DATING NZ

Speed Dating in Christchurch Explained

Speed dating used to be looked at askance as a way to meet other singles, but the longer it hangs around and the more events take place the more widely accepted it has become as a fun and easy way to meet people. Speed dating events are no longer populated only by the desperate and lonely, and there are plenty of events happening in Christchurch where you can meet attract, eligible singles.

How It Works

If you’re not familiar with the concept, here’s a quick primer on how it all works.

You’ll be paired up with a potential partner for a short time period – maybe a minute, maybe three, maybe five. After the buzzer goes, that mini date is over and you move on to the next member of the opposite gender. You keep a scorecard of who you like, as do the people you ‘date’ throughout the evening, and if there is any overlap between who you like and who likes you, you can trade numbers and take things further.

Speed Dating Events and Companies in Christchurch

These events in Christchurch can be hard to find, although in reality there are plenty of them happening. Here are a few events and companies that are regularly running speed dating nights around Christchurch:

• Mainland Speed Dating – these guys are the main player in the world of Christchurch dating events, and in fact host events all over the South Island. They run events once or twice a month generally, and most of them target a 30+ age bracket, although they also have 25-35 year old events.
• Tick Tock Dating – this is more of a ‘slick operation’ with some impressive marketing, targeting more of a young professionals age bracket (although they also offer 40+ dating events). These are fairly upmarket affairs, with champagne and fancy nibbles on offer for the daters. They have quite a wide range of event types, include fitness fanatic nights, gay and lesbian speed dating, and events specifically for professionals and ‘high achievers.
• University events – for younger speed daters, keep an eye out for events run by Canterbury University associations like LawSoc and EngSoc, as these sometimes put on dating events for the student age bracket.

Online Dating in Chch

If you’re interested in speed dating, don’t forget online dating is also a great way to meet Christchurch singles. There are fast and easy options like Tinder, where all you have to do is download the app to your phone and then swipe away when you see someone you like the look of. There are also the old favourites, Plenty of Fish (which is free) and NZDating (also free, with advanced features for paid members).

A relative newcomer on the scene, but which looks like it shows big promise, is Elite Singles so that is also worth checking out.

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