Oh the modern ways of falling in love!
Bailey Gate and Ryan Williams, first started commenting on each other’s Instagram snaps before hitting it off in real life according to ABC News.
@hey_bails (Gate) saw a photo of @incrediryan’s (Williams) that was tagged with the hashtag #northwestisbest, which pulls in photos from the Washington state area. The two, who both had a passion for the outdoors and vintage photo filters, immediately started commenting on each other’s images. After some back-and-forth Williams eventually decided to find Gate on Facebook to ask her to meet in real life.
Now they’re sharing a lot of Instagram photos together as a couple. (Aww!)
If you’re photography skills aren’t up to snuff, or your Instagram account only features phone self-portraits in your bathroom mirror, we’ve got a few suggestions for other ways you can use online tools to connect with someone in the real world.
1) Crazy Blind Date from OKCupid
While you’ll need to be a member to try this service, if you’re looking to meet up with people without the hassle of combing through tons of profiles, try OKCupid’s new Crazy Blind Date feature. If you’re free one evening, tell Crazy Blind Date where you are and it will set you up with a good match that also happens to be in the area. The only caveat? Their photo is scrambled. Maybe love really is blind?
2) A personal blog
You don’t need to be a great writer or photographer to create a blog. Make it a collection of all the things you like, including hobbies, favourite music, videos or events you’re attending. Share it on your business cards and leave an email address on the site. It’s a great way for people with similar interests to get to know you without having to ‘creep’ you on Facebook (It’s also probably better this way). Make sure when you post something you ask for comments or feedback from readers to encourage a connection, such as “I want to join a running group. Anyone know of a good one nearby?”.
3) Twitter
The beautiful thing about Twitter is that it isn’t as personal as Facebook, but it’s way less professional than LinkedIn. Plus, you can just tell by someone’s latest tweets and hashtags what they’re into and where they’re from. If you want to connect with someone, start by sending them links to something you think they’ll find interesting or let them know about a local event they may enjoy (which you might just happen to be at). It’s a totally casual way to potentially meet like-minded individuals.
4) An online group dating site
Try teaming up with some adventurous single friends to go out and meet other groups of unattached people in a non-threatening way. If all else fails you’ll still have had a good time with your friends even if you don’t make a connection. Plus it’s a lot safer and less nerve-wracking than a first date alone with a stranger.
