Showed up for Valentines event, there were supposed to be two age groups simultaneously but the venue had only accounted for one group booking. It was very noisy and there weren’t enough seats but the pizza looked amazing. (Not sure if it was for us? Never got a slice, didn’t hear anything about it but that could have been the noise) venue was grossly understaffed, waited 20 minutes at the bar trying to order a drink. (2 drinks costed 29$ plus tip) While i did a group of male patrons at the door questioned if I was part of the event. My guess is that perhaps they stationed themselves between the door and the event to cuss what participants looked like before deciding to ‘show up’. Already I wanted nothing to do with them. (At least one of them eventually attended) In one group I counted 5 men and at least 12 women. It was awkward and uncomfortable, a few women sat alone in a booth off to the distance, the vibe first felt disheartening. Some women left half an hour in when it became evident they would have to wait a while doing nothing while everyone else was dating. 4 stressed organizers ran around looking for pens while finally concluding they would take one group elsewhere. Once settled in a new venue nearby it was quieter and felt more organized. There were still more women but the ratio wasn’t as bad. I believe I had 5 dates in total (I’m a female) wondering where the other 20 were but there were a few quality people so no complaints there. Organizers tried their best to be friendly and accommodating, some seemed unsure of how to solve the issues at hand. One offered chocolates out of a heart shaped box, that was a nice touch and helped the evening theme along. By that time I could have used another drink but there was no bar in sight. Dates were a bit too short, most time was spent watching others date. The concept was great! A few tweaks and I could recommend. The venue was good, very central location and would have been a great place to mingle afterwards there was just no room for everyone to sit without having to commit awkwardly to a booth with strangers…so it wasn’t much of a mingling opportunity, more like beeline to sit with the person you might be interested in otherwise you’re out. Most participants left immediately afterwards. There could have been a prompt jar on table, or a drink included, or you know, the amount of dates promised. Overall it is a super fun concept the night just happened to be full of logistical issues. I paid $50, it was worth $25. I will attend in the future and give it another chance because the people were varied and organizers were friendly, approachable and putting forth effort. Perhaps there should have been fewer facilitators and someone exclusively allocated to sorting out logistical/ administrative tasks. I recommend establishing a system to weed out the judgy guys at the door and to have a fill in list when spaces become available. When events become sloppy or mismanaged consider 1. offer drinks 2. put your most personable facilitator at the forefront 3. be transparent ‘we’re all in this together’ to keep a vibe of laughing it off Additionally consider offering a refund or better yet, some kind of deal on later tickets to encourage additional participants (I.e attend for free next time or 2 for one in the genre lacking) I feel bad leaving so few stars but it’s mostly a reflection of costs. $50 ticket plus two drinks and a cab cost me $120. I’m used to being taken out and perhaps paying the taxi fare. For $120 (Vancouver, BC) I would have hoped to have enough potential connections that I walk away with a match.

The owner and the hostesses here are the loveliest people. They went above and beyond anything I expected to help me with an issue I had, and in the most warm and friendliest way. They were so quick to respond, even though it was regarding an event I had attended two months prior (a long while ago) I felt totally valued as a customer and person. The event in Toronto I attended was well organized. They were quick to inform of a change of venue and subsequent followed-up. I should mention that even though I did not have a match, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun, when one of my dates went over the time limit, the hostess was quick to step in to keep things moving, and was very friendly about it! At times it may take a bit of effort to hear or talk over others at the venue (with everyone talking) but that is just a minor issue and something I believe can't be helped. All in all, it was a great experience - I have signed up for the next one and will definitely be attending more events in the future if needed!

I have attended their events a few times and have always had a good experience. I enjoy meeting people this way over online apps/sites since you can tell if there is any spark or interest right away.

Just attended an event this Wednesday night and there was little to no preparation on their part. The ratio guys to girls was off as there were too many men. There were no pens, minimal direction it felt like the event was put together by someone who had never put an event together before. Lastly it's three days later and I still have not received anything matches or notifications that I did not have a match... When the expectation what two days after the event we would be notified On a bigger scale, the event was a miss match, I think they should use more than just age as a pre-qualifier. This resulted in me really not finding anyone I could truly see having a relationship with and I would suggest many would have this same experience. EDIT: I have since had email communications with one of the leaders of this organization and they have been communicative and seem to want to try and make things right. I have not attended another event yet but will try based on the conversations... I appreciate the customers care! EDIT EDIT: So I was offered to try again as I was told my experience was not the norm. To their credit this event was much more organized and overall a better experience. The organizer was better prepared and the night went off without any issues... It is something I think singles should try at least once. Personally it did not work for me but I am a single father and most of the women there were looking to start families, this however, is my issue not the events fault at all. If I had another suggestion it would be to organize an event like this in Barrhaven or Kanata aimed at single parents.. there are a lot of us!

Honestly worst experience ever. They had crammed at least 60 of us into a tiny little corner of a room at a bar in uptown Toronto. With that many simultaneous conversations, the sound was deafening. Every single person complained about how loud it was. You couldn't hear the person who was shouting at you 6 inches away across the little table. Instead of getting to know each other, we were occupied with the sore throats, and developing headaches due to the shouting.

Interesting evening - great fun. The hostess was very nice and helpful and the staff were very efficient. Thank you!

Little did I know, that signing up for one speed dating event with 25Dates.com would change my life forever, for the better. I ended up meeting the woman of my dreams. We fell in love, married, had a beautiful son and have been having the most incredible and adventurous life full of love romance, challenges and excitement for the last 10 years! We are and continue to have a blast. I am forever grateful to 25Dates for allowing me the opportunity to meet my soul mate! It is a great business and the owner should be proud to have brought so many people together to share their lives! 14 years....good on you 25Dates! Keep it up....the world needs more companies like you! Kind regards, Aaron

It was my first time going to such an event on July 7, I was surprised how well organized was! Have met some great guys I thought will be awkward and 3min not enough time, it wasn't awkward at all! We talked a whole time!!! Great event! I didn't meet any suitors however you will see me soon again:) adri

Grab a drink, talk to and meet some nice new peeps. Easy fun night.

25Dates is a fun, low-pressure way to connect with a lot of singles in one evening. The great advantage of 25Dates is the chance to assess personal chemistry with someone, and just get a sense of how well you "click" together. The hosts are friendly as well, and really take time to make sure everyone feels at ease and comfortable. The event was organized and well-run, so I got to just sit back and enjoy the company. I liked that they offered food during the event as well. I ended up with a lot of matches with great people, one of whom became my boyfriend. Although that relationship didn't work out (for reasons unrelated to how we met), I'm grateful for the introduction, and would definitely try 25Dates again :)

All of us who feel the frustrations of online dating should give 25 Dates a go. It is a very fun way to meet people. The process is simple and effective. It is a very well run event and the venues are always fun. I would highly recommend them.

The venue was chic. The wine was inexpensive and delish. The quesidillas were quite tasty AND prevented me from getting too... fun-lovin' But let's get to the good stuff.. I was actually a bit surprised at how smoothly each and every conversation went. It wasn't awkward! All of the guys had their own charm and each one was entertaining at the very least. The format was simple; tick yes or no post 5-minute date with each suitor ;) I've now gone on 4 dates with my match. If you attend a 25 dates event you'll for sure have fun and... maybe even meet the one!

I am extremely pleased with 25dates.com. Everything is excellent! It's very well organized! The registration for the event was a breeze, the venue where it was held was comfortable and inviting, and Irenee, the host, was gracious and very personable and really put me at ease and made me feel welcome! I was kinda nervous attending a speed dating event, but I was immediately put at ease and felt welcome and comfortable and had a wonderful experience! I would give this company 10 stars if I could! I've been to other companies speed dating events and can honestly say that 25dates is better than the rest! Hands down! I would definitely recommend 25dates.com to everyone! :)

So here I am on 25 dates...who would have ever thought I'd be a person attending a speed dating event (at my age) If I ever predicted anything about my future when I was younger, attending a speed dating frenzy or signing up for online dating would not have been a part of my predicted perfect future!! First things first, so I'm nervous to begin with because I haven't gone on a whole lot of dates these past 5+ years (Instead, I told myself that I've just been too busy with my career and didn't have time for...) But the truth was, was that I was too afraid to get back into that "Groove" again (the dating groove that is) I had "Fallen off the path" after ending a really bad relationship. After hearing from my good friend over and over (emphasis on over and over) that it wasn't normal to go without sex or dating for almost six years, I began to look at myself in a new light. Was she right? what was I doing? I was slowly marching down that "aging" path all alone..Did I want to grow old and alone with 50 or so cats? the answer was simple...No! I didn't want to become that dreaded old cat lady who woke up every day and went home every night to all 50 of her cats! So....I first signed up for online dating! What an experience that was!! (my motto here is "If you can't say something nice about someone-then don't say anything at all) To add a positive twist to my experience with online dating however, I will say that I did meet some very interesting men- but only two really caught my attention (or perhaps I should say, I really caught their's....wink...wink; I ended up going on a date with one, but only after I had fallen for him online (we had spent months conversing and exchanging dialogue on a week-to-week basis) I truly grew to have feelings for him! When we met, it was like a fairly tale, he was everything I had imaged he would be! Tall, Jewish and handsome! Ha! The chemistry we shared was even deeper than I imagined it would be...our first date was a yoga class (why? because I'm a huge yoga fan) But it was our second date where we exchanged an urgency to be together...I couldn't wait to have him close to me, to feel his warmth, his lips, his chest next to mine..After we ate our dinner, we rushed to the parking lot to release that urgency ...it was so intense, I remember how much I wanted him (right then and there!) But I pulled away when I felt that the feeling was mutual. We ended our date at the airport watching the planes landing and lifting off...it was so romantic! For weeks after the date, we would send me messages telling me that he was thinking of me...(he later told me that it took every once of strength to not rip my dress off of me in that parking lot when we were kissing and .....) Then finally a bomb was dropped-he revealed that he had lied about smoking and his age. Not to be picky or anything, but I am somewhat of a health nut and I believe in exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle. Someone who smokes in my books is not someone I would be compatible with because I find the smell so very atrocious ...but it was the age part that hurt me the most! (He lied about his age and to defend the lie, he said "who doesn't lie about their age? everyone does, especially women" (He probably had a good point - but it still hurt that he lied to me-after all, I did not lie to him (even though I can be very sensitive about my age, I still told him the truth!) I ended our connection. (and spent weeks thinking about him) Instead of moving on, I terminated my online dating account and mourned the loss. Even worse, I continued to complain to my girlfriend who told me to get over it and move on...I waited and waited.... and waited....8 months later I signed up for 25 dates and the rest as they say is history.... The event started at 7 which gave me just under and hour and a half to pull myself together after work and to commute to the Proof Vodka Bar! After spilling a coffee all over my favorite dress and throwing together one of the worst make-up jobs ever! I was finally on the commute ... looking at my Iphone which said 6:58pm and still having at least 20 more minutes to go.....(In a state of panic with my underdeveloped make-up job and stained Calvin Klein dress...I remained determined in my pursuit!) Running from the train station into a taxi and then into the Proof Vodka Bar at 7:20pm looking like Cruella De Vill probably wasn't the best way to make a first impression (but hey! at least I made it!) I ran up to the first person I saw, thinking he was a coordinator or something and began to tell him about my crazy day and why I was late. Upon learning that he was merely one of the participants, I quickly pulled away and scanned the area for the coordinator. Was I relived to learn that I was not late and that I could still participate? Yes! and No.....(No, because I was so nervous) Yes because I had fought so hard to get there! Anna was kind, courteous and supportive of me and she made me feel relaxed and comfortable! In her words "You're a cutie patootie" I would not be too worried if I were you:-)I'm sure you'll do just fine! And so, with the sound of the bell, there I was sitting with a glass of water and a glass of red wine...awaiting for my first speed date!! I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with (most - not all) of the gentlemen who were there. They all approached the table and were very eager to engage in conversation with me (which helped ease my nerves) Although I found a couple of the men attractive and enjoyed conversing with them, I didn't pick them at the end of the event! Why? perhaps fear? or perhaps because I cannot wait to go back to meet more men!! (woo...hoo!!!) This doesn't mean that I am planning on becoming a speed dating addict, but it does mean that I will not be afraid to put myself our there next time! Would I recommend 25 dates to find a mutual connection? A SUPER HUGE YES!!! If you are alone and single, don't waste 5+ years like I did being alone! And please don't waste your time with online dating! Come on out to an event, I promise you won't be disappointed ...and if you are...the next event will be free!!! Charlene:-)) (Attended speed dating event on August 24th-2015)

Having taken part in a speed dating event in Toronto, I was particularly annoyed by the TV commercial (made by that creepy old guy) which poked fun at speed dating in the most ridiculous ways. The characters in the spot where not realistic, like the over the top scary Goth guy. Sure, of the 25 ‘dates’ some are going to weird or simply not at all to your liking, but, on the same token some will be likable and worthy of a second date. The best part of this was I actually got to meet 25 girls in person and so heard their voices, read their body language and otherwise learned about them in ways you just can’t do in an online profile. Speed dating I have found, is not in a competition with online dating, you go out to a speed dating event to try something different, something a step up from random but in a safe accountable environment. I had a good time when I went out to the event, and yes, I even had a few matches and subsequent second dates. I even learned a little about myself in the process, so 25Dates gets 2 thumbs up from me!

I have found their customer support team to be amazing. They are very helpful, but even more important they respond in a timely manner. The events I have attended have been well run and fun. I would recommend them highly

Excellent customer service! Ragna was prompt, friendly, and very helpful in responding to questions about the events offered.

I went on my first speed dating event with a friend of mine and we had a blast! 25Dates was very professional, the hosts were awesome and the guys we met were amazing. We weren't sure what to expect but everything far exceeded our expectations!

25 dates is a professional speed dating company with well run events. The hostess was super friendly and knowlegable and ensured the evening ran efficiently. The daters were all very pleasant and offered a good range of prersonalities. My only suggestions for improvements would be providing more choice in dating age range options and more advance notice on the venues selected. It was a great evening though and I would definitely another event with this company.

It's alot of fun and the hosts are super nice!!