There are a lot of ways to meet your match, from IRL encounters to dating apps to blind dates set up by friends & family. But there is another way that’s often forgotten – arranged marriages! 

And now, this cultural practice has been brought back into the spotlight by the amazing Netflix reality TV show, Indian Matchmaking. The show highlights the journey of Matchmaker Sima Taparia as she guides clients in the US and India in a matchmaking process that applies centuries old customs to modern Indian and Indian-American daters.

If you’re like me, when you watch these shows you get curious about what really happens behind the scenes and what was going through the mind of your favorite participants on the show as it unfolded. So today, one of the breakout stars of the show, Nadia Jagessar, is here to discuss her experience of Indian Matchmaking, her current relationship status, and what she learned from participating in the show.

DATING DISH (3:08)

A deep dive into your emoji usage:

If you haven’t had a chance to read Adobe’s 2022 Emoji Trend Report, Damona breaks it down. Adobe conducted a national survey to explore “when, why and how Americans are using emoji to advance self-expression and communication.” And the results gave some VERY interesting stats, particularly for the future of dating.

Did you know that 50% of U.S. emoji users are more likely to respond to a message if it contains an emoji? And that a majority (88%) of emoji users are more likely to feel empathetic toward someone if they use an emoji? Given that Damona is both a fan of using emojis as “mood modifiers” and a fan of empathetic dating, I’d say we’re sold on Team Emoji.

Damona also breaks down Adobe’s “make-it or break-it” emojis when it comes to dating.

NADIA JAGESSAR (10:05)

You probably know Nadia from the hit show Indian Matchmaking Seasons 1 and 2 where she was matched with Vinay, Shekar and Vishal. Nadia is also the Founder & Senior Event Consultant for Euphoria Events. And she is giving her second TEDx Talk at this year’s “Dare To Be Different” event.

(11:15) Saying yes to Indian Matchmaking…

Given that her parents had undergone an arranged marriage, it makes sense that Nadia took the plunge into exploring arranged marriage as well. But add reality television into the mix, and you’ve got a WHOLE other experience.

Nadia explains why she chose to work with Indian Matchmaking, what was stopping her from meeting someone before, and how her Indo-Caribbean background has played into her dating journey.

(16:40) Does matchmaking always pan out?

Have you ever had that small fear of running into your ex or someone you used to date? Like you’ll be out at a local take-out joint and bump into them as you’re leaving, or go to a party of a mutual friend and see them chatting with the host? 

Well in Nadia’s case, some of the matches that Sima Aunty (the matchmaker on the show) found were closer to her inner circle than she expected (mutual friends and such). Nadia also shares how working with a matchmaker defied her expectations.

(19:10) What happened with Vinay??

Nadia gives us the deets on what ACTUALLY happened with Vinay, one of the matches she hit it off with in Season 1. Long story short, Vinay was supposed to meet Nadia at her best friend’s wedding after party and he never showed up! They eventually had a conversation in which Vinay said he just wanted to be friends, to which Nadia responded with some sage words of wisdom…

Nadia also dives deeper into her other close connection with Shekar.

(30:27) What’s in store post-Indian Matchmaking?

Nadia states that what she’s looking for in a partner hasn’t changed much since filming the show – someone who is ambitious, has their own passions or hobbies, who wants a family, who will push her or help her slow down. (Do you relate to any of these wants?)

Damona also mentions how easy it can be to get caught up in planning a life with a partner (especially if you are a planning personality or a LITERAL party planner). But we have to try our best to always bring ourselves back to the present in moments where we may ruminate on the past or project to the future.

 

Be sure to follow Nadia on IG @nadiajagessar, and her event planning page @euphoriaeventsnj for some major party-planning inspo.

 

DEAR DAMONA (39:50)

Submit your questions on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and hear our answers live on the show! Here’s what our listeners asked about this week:

• IG Message from Sherry – Hi Damona! I’ve been listening to you for a few years now! Thank you for always putting out great content and keeping things real. How can I encourage someone I’m interested in to ask me out? I like the traditional way of dating… man asks woman out on a first date. I’m finding men to not take that leap anymore though. We chat in the apps, and I’ll hint at things like, ‘Oh, we’ll have to save that for when we meet’ and then nothing. The reply is often, ‘Sounds good,’ and then silence. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and asked someone, ‘Would you like to grab a drink with me sometime?’ And the reply? You guessed it… ‘Sounds good!’ Is this a sign that I should move on? Or, should I plan this date and tell them they’re up for the next one? Thanks in advance for your help! I’m feeling stuck lately.