’s For Me”, and it originally catered to men seeking men. The company has since expanded its offerings to include all LGBTQ+ singles seeking love. 

Shaklee and her team help singles throughout Texas as well as nationally.

She outlined her vision for H4M during an interview with Go Magazine: 

“My goal is to lead with love. H4M is much more than matchmaking. It’s talking and walking pro-equality daily. As a relationship expert, I hope to provide encouragement and support to all singles.”

Her focus remains on creating an inclusive and professional matchmaking environment for her clients, with a core belief in treating all clients equally: 

"I believe in treating all clients equally, and as professionally as they treat their clients in their own careers."

She also acknowledges the added layer of discretion that some clients require, specifically those who might have come out personally, but not professionally. 

Describing her male clients, Shaklee says, "wonderful men who happen to be gay, but they don't necessarily lead with that."

With over a decade of experience working with LGBTQ+ singles, Shaklee has become a go-to resource for dating and relationship advice. For instance, in an interview with Shondaland, she tells singles to avoid forming snap judgments based on a single date. 

“Think about one of your best friends. Did you know in the first five minutes you’d be best friends? No. You have shared experiences, and start to form a bond. You don’t know if it’s going to be a match in the first five minutes. Singles should have an open mind.”

And for singles attempting to move on from the sting of heartbreak, she suggests taking things slow and continuing moving forward as dating is a learning process: 

“There is more to the story: Your long life is a series of chapters, with some more joyful than others and some more tragic. But keep turning the page and grow based on what you have experienced and learned."

H4M In A Nutshell

If H4M is one of the Austin matchmaking services you’re considering hiring, the process starts with filling out an inquiry online or calling the H4M office to schedule an introductory consultation. 

During the initial call, you’ll be asked a few “get to know you” type questions, and you’ll also describe your idea of an ideal partner. If the matchmaking team feels like you might be a good fit for their services, they'll arrange a video interview with Tammy Shaklee. 

If you pass the background check and decide to move forward with introductions, you’ll be paired with other H4M clients or with candidates scouted on your behalf. All members and matches go through the same screening process and background check. 

Once they identify a potential match, the H4M team reaches out to you with detailed information. However, you won't be shown any pictures before meeting up in person. 

As Shaklee puts it, 

“The first date – I do extensive research to make sure they don’t know one another and I don’t give them a photograph beforehand, nothing. It’s a total blind date.”  

Following each first date, clients provide feedback and let Shaklee and her team know if they are interested in a second one. If the interest in meeting again is mutual, that date is planned as well. 

After the second date, the H4M team takes a step back and lets clients plan subsequent dates.  

According to Shaklee, 

“More traditional introductions, courting, and dating has been our focus from the beginning. Gay and lesbian singles have told us for years that it’s the most anticipated third date they’ve ever had.”

If you want to see where things go with a match your membership is placed on hold. 

As Shaklee explained, “On average, a fourth to a third of our clients are on hold."

H4M Matchmaking Cost 

H4M doesn’t disclose its pricing online, but as Shaklee shared in an interview with Bustle, “it’s expensive.” Shaklee clarifies that H4M’s services fall “in the thousands, not the tens of thousands.”

The total price will depend on your assigned matchmaker, package specifics, and length of the matchmaking contract. 

Is H4M Matchmaking The Right Service For You? 

Determining whether Tammy Shaklee and H4M Matchmaking are the right choice for you will largely depend on factors such as your personal experience during the initial consultation, cost, and whether or not you’re interested in going on blind dates. 

Many matchmaking services choose not to share photos of potential matches, encouraging clients to keep an open mind. And if you’re comfortable with that approach, Shaklee may indeed be the matchmaker for you.

But for many, physical attraction plays a pivotal role in crafting chemistry with a potential partner. 

For that reason, some singles prefer to make informed decisions about their dates, relying on comprehensive information, including photographs, to avoid spending time, money, and energy on potentially lackluster blind dates.

If that’s the case for you, you may also want to consider a matchmaking service like VIDA Select.

VIDA takes a modern approach to matchmaking that leverages the single largest source of LGBTQ+ singles there is, which means you can look forward to dates with matches who check all your boxes. 

You’ll review a full profile of each potential match, including photos, and be in total control of who you meet.

VIDA also offers the convenience of pay-as-you-go monthly packages, rather than requiring a long-term contract. On average, clients meet someone special within just 3 months of starting the service.

Why not take a minute and see if VIDA is the right service for you? Just go here to learn more!

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