Meeting love with speed dating

If you've ever been single, you know that dating can be hard. And if you've ever been in a relationship, you know that dating is even harder when you're in one.

"Dating is the most inefficient way to find someone," says Mandy Len Catron, author of the book How to Fall in Love with Anyone. "It's a process that's based on chance encounters and randomness."

But there are ways to make it less random — and more efficient — she says. One great way is by taking part in speed-dating events.

What Is Speed Dating?

Speed dating is a structured way for single people to meet potential partners in an organized setting. It usually lasts about an hour and takes place over several rounds or "dates" with different partners each time. During each round, participants rotate tables and chat briefly before moving on to the next person at their table who hasn't yet been matched up with anyone yet. Afterward, participants rate each other on how well they connected during their brief chat session before moving on to the next round of speed dating until everyone has had one date with everyone else at the event (or until time runs out).