Speed Dating and Singles Events in Shropshire
What if I told you there was a HUGE community of single people in Shropshire?
How many hours have you spent scrolling on different dating apps, swiping left and right, starting countless conversations with strangers only for them to go nowhere? Online dating has complicated the process of finding love! You want to focus on whether or not there is a spark with someone, but instead you find yourself dealing with…
- Being catfished
- Limited or no matches
- People who are only interested in one thing
- Inconsistent communication
- Ghosting
- Superficial judgements
- Limited shallow communication (Hey, Hi, WYU2)
So, where do you go to date? Even on nights out, it is difficult to know whether or not someone is single or taken! If you’re out with your married friends, you can’t always break away to swap numbers with someone you see across the room.
These universal problems are why I created Speed Dating Shropshire! I started with the intention of creating a couple of speed dating evenings, which I did. When that went well, I organised a singles disco…before I knew it, I was organising loads of singles events, including a quiz, karaoke night and games nights (Traitors for Daters).
We now have a community of single people who are both open to dating AND enjoying an active, fun social life. People are not just finding love but they are also finding friends! There is no pressure if you’re new to dating and a bit scared! Just enjoy the social side and see what happens with regards to love. You can figure it out along the way!
I am working with beautiful country hotels throughout Shropshire to deliver a mixture of speed dating and other events exclusively for single people. Check out our upcoming dating events and grab a ticket.
Join the dating waiting list where you will be the first to find out about new events. If you are on the email list, you will have the details before they are released on social media. They sell out fast so this gives you the best chance of securing your place.
Meet Your Speed Dating Host
I’m Pixie, founder of the award-winning events company, Speed Dating Shropshire.
Shropshire did not have a very active community for single people. I could not find anywhere consistently offering speed dating. Like me, a lot of people I spoke to do not want to travel into a city to date and so spotting this gap in the market, I decided to launch my own singles events company.
I know it can be daunting attending speed dating or any events for single people – I call this ‘Nervecited’ ( A mixture of nervous AND excited) but when you find that special connection, you will be so glad you took the leap!
Take that next step and attend one of the speed dating evenings in Shropshire (or one of the singles events)
- No swiping
- No getting ghosted
- No waiting for replies
- No catfish
- Guaranteed dates
- Meeting other local people
- Find a potential partner
- A fun night out whether or not you find the one
- Find other single friends
Join the other singles in Shropshire who are leaving the apps and taking a break from online dating to increase the chances of finding real and lasting love!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does speed dating work?
Ladies, you will be seated at a table. This will be your table for the whole event. The chaps will then be asked to sit at one of these tables. The bell will ring, signalling the start of your first date.
You will have 4 minutes to chat and suss each other out. You will have a dating card to make notes and to privately tick whether you would like to see the date again. At the end of the 4 minutes, the bell will ring to signal the end of the date. The men will then move to the next date. You will have one minute between dates to make some private notes.
There will be a 15-minute break in the middle of the evening.
Pop your Dating Match Card into the box at the end of the evening. You need to have signed this and given us permission to message/WhatsApp you. If you have ticked yes and the person you want to see again has also ticked yes, we will exchange your details the next day.
An email will be sent via Eventbrite to let everyone know when the matches are complete.
How do I book a speed dating ticket?
Use this link to book your Speed Dating Tickets
How much are tickets to attend speed dating in Shropshire?
Tickets for most events are £25 (plus a small fee from Eventbrite, the ticket provider). I often have a one week early bird week for the larger events like discos – these launch at £20. Join the Email List to be the first to hear about those deals.
What happens when I arrive at the speed dating venue?
You will be asked to show your QR code to the team (no need to print it, just show it to us on your phone).
You will be given a badge, which will have a number on. This will be your dating number. You will also be asked to write your name on this name badge.
We will show you to the bar and then introduce you to the other participants of the same gender.
If you are the first to arrive, our hosts will stay with you until we can introduce you to other guests and get you chatting.
Can I buy a drink at the venue?
EYes you can. Some of the venues don’t accept cash, so please also bring your bank card or Apple Pay if you wish to purchase drinks. Please moderate your alcohol intake. Anyone acting inappropriately will be asked to leave for the safety of everyone at the event. This is at the hosts discretion and no refunds will be provided.
How do I connect with people after the speed dating event?
If you have ticked that you would like to see someone again and they have done the same, then we will send you each other’s phone number the next day.
You will be given a consent form to share this information at the event so you need to make sure this is signed and that we have accurate information. We do have many incomplete match cards (missing names, numbers, signatures) and sadly, this means some matches never happen (even though we try everything to resolve this at the time).
If you have not found a match, we will still let you know by email (this comes from Eventbrite) and please feel welcome to come along to another event.
How many dates will I have at the speed dating events?
I will not run the events unless we have sold at least 12 tickets for each gender.
Speed Dating events sell out consistently, and typically, you can expect 16-18 dates.
Will the events always be held at the same venue?
The events take place in Telford, Shrewsbury and Shifnal in Shropshire.
Right now, I am focusing on these areas in Shropshire. When the business is larger, I may expand to other areas. I attempted an event in Oswestry but I just don’t yet have the reach to get the numbers for that area.
Will you be hosting gay and lesbian speed dating evenings?
I have tried 3 times to host LGBTQ+ events but everytime we have had to cancel due to low ticket sales.
I won’t be hosting any more events for the LGBTQ+ community now but everyone is welcome at the social events (as long as you’re single).
At Discos and karaoke events, we have rainbow heart stickers and red heart stickers. If you take a rainbow sticker, it means you are open to dating someone of the same sex. If you take both red and rainbow, it means you are open to dating both sexes.
We are a very inclusive company and will not tolerate any kind of discrimination. You are safe with us! AND very welcome!
What happens when I enter the speed dating room?
Ladies will have a permanent seat. This will be their seat for the entire night! Tables will be numbered so ladies you need to find the seat/table that matches the number you were given upon arrival. Once the dating starts, the men will be invited through and asked to sit at the table corresponding to the dating number given on the way in. This is where you start.
How many minutes do we get for each date?
How will I remember details about each of my dates?
You will have an A4 Notes Card – this has space to make useful notes i.e. Tony from Telford, beard, has a cat called Fluffy. This is yours to take home.
You will also have a Match Card to make your choice of who you would like to see again at the end of the night. We use this to match you to the people who have said they also want to see you again.
I spoke to developers about an app but I felt this moved away from one of the core USPs of the business, the move away from using technology when dating. For now the business will provide good old-fashioned pen and paper.
You will also have a clipboard so you turn this over during your dates to keep it private. No one should ask you if you have ticked yes or no and please don’t ask anyone else because it could be awkward and make someone feel uncomfortable.
Do I date everyone at the event or do I choose who I want to date?
If it is a male, female dating event, you will date everyone of the opposite sex who has a ticket. This is an evening of hopefully finding the one, but it is also a lovely experience to meet lots of different people in real life. Lean into the fun of the event and try to suspend the usual judgments that are so easy to make (especially when using online dating).
What if I don't get a match?
Not everyone will get a match, and I know that will be disappointing. This is not something we can predict or control. I believe there is someone out there for everyone!
You do need to make sure you are in a resilient place to come to these events, as it can take time to meet the right person, and dating is always a bit bumpy along the way.
Remember, just because you don’t get a match, this does not mean that you didn’t get any ticks. It just means that the people you ticked did not tick you.
How do you ensure the safety of the attendees?
We do our very best to ensure your safety whilst you are at the event. We watch over the car park for ten minutes after an event has ended so please make sure you head to your car during this time.
Before the event, men and ladies will be sent a short sentence of their own that they can say to staff if they need to speak privately for any reason – these sentences will not be the same for each gender. Look out for this email – it will come from the Eventbrite email address. My team will all be aware of this but the hotel staff will not be. Please do not share your gender specific sentence with anyone of the opposite gender, I am sure you will agree that the safety of all guests is a priority.
At discos and karaoke nights, I provide free anti-spiking drink covers and advice to keep your drink safe during the evening. I have created a leaflet which will be available at events regarding expectations of conduct and ways to keep yourself safe. We also hire security so Jamie and Nathan will be there for those larger social events. They usually just have to make sure people don’t sneak into the room for a dance and deal with the odd rogue collapsing table, but it’s better to have them there, just in case.
Will there be time to mingle outside of the dates?
You are very welcome to stay at the venue until they close but this is not part of the event and we will be packing up the event to go home. Please do consider your own safety as we watch over the car park for ten minutes after an event, so it is only during this time that we are able to watch to make sure you get safely to your car.
What if I am nervous about speed dating?
You won’t be alone with this! It is very common. You’re welcome to phone Kirsty on 07983 424 664. We are very friendly and will make sure you find someone to talk to in the bar before the event begins. It is normal to be nervous, but i am hoping you will be both nervous and excited (nervecited), and this is usually a great feeling. Try to remember why you are going speed dating and that you could meet someone special because you were brave enough to take this step.
Do you host events for people with disabilities?
Yes! Kirsty has just started Neuro Events Shropshire and is taking applications for dating and social events aimed at socially independent neurodivergent adults. You can complete the application form here.
What happens if not enough people buy tickets?
I will not run a speed dating event unless I have sold 12 tickets to each gender, so there will be at least 12 dates provided all of those with tickets turn up on the day. We sell out most of our speed dating events with 18 tickets for men and 18 tickets for ladies.
If we ever had to cancel due to low sales, we would notify you by email and issue you a full refund.
Can you come if you are not within the age range stated for the dating event?
After running the first event, I have taken on board the feedback which is that you should be within 2-3 years of the age group. If you are attending a 35-45 event, you need to be 32-48! If you are attending a 45-55 event, you need to be between 42 and 58 etc.
Will you be hosting any other types of dating events apart from speed dating?
Yes! I now run discos, karaoke nights, comedy nights, Traitors for Daters and quizzes – all exclusively for single people. If you would like to register your interest for any of our events, please join the mailing list which you can find on the here.
Will there be equal numbers of men and women?
I do my best to ensure we have similar numbers of men and women at our male-female dating events. I will pause ticket sales once a certain gender gets to 14 to allow the other gender to catch up.
