The run up to Christmas is one of the most popular times in the calendar to reach out and join a dating agency, and we are no different at The County Register. With many new members coming onboard in November and December, the question ‘Do you feel you can introduce me to a partner before Christmas?’ is often one of the most common prior to committing. Although we can never guarantee finding a compatible match, we know it’s an important consideration for many, and therefore we always will try our very best, and we strongly believe our matchmaking agency is best placed to make this a reality.
There is something a little bit magical about dating during the winter, and particularly in the run up to Christmas and the New Year. Quite simply, the atmosphere makes it a special time and that can enhance and accelerate romance. The comfort and cosiness of a roaring open fire, using candles to create atmosphere, enjoying winter comfort foods – enjoying the concept of ‘Hygge’ as it is known in Denmark.
For this special focus on wintertime romance and finding love in the run up to the festive season, we approached key members of The County Register team to see if they have a particular memory or favourite success story of members they have introduced during the run up to Christmas, or in the winter quarter, and as always they didn’t disappoint. Here are their favourite memories of wintertime matches and some of our most successful introductions, as the first three all ended in marriage and a lifetime commitment.
Tracey Cater, Membership Adviser
Says Tracey, “One of my most vivid memories is taking a call in the office last year. To my surprise and delight, it was Deborah, whom I had known many years ago, around 2009. It was wonderful to hear from her some 14 years after our original meeting. I was so surprised by what Deborah had to say:
‘Tracey, today is my 10th wedding anniversary, and I got up this morning determined to look up the team at The County Register to say thank you and give proper recognition to you for introducing me to my husband, David, all those years ago. We have been blissfully happy in the 14 years we’ve been together; we now have two children. On this incredibly special day, I wanted to seek you out and thank you for your wonderful help in finding David and creating such a perfect love match for us.
At the time, because of confidentiality, we didn’t tell people how we had met. While that might have been the right decision then, today I want to properly thank you for the part you played in creating what is now a strong marriage and a wonderful success story. Thank you so much.’
That is quite a story, and it was so thoughtful of Deborah to pick up the phone to recognize the success we created for them. We completely understand that, at times, we don’t get to hear the outcomes of some of our matches, as our members value and rely on the confidentiality and discretion we provide. That’s why I was thrilled to learn about the happiness David and Deborah are enjoying — a relationship we helped bring about — and even more delighted to see that it has stood the test of time so beautifully.”
Heather Heber Percy, Founder
Says Heather, “My story is about Martin and Stephanie who we brought together way back in December 2003. They didn’t spend that first Christmas together due to a close family bereavement, but they were together for New Year 2004, and have been largely inseparable ever since, and that’s now 21 years. They began living together in 2006 and got married in 2013, so 12 years next July.
During their years together, they have worked hard on building a business together, which has been a success too, achieving a £2 million turnover in the calendar year 2023. I am so glad that my gut feeling was that they would go well together, all that time ago.”_
Martin recalls, “There was a spark and little heart flutter as soon as I saw Stephanie. I had been trying online dating sites previously, and although they worked for me to some degree, providing plenty of matches, there was no one that I had met in 18 months of trying that gave me the feeling of potential permanency that Stephanie did, and the feeling that at long last I had found someone that I could bring into the family and introduce to my daughters.”
He continues, “The biggest differential for me joining The County Register was the quality of the people involved and the matches provided. They were always solid, genuine people from a strong family background, and that made it easy for me to trust the matchmaking process and what Heather was trying to achieve for me, which has always been very greatly appreciated.”
The final word goes to Heather, “It was always a pleasure to deal with both Martin and Stephanie, and they are an outstanding example of how The County Register has operated over the years, and of the success that we have been able to generate for our members.”
Zoe Hughes, Membership Adviser
Said Zoe, _“My story is about William and Joanne, whose success story is a very recent one in 2024, and will end with a wonderful winter wedding at Matfen Hall in Northumberland the day after St Valentine’s Day of 2025.
I first met William in January of this year after he reached out to us on the recommendation of a friend. They believed our reputation as a high-end personal matchmaking company would be a great fit for William, offering a more tailored and trustworthy alternative to the challenges often associated with online dating._
I travelled up to Northumberland to meet William at his home, and we got on brilliantly from the start. He wanted the very best, and so joined our Elegance membership package to enable him to benefit from our very highest level of priority, and also confidentiality, both of which were extremely important to him. Although, we did not realise at the time how easy William was going to be to match for our Executive Matchmaker, Karen Hyde.
For his very first match, Karen matched William with Joanne, who also lived in Yorkshire, but a relatively long drive down the A1 from William, and what a match it was, as it turned out to be. Because of the distance, William offered to send a driver for Joanne, and he did. Happily, it was the only match that William needed, which is a wonderful achievement and testimony to the success that the match was for all involved, with William proposing to Joanne after just six short weeks of knowing each other, even though he had actually planned to do it on a holiday to Hawaii they had planned a few weeks later – he just couldn’t contain his excitement and boundless enthusiasm for Joanne any longer.”
We spoke to Karen Hyde, Executive Matchmaker for The County Register, who recalled, “As soon as I completed William’s welcome call, I knew his first match had to be with my lovely client Joanne, who was likely about halfway through her own membership. I felt it was an excellent match and that sparks could fly between them. However, even I didn’t anticipate the spectacular success that followed — a proposal within six weeks and a wedding less than a year after their first meeting. What a thrilling outcome, and one that is incredibly satisfying!”
Joining the County Register: Find Your Matchmaking Success
So yes, romance is alive and well in winter, and in our view, is a wonderful time of the year to be dating. There is something extremely special about meeting in the winter months and enjoying the ‘Hygge’ we talked about in the opening paragraph. It is a brilliant time to join The County Register, and a truly special period to spend with a new partner. So, making contact with our professional matchmaking team during the winter months can lead to a remarkably successful outcome in terms of meeting someone, just like it did for Deborah, David, Stephanie, Martin, Joanne and William. You could be our next success story, just waiting to happen. All you need to do is pick up the phone and begin talking to us on 0800 644 4120, or complete our contact form and we will be happy to get back to you. This is always without any obligation or compulsion to join — just to talk things through with one of our team, so you can understand the positive difference that The County Register could make to your life this winter. We would love to be a part of your exciting journey to finding love!
