The Richmond dating game can be a tough one to play. Our family-friendly city is great for settling down, but it’s not always ideal for dating. A somewhat transient population of single professionals and a traditional culture can make meeting new people (and potential partners) more diffi cult than in other metropolitan areas.

You could turn to the ubiquitous big dating Web sites in an effort to fill in your social calendar, but there is an easier way.

Carrie Daichman, owner of It Takes 2, offers matchmaking on a personal level. For over a decade, Carrie has been meeting singles and making introductions, often with great success. Take Karol Mansilla and David Rice; they met through It Takes 2 over a year ago. For them, Carrie was the perfect match to make them a match. As busy professionals (she’s a physician; he’s in marketing), they both had tried the online dating thing, but nothing clicked.

“You see the matches, but it wasn’t real for me,” Karol said, “And the postings weren’t always accurate.” Fortunately, both Karol and David decided to forgo the online dating world in favor of a face-toface consultation with Carrie. For those who don’t have time to search on their own, Carrie provides a valuable service. This modern day matchmaker meets with each of her clients and asks detailed questions about dating history, personality traits and the desired characteristics in a partner. Carrie believes this personal touch is what sets her service apart. She personally screens every single one of her clients. There’s no need to post personal information and pictures on the Internet, and Carrie is able to gather information about you and your potential dates to save you time and to make dating a more enjoyable experience.

So if you’re a successful professional, selective about whom you spend time with, and find yourself out there in the single world, set up a complimentary consultation with Carrie. Once she gets to know you, she’ll cull through her database of profi les to find matches for potential first dates. While not every date ends in a proposal, Carrie emphasized that she “helps introduce quality single people who have a lot in common so that they can have fun together. The first date is no pressure; it’s a chance to meet someone you might not have met on your own.”

Just look at Karol and David. They met for the first time to chat over a cup of coffee. Two hours later they were still talking. “We talked about everything – traveling, family, food,” David said. “I knew I wanted to call her.” Their second date, which they each refer to as the “real” date because they shared a bottle of wine, lasted close to six hours. “Time flew by,” Karol said. “I still love that part.” Those early dates are evidence that Carrie knows what she’s doing. Karol and David are still together and recently celebrated a storybook engagement.

About a year after they met, Karol and David traveled to Italy, a country known for its romance. David was ready with a ring and planned a gondola ride where he would propose, but he didn’t anticipate having another couple along for the ride. That evening Karol and David strolled along the canal enjoying the evening breeze. He paused, and slipped a ring on her fi nger, asking Karol if she would marry him. She joked that he put the ring on her finger before she said yes, but they both knew what her answer would be. Thanks to It Takes 2, they are planning a wedding for next May and credit Carrie for their bliss. Those are the endings that Carrie likes to see. Clearly enjoying her role as a professional matchmaker, Carrie said “I love transforming lives.”