Three years ago, Elle Wilson had an idea for a party in her 700-square-foot apartment in NYC.
The party had two criteria for its guest list:
1. The guests all had to be single.
2. Each guest was required to bring a plus one who was also single and ready to mingle.
These requirements became the basis of Met Through Friends’ “Plus-One Party™”, which has now grown beyond what Elle and her friends could have initially imagined.
As more and more people ditch dating apps in search of romantic connections in other ways, we talk with Elle to dive deeper into the story of Met Through Friends, and how this new dating concept is linked to a cultural shift towards IRL connections.
Q & A with Elle Wilson, Founder of “Met Through Friends”
Q: What sparked the idea of “Met Through Friends”?
In 2022, I noticed that many of my very “dateable” friends were struggling to find love. Despite being quite eligible, they weren’t finding success on dating apps, and their in-person social skills were rusty after COVID.
However, I didn’t buy the narrative that there was “no one good left to date,” and had a hunch that if I just got them all in a room together, something special might happen.
I offered to host a singles party in my own apartment, with a catch: they had to bring a great single friend of the opposite sex for someone else to meet. The first party went better than expected, with a couple getting together, new friendships being formed, and many guests reporting an increased sense of hope and optimism about the dating landscape overall.
After a year and a half of hosting for my own friends, I founded Met Through Friends to take our signature event, the Plus-One Party™, to a broader audience.
Q: You started Met Through Friends in your small NYC apartment. How has it grown/evolved since then?
In less than two years, we’ve hosted nearly 3,000 guests at over 80 events, launched dozens of collabs and partnerships, and seen countless relationships and friendships form.
We’ve been in venues big and small all across NYC, have built a global digital audience, and are taking the Plus-One Party™ to DC for the first time next month. I’ve also gotten certified as a Dating Coach to help singles date more effectively offline, and have more fun doing it. Overall, we’re working to connect kind, brave, and fun singles with each other, wherever they are.
Q: Have there been any success stories/ “meet cutes” thus far? Do you have any favorites?
There are at least two relationships from our official launch party in 2024 (that we know of!) that are still going strong. One of my favorite success stories is one in which the couple decided initially that they were more of a platonic fit, and joined the same bouldering group after the event. After months of building a friendship, they took the leap and started dating, and have been together ever since. I love that this story speaks to the power of friendship, community, and patience in dating--you never know exactly how your next connection is going to blossom.
Q Have you run into any problems or roadblocks keeping this idea alive?
Events are always tricky to run! Demand is seasonal and unpredictable, and events themselves are always full of surprises, from wrangling guests to challenges with venues.
The biggest roadblock we hear from potential customers themselves is that they want to attend an event but don’t have the right “plus-one” to bring. However, rather than seeing this purely as a problem, we see this as a major opportunity and validation of the work we’re doing: people need more connections of all kinds, not just romantic ones, and we’re working to help make those happen. At the end of the day, it’s all worth it to see people build relationships of any kind that add meaning to their lives.
Q: What’s next for Met Through Friends? Any upcoming ideas or directions you are excited about and want to share?
We’re thrilled to be testing the Plus-One Party™ in new cities, and are hoping to reach great single people wherever they are. I’m also continuing to grow as a dating coach, to provide a helping hand to daters who want support as they navigate building relationships without the apps. We’re still just getting started!