Today we’d like to share the incredibly romantic success story between two Zooskers, Dave and Maria, who met on Zoosk last year and are getting married this upcoming October, on the anniversary of Dave’s parents. Congratulations Dave and Maria! We wish you all the happiness in the world!

I’ve been holding off on sending my success story because our story is still being written, but here goes: our story thus far.

I met Maria on Zoosk back in June of 2009. She had seen my profile many times, but had passed me up because of the considerable distance between us. I live in the southern suburbs of Philadelphia and she lives in the Bronx. However, she said my warm, big smile kept her coming back. Finally she sent me a wink and being a polite guy, I flirted back. Well the fireworks began almost immediately! We chatted and giggled and shared intimate details as if we’d been longtime, close friends for decades! Then, when I bought a webcam, we flirted “face to face” and had even more fun! We decided to view our unconventional, online contact as an advantage that allowed us to get to really know each other on deeper, strong levels without the steamy, physical aspect getting in the way and clouding things. We felt like we were 18th-century lovers corresponding by mail.

Well, it worked. We forged an unbreakable bond and fondness before we even met in person and then, once we got in the same room, our relationship exploded and flourished into the crazy, passionate romance we now share. I asked Maria to marry me on New Year’s eve 2009/2010 and she said “Of course!” She know wears the ring my maternal grandfather gave to my grandmother upon their engagement in 1928. Maria says she would not trade it for a million dollar ring and a million dollars. Maria is a high quality person.

I am scheduled to move to New York in June and our wedding is planned for Saturday, October 16th, 2010. The day after my parent’s anniversary (wed in 1949 and still going strong) and the day before my own birthday. Meeting Maria has completely changed my life into something so much better than I ever dared to wish upon a star for. I love her and will never let her go. And we have Zoosk to thank!

-Dave Beaver

Happy tidings, Dave and Maria. If any of you readers have a success story you’d like to share, send it to success [at] zoosk [dot] com and we’d love to feature it on our blog! Happiness should be shared, and we want to share yours.

Congratulations Jimmy and Jennifer from Louisville, Kentucky!

Jimmy and I met on Zoosk in August, 2009. We both have been widowed and were confident we would find love again. We started with emails, then talking on the phone and the week before our first date, Jimmy came over and fixed my lawnmower. He says he knew I was the one early on. Around Christmas, we started talking about making our situation “permanent”. We have 5 kids between us and they are ALL very excited about us getting married. Jimmy proposed on Valentines Day and now we are selling houses, planning a wedding and looking at houses to purchase. Thanks to Zoosk, our two broken hearts have become one whole one!!!

-Jennifer and Jimmy
*Wedding set for September 4, 2010*

“Happiness is an inside job,” Jennifer says. Zoosk makes happiness our job. We are thrilled we were able to help Jennifer and Jimmy find happiness! If you have your own success story to share, send it in to success [at] zoosk [dot] com! We want to feature your story!

Today we’d like to share an adorable success story from the Garden State! Congrats Anne and Paul. Anne made the first move on Paul, and after that, well, you can read the evidence right here. It’s a heartwarming story.

My name is Annie; I’m from New Jersey. My Zoosk screen name is redvixen. I am writing to let you know that I met my someone special on your site. His name is Paul; his screen name is fungemini. I want to share our romantic story.

I was going through a divorce from a cheating husband; we’d been separated for over a year. I had tried online dating off and on when Zoosk popped up when I was on Facebook one night. On a whim, I joined. Very shortly I began getting winks, and sending some, too. I came across fungemini, liked his profile, and “Favorited” him.

A week or so later, he winked at me. We began emailing one another in November 2009; we met in person in December, early in the month. I was not looking for a serious relationship as I was still leery from my split. On the other hand, Paul was looking for a relationship — but he was willing to start as friends and see where it went.

Well, it didn’t take long before I discovered that I didn’t want to date anyone else. And Paul still felt the same. January 2nd, the day after New Year’s, we decided to become exclusive. And here we are! I feel so lucky. Paul is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. We have so much in common! I really enjoy spending time with him, whether we’re doing something or just hanging out together.

I still think I’m dreaming!

Thanks again, Zoosk!

-Anne from New Jersey

Congrats Anne and Paul! If you have your own Zoosk success story to share, send it to us with a photo of you and your loved one to success [at] zoosk [dot] com and if we showcase your story we’ll send you an online gift card as a token of our congratulations. Happy Zoosking!

There are better ways to break ice than with an overused pick-up line or a boring conversation starter.  “Nice weather we have today, isn’t it?” doesn’t exactly speak volumes about your personality. Speaking of personality, a boring introduction like this reveals only a lack thereof.

We know it’s not easy to fabricate witticisms at the drop of a hat, so we’ve come up a way to help you out.

On your Date Card, you’ll notice a fun new Icebreakers feature. Icebreakers are cute little questions (like “What is your least favorite part about flying on a plane?”) that any Zoosker can add to their Date Card. These questions which can be answered by interested Zooskers in lieu of sending a Wink (which doesn’t provide much description or detail about you) or a Flirt (a Flirt what we call a standard Zooskbox message that you write unprompted). Icebreakers make flirting easier than ever, and we’ve given you 100 different icebreakers to choose from!

Adding icebreakers to your profile is easy. As you edit your Date Card, visit the new icebreakers tab. You can add as many icebreakers on your profile as your lovely heart desires.

Compared to composing an unprompted message, answering an icebreaker is a piece of cake. You can respond to an icebreaker with a sparkling riposte right on a cutie’s Date Card.

Click “Answer” and a little box will pop up. Type your bon mots in the box and clickity click on “Send”.

The icebreaker lands right in the person’s Zooskbox. Easy breezy, ice is broken!

Once an icebreaker is sent to a Zooskbox, the appears like the above, with the question and answer together. How nice!

And with that freezing cold sheet of ice out of the way, things can finally heat up. Is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here?

Texans say that everything is bigger in their state. We don’t know if that’s true, but we’ll admit Texas is home to some pretty big hair, big belt buckles, and Big-with-a-capital-B love stories, like this love story between Julia and Jaysen, two Zooskers from the Lone Star State who met and fell in love on Zoosk.

Julia and Jaysen both took time to write letters to Zoosk that described their experience using our site to find one another. We were so moved by their incredibly romantic story.  We used to think Giant was the most romantic love story to come out of Texas, but now that we’ve heard from Julia and Jaysen, we think they blow Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson out of the water. You’ve got to read this.

First, we hear from Julia.

Dear Zoosk,

My name is Jules and I have found the love of my life on Zoosk. We had our first date 5 ½ months ago and have been together almost every day since. We had a immediate, unbelievable, and undeniable connection from the absolute moment we met. He is a wonderful man unlike any I have ever met in my life. I have found my soul mate and the love of my life. We are now planning the rest of our lives together and are the happiest that either of us have ever been in our lives.

I was 1 day old to signing up to Zoosk when Jaysen winked at me. I checked out his profile and sent him a message back with just a wink. Jaysen responded back with “Hey beautiful!” and from that moment on we started planning our first date.

We went out for the first time 3 days after we messaged each other. On our first date, we decided to meet in Grapevine half way between the 2 of us. At the time we started dating, I was living in Frisco, Texas and Jaysen was in Grand Prairie, Texas. We started texting each other back and forth a couple of hours before we were to meet. And there was a lot of flirting going on in our texts. It was fun and he was cracking me up with the jokes. When we spoke on the phone his voice gave me butterflies, and I knew immediately that something crazy was happening.

We met at a restaurant in downtown Grapevine to have a drink and dinner. We sat and talked and got to know each other for hours. Then as it was getting later, we took a walk down the street and sat on a park bench and talked for several more hours. We decided it was getting pretty late and we decided to head back to our cars to head home. While walking to our cars, we passed another seating area and ended up sitting again and talking for several more hours. We almost talked all night …. And before we knew it (which neither one of us EVER do) we were sharing our first kiss together and it was amazing!

Jaysen and I had a instant connection to each other from the very beginning, and I know that we were meant for each other. We were brought together now for a reason. He is a truly amazing man and I am so blessed to have him in my life, to love him and to have him love me.

I knew that I felt very strong emotions for this man a week after I knew him… We both talked about it and he told me he was feeling the same way, that he felt he had known and been with me already for his entire life and that he knew he was meant to be with me. And in 2 weeks after our dating we were both sure we were undeniably and utterly 100% head-over-heels in love with each other.

Now we know we are going to have a life together and are planning our futures together. Thank you Zoosk for helping me find the man that I was meant to be with for the rest of my life. Without your site we may have never met or found each other!

Sincerely,
Julia
Grand Prairie, Texas

We were thrilled to receive Julia’s big-hearted and inspiring letter, which quite frankly made us verklempt. We were all set to share her letter with our Zoosk community as inspiration that online dating really works and that love happens when you least expect it, when, out of the blue, Jaysen’s letter came the next day! It was like we’d had our birthday two days in a row. Here’s Jason’s letter to Zoosk (you might want to pause and grab the tissues):

Dear Zoosk,

Julia told me about your email, and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought that you would want my side of the story!

I am 38 years old and have failed more times than I can count with love. I have a certain “old school” personality when it comes to love, and usually that is taken advantage of. After my last divorce, a very hard one, my heart was bruised and my ego shaken, and after 10 years, had to figure out how to date again. I don’t do the bar scene, was working a lot, and time out was scarce. I tried several sites such as Match.com and Singles.net, and the dates I went on from those sites were always hit and miss. The sites themselves were full of scams and garbage.

Zoosk was different. It was simple, personal, and easy. And the integration with Facebook is also great.

When I saw Julia, read her profile, it struck a chord inside. Don’t know why she seemed so familiar at that time, and don’t know why it was so easy to contact her. After winking at each other, and exchanging a few emails, texts, and phone calls, we finally decided to meet. She lived all the way up in Frisco, Texas, and I was in Grand Prairie, about 60 miles away. That didn’t seem to matter. She found a place in Grapevine, Texas that was in the middle, and knowing that I loved live bands, she found a restaurant that was having a great Stevie Ray Vaughn “cover band”.

When I saw her, I was floored. Not only did she seem familiar, but she was beautiful, intelligent, and wonderfully funny. She had this personality that drew you in, kept you captured. She, herself, had been hurt, and she was a broken angel. I found myself wanting to know everything about her. Although the band was wonderful, I hardly noticed because I could not look away from her. We talked for hours without awkwardness or nervousness, she put me right at ease. I held her hand, unnatural for both of us! I could feel the electricity from her touch, and the warmness from her stare.

Dinner was wonderful, but too short. We went for a walk instead of calling it a night, and talked and laughed, and sat on a street bench and talked and laughed some more. It was so easy to talk to her, so easy to lower my guard and I could tell it was the same for her as well. It was as if we had know each other for years and were “catching up”! It was natural, wonderful, and meant to be. When we decided it was time to call it a night, we walked back to the cars and ended up sitting for longer, still talking, still laughing, it was if neither one of us wanted to be away from each other.

We had our first kiss that night, soft and wonderful. It was that night I knew I would fall for this woman every day for the rest of my life. And I continue to fall in love with her every morning, and love her more than the day before every night. We were meant to be together. And now almost 6 months later we are still falling in love, sharing more than I ever thought possible, and realizing this is where I was meant to be, this is who I was meant to be with, and this is where I will be for the rest of my life.

Without Zoosk, our paths would have never crossed. We were two people looking for each other, and without Zoosk, we would have spent our life still looking. I thank you for so much more than mere words can explain. And I hope all that come to the site have the same thing happen as did to me – they find their soulmate.

Best,
Jaysen Towers
Grand Prairie, Texas

P.S. Love you Julia!!

This story made us smile for days. We wish Julia and Jaysen all the best and thank them for sending us their inspirational letters of love.

If you have your own Zoosk success story to share, send it to us with a photo of you and your loved one and we’ll send you an Amazon (or other online retailer of your choice) gift card as a token of our congratulations.

Yee yee! The Zoosk iPhone App is here to feed your raging internet addiction!

As there are 50 million (and counting) worldwide registered users on Zoosk and 40 million worldwide iPod and iPod Touch users, a sizable swath of our Zooskers are also serious Mac people. Lucky for them, because our iPhone App promises to make social dating quicker, easier, and more efficient than, well, freaking ever.

Now you can Zoosk it up at work during that boring conference call or while you’re at the grocery store or while you’re at the gym or while you’re on a bad date with someone else (you’re just, er, responding to an important text) or in the bathroom or like basically anywhere you can find a signal. Which means, essentially, that you can flirt with online hotties wherever you go. With social networking, downloadable desktop, mobile, and iPhone applications, Zoosk is dating for the connected world.

Download the free iPhone App at the iTunes App Store online or right on your iPhone. If you’re not a Zoosk member currently, you can register and validate a new account, right on the application itself. After your first iPhone log-in, we’ll give you 30 free Zoosk coins. Use them to send a virtual gift to someone who catches your eye. Then get your thumbs ready for a flirting frenzy because that touch screen will put them to work!

Lastly, don’t be bummed if you don’t have an iPhone — Zoosk still has you covered on the mobile front. If you don’t have an iPhone, you can still access Zoosk on your standard phone with Zoosk Mobile. See how easy we make it for you to flirt shamelessly? What are you waiting for? Get out there and start flirting!

Dear Zoosk,

The very first minute I signed up on Zoosk, a man winked at me.  His name was JD, and he lived only 30 miles from me. I thought he was cute, so I sent him a message.

That was the beginning of a great relationship.

I live in the Clarksburg area in West Virginia, and he was from Buckhannon. When we met, his smile first attracted me to him. But later, it was his personality I liked. He would say the nicest things to me when we talked! When we texted each other on the phone, he always had a comeback to things I said that would blow me away. The guy with all the lines. Couldn’t stop telling me how beautiful I was!

Our first date was a nice dinner, casual dress, at a Chinese restaurant, and we had a good time with our fortunes in the end.  They were funny, and we laughed a lot! Then we went for a long ride in the country, and JD showed me where he used to be a trooper, as well as some stories about the little town he worked in.

Then he brought me home and gave me a hug and a sweet little kiss and he went home.  We have been dating ever since. Every day is a good day.  I am sure it will continue.

We both had been praying for someone to come into our lives, and at the same time when we needed each other the most “here we are”. It’s really special. The way he hugs me makes me want to be held by him forever.  I like that.

This winter, JD asked me to marry him! We looked at rings for a long time, and he took me to jewelry store after jewelry store, just to find the right one! We act like we are 16-years-old, laughing and having a great time. My children love him. We love each other. I can’t believe I found someone so quickly! Thanks for your dating site, or I would have never met him.

Zoosk is the best! You never know from the very beginning, but sometimes you can beat all odds.

Sincerely,
Tammy and JD

In Bertrand Russell’s celebrated essay, “In Praise of Idleness,” the distinguished analytic philosopher and Nobel Laureate contends, quite rationally, “I think that there is far too much work done in the world, that immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous. I hope that, after reading the following pages, the leaders of the YMCA will start a campaign to induce good young men to do nothing.” And, just for dramatic effect, he adds, “If so, I shall not have lived in vain.”

In response this glorious display of intellect, Zoosk responds most enthusiastically, “Hear hear!”

It appears that the folks at TechCrunch might also believe, as Russell himself did, that “Leisure is essential to civilization.” Could there be a truer truism? Purveyors of romantic leisure that we are, Zoosk is rightfully honored to have made it to the final round of voting at this year’s 2009 TechCrunch Crunchies Awards in a category we are proud to be recognized in: Best Time Sink Application.

But we also adhere to the belief that the pursuit of love is an activity that, albeit leisurely, is absolutely necessary. Plus, leisure is useful too. Sure, you can’t expense a date on the company card or charge it to your place of work as a billable hour, but the time you spend looking for love is fully compensated, at the end of the road, when you find it. So while some time may sink during the quest, that time will be worth it when you get to your final destination. Think of it as a potentially long flight that just happens to take off and land at the exact same local time, just in different time zones.

So remember, everyone, vote for Zoosk! “Each person is invited to vote once per category per day through Wednesday, January 6th at midnight PST. Once you cast a vote in a category, you are able to share your vote through Twitter and Facebook.” Put a little bit of work in for Zoosk by voting every day until January 6th, and we’ll ensure you get the best time sink application the web has to offer for as long as your heart desires. XO.

By Anne B

Last night I sent a heartfelt text message. Not my typical behavior. I’m not a huge fan of conveying important messages via texts, but in the spirit of the rapidly approaching New Year, why not try new things? You know the kind of text message I’m talking about. The kind that you write, stare at for a minute, erase, and revise a few times before sending. This is the kind of text that you have to put a little thought into in order to avoid the very high risk that comes with messy text miscommunication.

So, there I am with the final draft of my text. I ask myself, did I say too much? No. Not enough? No, it’s good. The message is clear, and straight from my heart. Send. Wait. Fein interest in what’s playing on TV. Wait some more. Ping! I get a response. Hoping to see words of poetry echoing my sentiments, and perhaps leading to a longer exchange and then some (wink wink) I open the message to find… a smiley face. A smiley face!? What am I supposed to do with that!!??

Correction: The smiley face was blowing a kiss. I guess that’s supposed to add some romance? Well thanks, now I’m just melting all over myself.

With 2010 approaching I’ve gotten a little reflective about where we are today. It’s not really news that we are inundated with mediums of communication. All of which act as methods to increase the connection from person to person. Facebook connects you with that kid who always had something sticky on his face. “Remember me? We played hopscotch in grade school!” Twitter tells you that your friend on the other side of the country is, “stuck in traffic again, ugh!” We have a virtual buffet before us offering a million ways to stay connected and informed about our loved ones. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re wearing your stretchy pants, buffets are great. Who doesn’t like having options? But this should not be a substitute for intimacy. The onus is on us to foster the intimacy. Merriam Webster defines intimacy as something of a personal or private nature.

No social network can fabricate the warmth of opening yourself up to someone you trust and love. It’s a lot more complicated than drafting the perfect text message. It requires a bit of personal risk. You’ve got to feel secure enough to expose the jugular of your vulnerability trusting that your partner is going to caress it, not bite. (Well, maybe a nibble would be nice.)

We are all seeking it too. We may deny it but that doesn’t negate the desire. Everyone wants their life to be validated, intimate witnesses of the good and the bad, who choose to stay and be a part of our lives. Knowing there is someone who cares about what happens to you just because it’s happening to you and you alone adds so much meaning to life. So we continue to publicly update our status, and invite the spectators of our lives to comment. It might leave us with a cold virtual smiley face that’s blowing us a kiss through the phone, when what we really want is for someone to draw us close so we can melt into a real, warm, and demonstrative embrace, but I guess at least we are reaching out.

In our world we have hyper communication that has been afforded to us like never before, instant connection with just about everyone in our lives. But with all of this connection it has not improved our level of intimacy with one another. So how can we improve it? Well it’s like the old saying goes, in order to get a friend you’ve got to be a friend. Same thing goes for intimacy and deep connection in romantic relationships; you really get out of it what you put in.

If you are beginning a relationship and see long-term potential, begin setting the foundation for a deeper connection and it will evolve into a more meaningful one. I’m not saying take every moment to cry in each others arms while watching The Notebook, but there are a few ways of setting the stage for both parties to have more intimacy in the relationship.

For starters, walk the walk.

Show them that you can be trusted. Keep your word. When you prove that you are reliable in smaller ways it carries over. Be where you say you will be, when you say you’ll be there. Make sure that your actions and, more importantly, your attitude is consistent.

Express your certainty.

Would you invest your time and devotion to someone who was a flight risk? If there is an insecurity that leads them to think you’ll bolt next time there is a rough patch there will be little motivation for them to move forward into murky waters. Do you care about this person? Show it.

Learn a thing or two from puppy love.

We all want to be loved unconditionally, so know that your person will have imperfections, but so do you! There is an enormous sense of serenity in knowing you are accepted in spite of your flaws. When you begin to realize that the relationship is a judgment free zone, you inevitably feel more comfortable giving more of yourself to it. Be sure that your attitude conveys an appreciation for the qualities that make this person different from the rest.

Be a communicado afficionado.

If there is one thing that technology teaches us, it’s how effective communication can transform our lives. Take some time to know more about yourself and have a genuine interest and curiosity in the other person. Make time to discover and learn about each other in a variety of situations and environments while traveling and trying new things together.

Psychologists today are discussing all of the cultural implications that come with the virtual advantages and disadvantages of how we communicate today. The overall breadth of our relationships have undoubtedly expanded, but the question remains: Does the depth of the relationships that are formed satisfy our needs for intimacy?

We are the makers of our relationships, and as Csikszentmihalyi says, man is to a large extent a reflection of his construction. When constructing your next relationship with someone for whom you care deeply, take the time to undertake this enterprise with great care.

photo credit: D3 SF

By Juliet O

Yippee! Bring out the bells, the whistles, and the fancy trays of mouth-watering, calorie-laden sweets: the end-of-year holiday season has finally arrived! As this year (and decade) draws to a close, Zoosk wishes you the happiest holiday festivities and brightest spirits and cheer that this season has to offer.

Holidays bring with them a host of holly jolly things, from parties to paid vacation to presents, but our absolute favorite aspect of the holiday season will always be the unique excitement of holiday dating. The holiday merriment rubs off on even the most incorrigible Scrooge. Who doesn’t love an eggnog, peppermint schnapps, and mistletoe-fueled adrenaline rush?

But we know that desite the amazing rewards, holiday dating is not without its challenges. We want to make the entire process of dating during this time of year as easy on you as possible. We want you to stop stressing out and focus instead on enjoying yourself. To help our Zooskers navigate and cultivate their love lives during this special time of year, we’ve created the Singles Guide to Surviving the Holidays, a downloadable PDF that you can save on your desktop and read at your own convenience, that answers some of your most pressing questions about the rules of holiday dating.

Our guide includes holiday dating tips from relationship experts, gift-giving ideas for singles, holiday dating trends and much more. We surveyed thousands of Zooskers to find out what they really want this holiday. From what kind of gifts they wanted to what kind of date they wanted, we asked for the scoop.

Did you know that the majority — 68% — of Zooskers say that they’re looking for a long term relationship this holiday season? This guide gives you tips on how to meet someone this winter, and whether you’re just looking to land a holiday party date or if you’re on the market to establish something lasting, there are tidbits in this guide for every kind of dater.

We’ve also got expert advice from dating gurus like Rich Santos of Marie Claire, Julie Spira the best-selling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online, and iVillage relationship columnist Sherry Amatenstein.

What holiday season is complete without a healthy dose of materialism? In our surveys, we asked Zooskers what kind of presents they hoped to receive from dating partners, and our Holiday Guide reveals their answers. We were pleasantly surprised to discover how completely unmaterialistic our user base is! Overwhelmingly, you guys responded that you were just hoping for a simple hug or kiss from your date this season.

Now that the question of what to get your partner is answered and filed away, you can focus on the more important thing: how to land said partner in the first place.

Since the week before Christmas marks the busiest time of year on our site, your chances of landing dates this month are statistically the highest of the year. This means that you should go out and work everything you’ve got. Flirt shamelessly. Message as many Zooskers as your greedy heart desires. The numbers show that people are looking for romance this month, so it doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there. If you’re still feeling shy, look in the mirror and repeat to yourself, “Live boldly.” Other people, we’re sure, are doing the same.

What are you waiting for? Go give yourself the best gift of all this holiday season: love.

For more facts and tidbits from our Singles Guide to Surviving the Holidays, download the guide here on our site! Good information is a shame to waste. Tell all your friends about it — heck, tell your date about it — and go out there and take advantage of the happiest time of the year!!!