Curious about Laurie Berzack because you’re not sure which matchmaking service you should hire?
This elite matchmaker profile has everything you need to know about the founder of Chai Expectations and Carolinas Matchmaker, so you can decide if she’s the best fit for you!
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Happily married for 25+ years and mother of two, Berzack claims she knew she was on the right career path when she “started my first matchmaking business and it didn’t feel like a job… it felt like my life’s mission.”
As to how she got there… It started with completing a master’s in Social Work, with a focus on Community Organization, along with a BA in English and Psychology.
Prior to becoming a matchmaker and dating coach, she worked with the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), coordinating national conferences and training volunteers and college students on fundraising for the organization.
When she started her first matchmaking service in Charlotte, NC in 2006, she designed Chai Expectations specifically for Jewish singles.
In 2012, she expanded it to include all singles who needed a little help finding a quality relationship.
She rebranded as Carolinas Matchmaker, with the “goal of giving her clients the genuine, lifelong partnerships they deserve.”
In addition to matchmaking, Laurie Berzack helped create the Matchmakers Alliance, along with fellow matchmakers Michelle Jacoby (founder of DC Matchmaking) and Maria Avgitidis (founder of Agape Match).
The Matchmakers Alliance is a non-profit organization that helps dating professionals network with each other.
Berzack has also been nominated twice for the Best Matchmaker title at the iDate Awards, once in 2017 and again in 2020.
Not only is she a nationally recognized matchmaker, she has also dipped her toes into software development. Berzack developed a program called Matchmaker Select that allows her to filter and find matches more effectively.
Now that you’ve got a peek at her background and matchmaking credentials, let’s take a look at…
Laurie Berzack’s Matchmaking Process
A boutique matchmaker, Laurie Berzack and her team keep the client list small and exclusive.
In an interview, she explained that “The people who hire me are very socially adept. They need to be at a certain level of readiness to be in a relationship. The people who come to me and say, ‘This is going to work,' that energy is so positive, it brings success.”
As she told the Charlotte Observer, demand during the pandemic increased the number of Carolinas Matchmaker clients to the highest it’s ever been – 20 matchmaking clients and 8 online dating coaching clients.
She primarily provides matchmaking services for singles of all ages across both North and South Carolina, including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Charleston, Hilton Head, Asheville and Wilmington.
Berzack also takes on clients from around the US, and conducts a nationwide search.
What To Expect From The Carolinas Matchmaker
Clients can choose to be listed in the Carolinas Matchmaker database of eligible singles for free. But that is a passive program, meaning you’re only considered if you happen to match what a paying client considers to be an ideal match.
Hiring Laurie Berzack as your matchmaker costs around $15,000 to $25,000+, with the details customized to your needs and goals. The contract typically lasts for a year.
The process starts by filling out a short online form.
You’ll then be contacted to set up an initial consultation. During that conversation, you'll talk about everything from your dating goals and obstacles to who you envision as your perfect partner.
Berzack uses your criteria to pull compatible matches from her database. She’ll then interview each one before presenting them to you as a proposed match.
Her staff arranges the first date, and they also provide any coaching you may need to feel confident about it beforehand.
After the initial introduction, you can give (and get) post-date feedback. If you’re interested in seeing your match again, you take the reins and set up the next date.
If not, your matchmaker communicates that to the match and gets started on finding the next one.
One thing to note about Berzack’s approach to matchmaking: she won’t show you any photos or provide your match’s last name. That’s so you’ll give each match “a fair shot” and not google them beforehand.
Carolinas Matchmaker Events
Clients can also attend events sponsored by Carolinas Matchmaker, and she even developed a program that combines meetups w/ philanthropic causes. Or, as she calls it, Philanthrodating.™
The singles who attend are typically in their 20s and 30s. They connect over shared interests in charity, community-mindedness and humanitarianism. To date, the events have raised more than $20,000 for local nonprofits.
For older daters, she hosts period events for singles in their 40s and 50s.
Dating Coaching & More
Berzack and her team offer more than just matchmaking services.
As she explained to the Charlotte Observer,
I’m essentially a recruiter, a consultant and a coach…I ask, ‘What does this person want, and how can I help them get it?
Date coaching starts around $150 per hour. She also offers coaching sessions and seminars to learn dating skills.
As she puts it,
I do a lot of work with people learning how to love themselves… The more we love ourselves, the more we will attract someone who is at that higher vibration of love.
Laurie Berzack Reviews
Laurie Berzack has gotten a lot of positive press coverage, especially by local outlets in the Carolinas. But what do past clients have to say about their experience with her matchmaking service?
On Google, Carolinas Matchmaker has a 4/5 star rating.
Two of the 5-star reviews were happy with the coaching and support they received:
The other two Google reviews for Laurie Berzack were a 5-star and a 1-star, but had no details listed.
There are no recommended reviews or ratings on Yelp for Carolina’s Matchmaker, nor is it listed on the BBB’s website.
She’s been in business for over ten years, so a lack of reviews isn’t a bad sign given people tend to leave a negative review faster than they’ll take the time to pen a positive one.
Instead, you’ll want to consider aspects of her service. For instance, how do you feel about long-term contracts, and how much does physical attraction factor into your ideal partner search?
Berzack doesn’t provide photos. While it’s true you’ll be walking into your date with an open mind about appearance, some people would rather confirm they’re physically attracted to a match before investing emotionally and financially in a first date.
Why Not Consider All Your Options?
If that’s important to you, add VIDA Select to your list of potential matchmaking services.
With VIDA, you’ll also be working with an elite matchmaking team. And you’ll review full profiles, including photos, of every potential match. You only approve the ones you’d like to meet!
Thanks to VIDA’s wide selection of pay-as-you-go monthly matchmaking packages, you won’t have to commit to a long-term contract. You can pause or stop your service for any reason, at any time.
That means you don’t have to worry about paying up front for time you won’t need. The typical VIDA client meets someone special in just a few months of service – and that could be you too!
To find out more, go here to see if you qualify.
