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About the Author: Steve Ward
Steve Ward is the Owner and CEO of Master Matchmakers and a second-generation matchmaker who built the firm alongside his mother and co-founder JoAnn Ward. He hosted and executive-produced VH1's Tough Love for six seasons, co-authored Crash Course in Love (Simon & Schuster), and has been featured as a dating expert by CNN, the Today Show, Oprah, Glamour, People, and Cosmopolitan. He has spent more than 25 years personally coaching and matching relationship-minded singles nationwide.
Quick answer: The best matchmakers in Boston include Master Matchmakers, Susie Q Matchmaking, LunchDates, Kelleher International, and Maclynn International. Master Matchmakers offers verified, background-checked introductions with integrated coaching starting at $3,500, making it the strongest value for discerning Boston professionals who want luxury-tier vetting without the elite price.
Boston has one of the most educated, highest-earning single populations in the country, from Kendall Square founders to Back Bay and Beacon Hill professionals, most of whom have little patience left for swiping through an app after a twelve-hour day. That is exactly why a genuine matchmaker, someone who vets a person before you ever agree to meet, matters here. I run Master Matchmakers, and I built this guide because most "best matchmaker in Boston" lists online are written by people who have never actually run an introduction. Every firm below is real, currently serving Boston, and covered honestly, including where another firm genuinely does something we don't.
A note on the numbers and claims below. Every fact I state about another firm comes from that firm's own website, verified this year. Every claim about Master Matchmakers is one we can stand behind. After more than 25 years in this business, I would rather hand you an honest map of the Boston field than pretend we are the only name on it.
What to Look for in a Matchmaker in Boston
Not every service calling itself a "matchmaker" actually vets the people it introduces you to. A few things separate a genuine matchmaking firm from a glorified contact list.
- Real vetting, not just a signup form. Background checks and identity verification take work. A firm that skips this step is really just running a private list.
- How the introduction actually happens. Some firms introduce you by first name only or send you straight to a blind date. Others exchange verified profiles, photos, and phone numbers before you commit to meeting, so you know who you're sitting down with.
- Coaching and feedback built in. A good matchmaker doesn't stop at the introduction. Post-date feedback is what makes the second and third introductions sharper than the first.
- Local roots or genuine national reach. Some Boston matchmakers are headquartered in the area and search almost exclusively within New England. Others run a national or global network. Neither is automatically better, but you should know which one you're hiring. Our own How It Works page walks through exactly how we vet every introduction before we make one.
- Price transparency. Most firms in this field will not publish a number until you've sat through a consultation. That makes the few that do publish a starting fee worth noticing.
The Best Matchmakers in Boston in 2026
Ranked from where Master Matchmakers sits, best overall value for a discerning Boston professional, through the most established and most global names serving the city, based on what each firm states about its own model.
#1 · Best Overall Value
1. Master Matchmakers: Best Overall Value for Boston Professionals
Founded: 2001 | Starting investment: $3,500, total varies by your needs
Master Matchmakers has worked with relationship-minded professionals nationwide, including here in Boston, since 2001. Every introduction comes with a criminal background check plus identity, age, and photo verification, and you review a verified profile, photo, and phone number before you ever agree to meet. There are no blind dates. Coaching and post-date feedback are built into every engagement, and contracts don't expire, so your search isn't capped by an arbitrary clock. Fees start at $3,500, and the more open you are about who and where you're willing to be matched, the lower the fee, a fraction of what several firms below charge for comparable vetting.
#2 · Best Boston-Only Specialist
2. Susie Q Matchmaking: Best for a Dedicated Boston-Only Matchmaker
In business: 20-plus years, firm-stated | Starting investment: not published
Susie Q Matchmaking is run by founder Susie MacDowell out of Beverly, Massachusetts, with client meetings held at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston, and it has served New England for more than 20 years. It's a genuinely local, single-matchmaker practice, which appeals to clients who want one dedicated person handling their search instead of a larger team. Susie Q does not publish pricing on its site. Master Matchmakers offers a comparable boutique, high-touch experience, backed by a full coaching team and background-verified introductions, with fees starting at $3,500.
#3 · Best New England Track Record
3. LunchDates: Best for New England's Longest Track Record
In business: 40-plus years, firm-stated | Starting investment: not published
LunchDates has operated in the Boston area for more than 40 years, with offices in Braintree, Burlington, Framingham, and Newton in addition to Boston, and it carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Its tenure and regional footprint are hard to match, and it also runs gender-specific and faith-based matching tracks. LunchDates does not publish set pricing. Master Matchmakers offers the same private, no-blind-date model with background-checked introductions and integrated coaching, at a starting fee of $3,500.
#4 · Best for Global Reach
4. Kelleher International: Best for a Global, Ultra-High-Net-Worth Search
Founded: 1986 | Starting investment: not published
Kelleher International has operated since 1986 and is one of the most recognized names in luxury matchmaking, with a Boston-based team drawing on what the firm calls its global network of accomplished singles. Kelleher does not publish pricing on its site; every engagement is scoped during a private consultation. If your search genuinely calls for that level of global exclusivity and an established, four-decade brand, Kelleher is a credible option. If you want comparable verification, identity checks, and coaching at a clearly stated starting price, Master Matchmakers is built for that, with fees starting at $3,500.
#5 · Best for International Network
5. Maclynn International: Best for an International Network Across 20-Plus Cities
Founded: 2011 | Starting investment: not published
Maclynn International is a global matchmaking network founded in 2011, with a Boston-facing practice and a stated presence across more than 20 cities worldwide. Its Private Membership tier advertises "guaranteed introductions" along with a personally assigned matchmaker and access to a database the firm says includes more than 25,000 interviewed members. Maclynn does not publish pricing on its site. Master Matchmakers takes a different approach: no promised introduction count, just verified, background-checked matches you approve before meeting, integrated coaching, and a starting fee of $3,500.
Boston Matchmakers Compared
Side by side, here is how the model and starting investment compare across the five firms above.
| Firm |
Model |
Starting investment |
Best for |
| Master Matchmakers |
Verified, background-checked introductions you approve before meeting, plus coaching |
Fees start at $3,500; total varies by your needs |
Discerning professionals who want luxury-tier vetting without the elite price |
| Susie Q Matchmaking |
Single dedicated Massachusetts-based matchmaker, New England-wide |
Not published |
Clients who want one person handling a purely local search |
| LunchDates |
Multi-office New England practice, no online profiles, 40-plus years |
Not published |
Clients who value a long-established regional track record |
| Kelleher International |
Global ultra-high-net-worth concierge search |
Not published |
Clients needing worldwide reach and an established luxury brand |
| Maclynn International |
International network with a "guaranteed introductions" membership tier |
Not published |
Clients prioritizing an international, 20-plus-city network |
Every competitor figure and claim above comes from that firm's own website, verified in July 2026, and reflects what each firm states about itself, not a price or claim we set. Most firms in this field quote an exact number only after a consultation.
Is a Matchmaker Worth It in Boston?
Boston is full of time-poor professionals, physicians finishing a residency, founders raising a round, attorneys billing sixty-hour weeks, who have little bandwidth left to sort through an app after work. For that kind of client, a matchmaker replaces months of searching with a small number of vetted, verified introductions you approve before you ever meet, plus coaching built around your actual schedule.
What no reputable Boston matchmaker, including Master Matchmakers, can promise is a specific outcome. No firm can guarantee you will fall in love, and any that claims otherwise should give you pause. What we do stand behind is the reliability of the information we provide about every match, so that when you sit down across the table, they are exactly who we said they would be. That is the accountability you are actually paying for.
Who shouldn't hire a matchmaker? Casual daters who genuinely enjoy the search and have the time to run it themselves. But if you are a serious, relationship-minded professional who is done with swiping, the fastest way to see where you fit among Boston's matchmakers is to get started with a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best matchmaker in Boston?
It depends on what you need. Kelleher International and Maclynn suit clients who want a global search and an established luxury brand. For a discerning professional who wants verified, background-checked introductions and integrated coaching without an elite-firm price, Master Matchmakers, starting at $3,500, is the strongest value.
How much does a matchmaker cost in Boston?
Boston matchmaker fees vary widely, and most firms won't publish a number until after a consultation. Master Matchmakers is a rare exception: fees start at $3,500, with the total shaped by how many introductions you use and your openness about who you're matched with.
How do Boston matchmaking services actually work?
A matchmaker interviews you, then sources and hand-selects introductions instead of handing you a swipeable database. Most Boston firms build in screening, whether that's a background check, an interview, or both, plus coaching before and after dates. The real differences are in how much you learn about a match before you meet.
Is hiring a matchmaker in Boston worth it?
For time-poor, relationship-minded professionals, often yes. A matchmaker replaces months of searching on your own with a small number of vetted, background-checked introductions plus coaching. It's a genuine investment, so weigh it against what you actually need: a Boston-only search or national reach, and how much hands-on coaching matters to you.
Does Master Matchmakers serve Boston?
Yes. Master Matchmakers works with Boston-area professionals as part of its nationwide practice, with verified, background-checked introductions, integrated coaching, and post-date feedback. Fees start at $3,500, and contracts don't expire, so your search isn't capped by an arbitrary end date. You can start with a consultation to see if it's the right fit.
See Where You Fit Among Boston's Matchmakers
Boston has a genuinely deep matchmaking field, from single-matchmaker boutiques to nationwide and global practices that happen to serve the city well. The clearest way to know which one fits you is to talk it through with someone who will scope it honestly. If you want verified, background-checked introductions and integrated coaching without an elite-firm price, that is exactly who we built Master Matchmakers for.