OUR LIVES | LOVE & MARRIAGE
Playing Cupid:
Gay Matchmaker Amari Ice Aims For the Heart BY MIKEY ROX | PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMARI ICE Recently or still single? No sweat. Gamechanging, history-making queer matchmaker Amari Ice (he recently paired the first successful gay couple on Lifetime’s “Married at First Sight”) answers our burning questions on love, relationships, and whether we really need either one. MIKEY ROX: How did you become a professional matchmaker? AMARI ICE: Technically, I’m a love coach first – matchmaker and hypnotherapist are tied for second – since the number one reason anyone is single is because they’re trying to have a
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LAVENDER JUNE 2-15, 2022
Level 25 relationship with Level 3 skills. We’re 200% to 300% more likely to find love (with or without a matchmaker) if we’ve gone through some sort of romantic coaching first. I primarily help gay singles develop their dating skills and only consider matching a client once their dating skills are already up to par so they don’t sabotage themselves. I think this approach – coaching 100% of my clients – is definitely a key component of what’s made me successful. MR: Explore the matchmaking process with me. What’s the criteria? How do you know this person is right for that person?
AI: Matchmaking is part science, part art. The art piece is more intuitive and can’t necessarily be taught or described, but anyone can learn the science piece which includes the criteria you asked about. Here’s my easy-toremember model for assessing whether or not someone is a good match for you. M: MAJOR LIFE VALUES This is the most important component of compatibility. Your values pave the growth path of your life. If your highest priority values aren’t aligned with your partner, you’ll eventually grow apart.