"Try a bit harder," was the iconic punch that propelled Natalie Braier into the matchmaking ring. One Sunday morning in 2001, her 35-year-old cousin hosted a brunch at his new bachelor pad in London. In strolled a charming young lady who caught Braier's eye. The cousin said she didn't seem interested. "I think she will be. Just try a bit harder," she urged. The prescription worked rather well - 15 years and two kids later, her inspiration has been triumphantly vindicated.
Braier could fill a book with the stories of the twists and turns on the road to the chupah. In truth she is the accidental matchmaker - the most natural kind, who intuitively connects people she comes across all the time in her daily life, be it through work, synagogue, weddings, dinner parties and events.
As a professional tax consultant, she has spent many years connecting with people and managing their expectations. Doing so romantically is not entirely different. She fell into it naturally, quickly building a reputation as an innovative matchmaker. Raised in Golders Green, living almost a decade in New York and now in St John's Wood, Braier is the ultimate international networker. Born to a Belgian mother and British father she speaks French and has been well travelled since a very young age. That probably explains why every match she has made is mixed nationality. You would have thought that these days - with online dating sites, social networking and mass events - there would be little need for the traditional matchmaker. On the contrary, the problem is that dating has actually become dauntingly technical and contrived. "Social events labelled 'single' attract the people you actually don't want to meet," says Braier. "And then you have the big events, where it's not easy to meet people because it's a bit of a balagan," she continues. "In any event the last place you want to be is in a room full of people who have 'we are desperate to get married' written all over their faces."
Having not found Mr Right herself Braier is all too aware of the challenges out there for a sophisticated professional, and so brings a unique, fresh approach to dating. "I do for matchmaking what Nigella has done for home cooking," she says. Besides introducing people to each other, she also organises friendly, informal dinners or charity events that are not advertised as that biggest of turn-offs, "singles evenings". She has introduced a successful new venture, Friday Night Chic in London. "What my people want is a cosy environment of, say, a Shabbat dinner at shul, lots of alcohol, friendly hosts, excellent food and a speaker. It's a lot of work, costs a lot to organise, but often pays off."
