Women Over 30 Are Sharing How They Met Their Partners, And Surprisingly, Not All The Stories Include A Dating App

Buzz Feed

13-03-2025

If you've ever scrolled through Reddit's r/AskWomenOver30, there's a good chance you've seen a post asking how women in their 30s meet their spouses and long-term partners nowadays. And if you look through the responses, you'll find that, in a shocking turn of events, not everyone meets their spouse online. Here's a look at some of the ways women over 30 have met their partners:
1. "I met my partner at a party several years ago. A friend of mine was invited to a cookout where they didn't know many people and asked if I wanted to join them. My now-partner worked with the wife of the couple who was hosting. We started chatting at the beer cooler, had a debate about sports, and ended up exchanging numbers at the end of the night."
— seasidewildflowers
2. "I went to watch some local music with a friend, and he was in the band! I was 34, and he was 32."
— tinydancer091187
3. "I joined disc golf and dart clubs, both of which are male-dominated. I'm the only woman in the disc golf club, which has over 30 men, half of whom are single. I find this easier than using dating apps. I like being friends first because that means they'll be themselves, and I can filter them out that way. So far, I'm interested in one guy, and the feelings are mutual."
— deathbydarjeeling
4. "I met mine when I joined a recreation league soccer team!"
— fluffy_hamsterr
5. "A couple of years ago, I decided to take swimming lessons. I had never learned as a kid and wanted to try something new. My coach was a lovely man, two years older than I am. We worked together very professionally for a year, and after we ended lessons, we started practicing together and started dating soon thereafter."
— incunablesetc
6. "Video games when I was 31. I met some people on a 'looking for group' subreddit for the video game I was playing at the time. This one guy introduced me to his girlfriend, and we became friends pretty quickly. One night, she asked if I wanted to play with her and her brother. I said sure! He and I now have a farm and a baby on the way (and I'll be 34 in 2.5 weeks)."
— TaterrrTot3
7. "We met dancing! Our city has line dance and country swing dance lessons. We got paired as swing dance partners, had drinks, talked, and the rest is history."
— Thr0w-a-wayy
8. "We met at a party hosted by an older woman I had met once. I went because I enjoy meeting new people, and I believe it's good to be open to everything, even though I knew no one else there. I was 34. We have been together since that night."
— marshmallow_kitty
9. "My husband's sister met her now-husband at a surfing camp. She (and we) are Canadian, her husband is French, and the surfing was in Portugal!"
— concentrated-amazing
10. "I met my husband at my martial arts studio! I first taught his son (who took the kids' classes) for about a year, and then my husband started taking the adult classes. We became friendly, then became friends, then became best friends. After three-ish years of friendship and one year of very close friendship, we (FINALLY) started dating."
— Hefty-Target-7780
11. "I met mine through a political activist group. I was active in the group for two-plus years before he joined. I wasn't just going to meet cuties, but it was a cheeky bonus."
— doubtitmate
12. "Join Meetup. I met mine through a dining out Meetup group."
— Carrotsrpeople2
13. "I met my husband through a local Meetup group that ran multiple hobby groups. We both joined the book club and board game meetups. He immediately fell for me, but I was oblivious, and he was respectful. One night, one of our mutuals was talking about a new birria taco truck, and I said I really wanted to try their birria ramen. He told me he had Friday off, and he'd be happy to pick it up for me. I said, 'What, like a date?' It was meant to be kind of a teasing comment, but he blushed heavily and asked if I wanted to get coffee sometime."
— JuxtheDM
14. "I started going to a CrossFit gym after a breakup six years ago. I changed gyms a few times but ended up really enjoying it. I ended up meeting my now husband!! Totally the last thing I expected to happen. We have since moved, but still work out at a CrossFit gym where we've also made a solid group of friends."
— Anxious-Cabinet8134
15. "I went to a local rock climbing gym Meetup, and my now-boyfriend hosted the weekly climbing event."
—
16. "I reconnected with an old friend from college after years of not seeing each other, and we both happened to be single."
— LF3000
17. "I met my husband while I was travelling! I know it's a little difficult now, but summer is coming. Go on a trip by yourself."
— thehalflingcooks
18. "Online dating. It was the absolute worst, and I recommend it to absolutely no one. But I love my spouse, and it's our story."
— sledbelly
20. "My best friends swear by Bumble. Two of them met wonderful husbands there in their late 30s and early 40s, respectively."
— Semirhage527
21. "I met my husband on Hinge. I think if you're in your 30s and want a serious, committed relationship, you need to be upfront about it on the apps. It will filter out the 'looking for something fun and casual' types, so you will get fewer matches, but those matches will be quality matches with men who aren't afraid of commitment or a relationship."
22. "I did the dating app thing from my mid-20s to early 30s. I did ALL the apps, too: Bumble, Tinder, OkCupid, Match, and even FarmersOnly. Then, knowing I had always liked playing poker, I started going to bars by myself to play in tournaments. You can watch how guys treat other people and handle losing (and winning). I eventually met my husband playing poker when I was 33."
— BanjoTheremin
23. "I met my current partner at 35 on a flight to our home country. We sat next to each other and spent most of the flight talking about cartoons, dating culture, and restaurants we like. He asked me out on a date halfway through the flight, and here we are. I truly believe you can meet your partner anywhere, and online dating is only one of many places."
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