Smoky Matchmaker Reviews [Best Service For TN Singles?]

Smoky Matchmaker is a Tennessee-based matchmaking service founded by Ella Scaduto, operating out of Knoxville and serving singles throughout the state. A certified matchmaker since 2016, Scaduto also hosts speed dating events and offers dating coaching. The service has a 4.6-star Google rating based on 9 reviews and an A+ BBB rating with no complaints.

This Smoky Matchmaker review has all the details you need to decide if she’s the right person to find your ideal partner.

Let’s start with meeting the face behind the business.

Like many professional matchmakers, Ella Scaduto is passionate about helping singles find love. She always enjoys the art behind it, as she explained in an interview with VoyageMIA:

“The ability to see something in one person and then connect that to another person as a potential compatibility is pretty amazing and most certainly spiritually rewarding.”

Her own relationship is a product of matchmaking, when her mother and a friend introduced her to the man who became her husband. 

“When I think about how I got into matchmaking, I think back nearly 14 years ago when my husband and I met, or should I say were introduced. Back then, my mother and her friend were just enjoying their girl time when they decided to play matchmaker. Clearly, that worked out very well.”

Scaduto became a certified matchmaker via the Matchmaking Institute in 2016, 3 years after receiving a BA in psychology and criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University.

She launched Ella’s Euro Matches the same year she received her certification, headquartered in Boca Raton. Ella’s Euro Matches connects European or European-descent singles with Americans or other European singles.

As she shared with VoyageMIA, “Slavic women are very popular with American men,”  and she’s proud of helping people make a change in their lives. 

In 2022, she rebranded as Smoky Matchmaker in Tennessee, operating out of Knoxville and helping singles throughout the state in cities like Memphis as well.

In addition to matchmaking she hosts speed dating and other singles events around Knoxville, and provides dating coaching as well. She offers a one-on-one dating masterclass for men, as well as other coaching options.

Scaduto also dispenses dating tips in various interviews and podcasts. Here are 3 of her best flirting tips from a recent podcast:

Smoky Matchmaker helps busy, professional singles in Brentwood, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Franklin, Gatlinburg, Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville, Maryville, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, and Sevierville.

On her website, Scaduto says she works with “singles that represent multicultural and multigenerational diversity.”

Potential clients start by scheduling a complimentary consultation with Scaduto, which can be done via the matchmaking website. You can also submit a short profile, and she’ll reach out to you. 

During the call, you’ll learn how the service works and share your dating goals. This initial call with any matchmaker you’re thinking about hiring is the perfect opportunity to ask insightful questions about where your matches come from, how the contract works, etc. 

For a list of “must ask” questions, bookmark our Insider’s Guide To Hiring A Matchmaking Service!

If both you and Scaduto decide the service is a good fit, you’ll purchase a package and execute the contract. 

As a client, you’ll be matched with other clients and singles from Scaduto’s database. You’ll be provided with a “brief yet informative” bio of each match, and you’ll have a dating coaching session before each date.

As Scaduto notes on her website, this is to ensure you’re “well-prepared for this special encounter.” 

The date arrangements are made for you, and Scaduto will contact both you and your match afterward to gather feedback. Based on that information, she will either suggest a second date or start looking for your next match.

Next, let’s take a look at what former clients had to say about working with matchmaker Ella Scaduto.

Ella Scaduto’s Tennessee matchmaking service is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating. There are no reviews or customer complaints listed.

Smoky Matchmaker also has a claimed profile on Yelp, but no recommended reviews to date.

However, it does have 2 not currently recommended Yelp reviews, both 5 stars.

On Google, Smoky Matchmaker has a 4.6-star rating based on 9 reviews.

Many of the reviews were from singles who had attended Smoky Matchmaker events and found them enjoyable:

Another 5-star reviewer praised Ella Scaduto’s dating coaching:

And this Smoky Matchmaker reviewer felt Scaduto cared about her clients:

Fellow matchmaker Paula Pardel from Bloom Matchmaking gave Smoky Matchmaker a 5-star endorsement:

The single negative review was from someone who had not signed up for the service. He shared that he found Scaduto to be “argumentative” during the initial consultation:

Now, you’re probably wondering…

Like many matchmakers, Ella Scaduto does not list the cost of her matchmaking packages on the website.

To get a ballpark idea of how much you might expect to spend, let’s take a quick peek at the price tag for a few other matchmaking services for Tennessee singles.

Enamour, for instance, starts around $20,000 for a 6-month search. Matches are carefully selected from Enamour’s highly curated, invitation-only database, but the team also uses recruiting technology and an extensive network of scouts to search far beyond the database as well.

Working with a matchmaker who can do a proactive search outside of a limited internal database is an important consideration. That’s because compatibility is a 2-way street when it comes to a successful match.

It’s not enough for a candidate to fit your boxes. You also have to fit what that person is looking for. And when a matchmaker is only pulling candidates from a limited pool in one geographic area, it’s almost impossible to do that consistently! 

Millionaire matchmaker Janis Spindel may also be on your radar, as Serious Matchmaking has a presence in Nashville. She and her daughter Carly Spindel can do a local, national, or international search on your behalf.

Package prices depend on what type of search you want, and which matchmaker you work with. Costs range anywhere from $25,000 to over $1,000,000, and can include additional signing and success fees that start around $65,000. Contracts typically span 1 year and include 12 introductions.

Tawkify is a national service that may be on your radar, as the list of 30+ locations include Nashville. To work directly with a personal matchmaker, you can join as either a Matchmaker Client or a VIP Client. 

You’ll be guaranteed matches at both levels of membership, but joining as a VIP Client means you’ll receive personalized match recruiting and the search can encompass multiple locations.

Tawkify pricing depends on your membership level, but starts around $4,900 and can range over $70,000. 

VIDA Select is a worthy option to consider if you want to meet matches with true long-term relationship potential. 

VIDA’s modern approach leverages the largest source of Tennessee singles there is, so you’ll be meeting matches who check all your boxes - and who are just as excited to meet you, too.

Rather than investing in a multi-month contract, clients can opt for a pay-as-you-go package. Monthly service starts at $1,595. There is also a "90-Day Match Guarantee" package that includes at least 5 highly curated singles you approve for $5,750. Guaranteed results, or the search continues at no additional cost.

On average, clients meet someone special within 3 months of beginning service. Why not see if VIDA is the right matchmaker for you, too? Just go here to learn more!