Success stories that prove modern love is real

Serendipity proved to us that you can meet the love of your life amidst the Christmas shopping frenzy. Notting Hill showed us that fate can be stumbled upon in a dilapidating travel bookstore. 50 First Dates taught us that being alone in a restaurant could be an unspoken invitation to the one we’ll spend the rest of our life with.

But Tinder? Tinder is evidence that love can be found even in the frustrating confusion of online dating.

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Sarah Rajani and Ryan Bills

Photo and story taken from Huffington Post

In early 2013, Sarah Rajani and Ryan Bills found themselves on Tinder after some prodding from their friends. Neither one was looking to find anything real, but both ended up pleasantly surprised. After some exchanges on the app itself, Sarah and Ryan exchanged numbers and—after shaking off the jitters—decided to meet.

“Everything about her was captivating and made me interested to know more,” Ryan said. “She was the most graceful woman I had ever met.” But while Ryan was clearly smitten from the minute Sarah walked in the door, it didn’t take long for Sarah to develop feelings either.

“By the next day, I could already see myself marrying this guy,” she said. “Crazy, I know, but my prediction ended up being true.”

The two were engaged and married later that year.

Dave Falcone and Lindsay DeFilippis

Photo and story taken from Elle Magazine

Dave Falcone and Lindsay DeFilppis both downloaded Tinder with no real intention. Dave was just hoping to score maybe a date or two and Lindsay just wanted to see what the fuss was about. And when the two matched, Dave made sure he didn’t sound like the typical boy-on-the-prowl. Their exchange eventually led to a real date and Dave knew he had to see Lindsay more and more.

“After the date was over, I was driving home and I kept thinking to myself, ‘God, I need to see her again before next weekend,’” he shared. The two were married in 2015.

Tom and Denis

Image and story taken from Cosmopolitan

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Denis had already been on Tinder for a few months before he matched with Tom, who caught his eye because his profile was unassuming and “refreshingly warm.” By that point, Tom had also been on the dating app for a while and swiped right on Denis since he described himself as a “glass half-full” type of person.

After a full night of exchanging messages, the Tom made his way to Denis’ apartment—and they haven’t gotten enough of each other since. “I read somewhere once that love should be friendship on fire,” Denis said. “So I feel pretty damn lucky that Tom is also my best friend.”

Abby Castelo and Julo de Guzman

Abby and Julo always shared mutual friends, but it was only on Tinder that the two actually began their own conversations. And while Abby admitted that she needed a bit of a push, it became clear early on that she and Julo shared more than just the same circle. The interest began over a common love for streetwear and eventually grew to include so much more—like travel, goofy costumes and music festivals.

Abby and Julo have been together for over a year now, ticking off boxes on their to-do lists and snapping photos with no second look back.

Carla Bianca Ravanes Higham and Anthony Higham

Nursing a broken heart and on a professional assignment to see what the fuss on Tinder was all about, Bianca had no expectations when she first downloaded the app. And while she was thankful to have met people she never would have otherwise, romance didn’t blossom for the self-confessed Maria Clara on that trip.

As she was ready to delete the app, she made one more match that didn’t lead to anything at first. But after a month—during which Bianca blocked Anthony on social media—she got one more message that put them on the road to friendship and, eventually, marriage.

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Meet cutes have swept us off our feet over and over again, and have proven to us that love comes in the most unexpected places. But whether or not the stories last forever or lead to a heartbreaking end—think Dean and Cindy in Blue Valentine—the important thing is that love was there. That there was an undeniable connection that, even for the briefest of moments, made us believe in forever.

Can’t get enough? Catch All Of You in theatres at the Metro Manila Film Festival this December 25.