Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,/That has such people in ’t!

He is a very calm, cool, collected boss who is very much respected.

“You look terrific in this dress!” “That’s sweet; actually, I had a terrible day at work.”

We may have the feeling that love marriages have always been around when in fact they began to appear in the 14th century and became really popular in Europe in the 17th century. They are relatively new in India, where arranged marriages are still the norm and often considered to be more likely to succeed than love marriages, despite the impact of Bollywood films, which tend to glorify romantic love.

Rajini Vaidyanathan (BBC World Service, March 8, 2010) explains the success of online matrimonial sites in India by pointing out that the wedding industry has always been big in India. Quite logically, online matrimonial sites are big business too, especially as they make it easier for people to find their perfect match and allow Indians to continue with traditional matchmaking but using state-of-the art technology.

The criteria used online are the same as those used by traditional matchmakers. For example, Rajini mentions the caste that you want your future spouse to be, the money they make, their job, their education, if any, and even their Indian horoscope!