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There’s no age limit that’s set on finding love. None at all. You might fall in love at first sight the very moment you walk into class on your first day at university. You might find your soulmate while out celebrating your 30th birthday. Or you might feel your heart beat quicker when you spot that special someone while out for a stroll in the park when you’re grey and enjoying your senior years. The beauty of love is that you can never tell when Cupid’s arrow’s going to strike. And it can happen whatever age you are.

Prompted by redditor u/amithrownawayforgood, people have been sharing their cute, adorable, and thoroughly romantic stories of having met their partners after 30. The stories are sweet and you might feel your hearts melt just a tiny bit, dear Pandas. Scroll down, have a read, and remember to upvote the posts that made you go, ‘Aww, that’s nice.’ No pressure, but if you’re feeling up to it, why not share your own romantic tale of how you met your partner in the comments.

Meanwhile, be sure to have a read through Bored Panda’s interview with dating and relationship expert Dan Bacon, the founder of The Modern Man, about how we can tell if we’re ready to marry someone. “When you meet your wife, you know you want to be with her and only her. There’s no question in your mind about that. However, that doesn’t mean that you know you want to marry her from day one though,” Dan told me what people, especially men, need to consider.

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#1

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Can I tell the story about how my dad and stepmom met instead? This was back in the early 90s (pre OJ car chase by about a year I think). I was waiting tables at a steak joint and was living at home with my dad after college. My parents had been divorced for a couple of years and my dad was seeing a lady that my sisters and I haaaaated. I'm sure she was fine, but she was lame (she wore housecoats at 50???). Anyway.

One night I was waiting on a table of about 6 ladies that were out celebrating something special. I had been joking with them throughout the evening and near the end of the meal I asked if I could get anyone anything else. One lady said, "Do you have any tall, dark, handsome men stashed away back there?"

I tell her, "No. Sorry, we sold those with the prime rib, haha."

She follows up with, "Any short, fat, balding ones? I'm not particular."

Not sure why I did it, but I answered, "Nope. But you could go out with my dad!"

Before they left she legit wrote her name and number down on a deposit slip and I passed it along to my dad. He asked her out for ice cream, saying something about how you can tell a lot about a person based on their ice cream choices (OK, dad). They were married 20 years before he died of cancer.

WholyForkingShrtball , Kevin Grieve Report

Final score:
310points
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#2

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 New neighbor moved into the second floor studio and was chatting with me from his balcony while I worked on a art project in the yard. Thought nothing of it, till some houseguests insisted I come up and meet their friend , small world. Weeks later he told me he was flirting with me but I was oblivious (as usual) We had 20 wonderful years together till he died suddenly , and yes I do wish we had met earlier cuz then we would have had more time together.

907puppetGirl , Christelle Hayek Report

Final score:
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#3

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was 34, divorced and destined to be the old cat lady at the end of the street. Took a job as a police dispatcher in another city. Air Force guy who worked down the hall apparently never came in until I started working there. He started coming in monthly....then weekly...and started wearing cologne: oh no. Coworkers said ‘ooooh he’s cute, go out with him’. First 4 times I said no. Then...one day he bent down by my desk and looked up at me and the light caught his eyes. Oh my god they were so blue. Cerulean blue, like the ocean after a storm. I fell into those eyes and never looked back. We had 16 years and 2 children. Then he had a heart attack and died at 51. Don’t waste your years. Don’t wish your life away.

LillyPasta , Rhand McCoy Report

Final score:
212points
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The redditor’s heartwarming thread over on the r/AskReddit online community got over 44.1k upvotes and inspired people to open up about their love lives in more than 6k comments. If all of these stories won’t make you believe in true love, I don’t know if anything else will. Romance is alive and well, Pandas!

I had a chat with Dan, the founder of The Modern Man project, about how we can tell if we’re ready for marriage. We also spoke about some of the things that guys, in particular, need to consider before popping the big question.

“You know you are ready to marry a woman if you have never thought of breaking up with her for real,” the relationship expert told Bored Panda. “I say ‘for real’ because sometimes a couple will have fights in the early days and threaten a breakup, or temporarily think about breaking up in the heat of the moment, but then change their mind.”

According to Dan, it only becomes an issue if a guy constantly thinks about being with other women. “It’s only a problem if a guy secretly wishes he had a different woman, regularly imagines breaking up with his girlfriend and falling in a love with a new woman, or worries that his girlfriend probably isn’t the right woman for him,” he said.

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#4

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Hubby and I met playing QuakeII online aged 35. We were aware of each other for a good 2 years prior and played daily together - I thought he was a 16yr old boy and he also thought I was male - we only typed to each other, so no voice and I had a silly nickname. People didn't share too much personal stuff back then. I started going to LANs to play Q2, I mentioned this in a game. He asked if my dad played - if my dad took me to the LANs and off went the conversation from there.

Turns out we were the same age and both had become single.

21yrs together, 7 years married on Valentines Day.

Helly_BB , Axville Report

Final score:
180points
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#5

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was 32, she was 38. I was supposed to go to a speed dating event but my sister called me drunk at 2pm on a Friday to go to a bar. I was already dreading the speed date so headed over to drink with sis and my friend instead. By 5pm I had just enough courage to be social with a girl who walked down the street after work and recognized my friend. Because I thought I was going speed dating I’d dressed up. It was pure luck.

I knew enough to know you didn’t waste time with a woman near 40. So two weeks later I bluntly asked if she wanted a family. We were married within a year. We have two kids. We had that first year alone together and some days I wish we’d had more, but mostly I think how bananas it was that no one scooped her up. She’s my best friend and she has a laugh you can hear two counties away.

enemykite , Thomas AE Report

Final score:
165points
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#6

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Met eight years ago had an old car meet in Nevada. Spent a little time together, a bunch of the older ladies shoving us together whenever they could, hence I avoided him the rest of the trip. He lived in Texas. I lived in California. A year later he called to ask me a question and three hours later we got off the phone. Same thing the next day. Same thing the next day. I invited him to come out and visit because we were having an event at my house. To my utter shock he came. About a year and a half later we were married five days before my 40th birthday. Fifteen months ago, I gave birth to our first and what will be our only daughter one week after my 43rd birthday. Yes, I wished I met him sooner sometimes. But in hindsight the timing was perfect and meant to be. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

ltls1976 , Heather Mount Report

Final score:
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Sum Guy
Sum Guy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This will be easy for some of us... I swiped right while on the can, and the rest is history

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“In cases like those, she’s not the one for him and he will almost certainly not be willing to do what it takes to make the marriage work in the long run, which will result in cheating or a divorce at some point.”

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Relationship expert Dan opened up to Bored Panda about how he actually never wanted to get married at all. In fact, he had “a number of girlfriends” propose marriage to him over the years, but he never accepted. However, now, he’s a happily married family man.

“My wife also proposed marriage to me within the first few months of being together. I told her that I didn’t ever want to marry and she said that she’d accept it and be happy to just be with me. Yet, two years into the relationship, she asked me again and I said yes,” Dan said.
#7

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my wife when I was 40 and she was 29. We have a 5 year old together. Met at the gym. I invited myself at the bar she was going to hang out with her friends, they all bailed so it was just the two of us.

She never asked them to come. The player was played.

SnatchAddict , Brett Jordan Report

Final score:
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My Name Is Mars
My Name Is Mars
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cookie Panda, I'm 11 years older than my boyfriend. I'm 40 and he's 29. What's the big deal?

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#8

We were the only straight single people at a christmas party so people kept finding ways to get us to interact. Been together for the first 13 of many more years, guess it worked.

Sadly she was widowed a few years before we met so, I guess no on wishing we met earlier. He was a pretty great guy. Its weird but I kinda wish I knew him. Best thing I can do is take care of and love her in his place.

rChewbacca Report

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#9

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 We met in a bar when I was stood up by a friend. His friends went home and we were the only dancers on the dance floor on a Sunday night. We hit it off immediately. That was 13 years ago. I'm sooooo glad we didn't meet earlier. I was an idiot who only wanted to party and worry about myself. At 30 I was just starting to become a better person and be ready for a real relationship. Worked out perfectly.

sideslide45 , LexScope Report

Final score:
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“I had developed more of an appreciation for marriage and had also come to believe that I could make a marriage last for life and as a result, I decided to accept her proposal. We’ve now been together for 9 years, have twin daughters, and couldn’t be happier,” the founder of The Modern Man shared how he got his ‘happily ever after.’

Dan noted that marriage really is about finding the right person to be with. “Had I married one of my previous girlfriends though, I don’t think I would have continued to be happy or wanted to stay with her for life,” he mused.

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#10

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my partner 3 years ago through mutual friends. After two failed marriages I swore I would stay single forever. We moved in together two years ago and its been great. I am 66 he is 55. We are incredibly happy. I don't think I wish I would have met him earlier. People are different when they are seniors compared to when we were younger, different hobbies, dreams, etc.

Susan_Werner , Harli Marten Report

Final score:
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#11

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 My husband and I met at a cafe in Paris when we were both 35. I’d asked him for a light and sat down at his table and we talked until the cafe closed. Two days later we saw each other there again and made plans for dinner that night. Five months later we married.

My husband frequently says he wishes he’d met me 15 years earlier and, while yeah it’d be nice to have had even more time with him, I feel we met exactly when we were meant to. Sometimes it feels like we’d set a date to meet at that exact cafe on that exact day. When I walked in and saw him that first night it was like, oh there you are.

modernlover , Mathias P.R. Reding Report

Final score:
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#12

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I'm not sure if we qualify -- and if we do, it's a technicality -- but it's a fun story anyway.

I met my wife in college, but she dropped out and left, and I lost track of her. We'd had an attraction but she had previously been involved with a friend of mine (K), and he was still hung up on her, so we didn't act on it.

Eleven years later, when we were 31, I got an email blast from that friend, and thank GOD K didn't know about BCC, because it included a whole long list of folks in the CC line -- and in that list was my wife-to-be's hotmail, which was obviously her.

I sent her a message, basically saying "Hey, what the hell ever happened to you?" and we started emailing back and forth. Like, a LOT. Clever, witty, flirty messages, sometimes several times a day. I was winding down a company that was failing so I wasn't picking up on clues that she was interested, not even when we finally got on the phone and talked for THREE HOURS. I've always been dumb that way.,

Then, in late August, things were really coming to a head with my employer/company, and I didn't reply to her email quickly enough, so I wrote her a no-s**t actual physical letter (ikr?) that I posted the first week of September.

So, here's where I mention that we were 31 in 2001, and that she was living in Washington, DC, and that my letter was the only piece of mail she received on the second Tuesday of September that year, and that it took her most of a day to get across DC back to her home on account of, well, terrorism. It was also the last piece of mail she got at that PO box for a long time, because it got anthraxed shortly thereafter.

Things ramped up. We decided she'd come to my state to see U2, as she'd missed the show in DC. She got the tickets, and I had frequently flier miles to fly her down. The show, though, was about 4 hours away, and the FF ticket meant she had to stay for 3 days.

We both thought, independently, that "holy s**t, we just signed up for a 72 hour first date."

Reader, I married her. In October will hit our 16th anniversary.

ubermonkey , U2start Report

Final score:
95points
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What you should never do, however, is give in to peer and social pressure. Marrying just to make your family happy can end disastrously. You have to be honest with what you want. Not what someone else wants for you. You're in charge of your destiny.

“If you’re going to get married, it has to be with the right girl. You shouldn’t ever marry just for the sake of it, to impress family or friends, or to do what others are doing,” Dan warned.

“A family member of mine got married because his friends were all getting married, so he followed along with their lead. He then ended up going through a painful divorce 5 years into his marriage after having two children. He and his ex-wife still aren’t on good terms to this day because she is bitter about what happened,” he told Bored Panda that you have to listen to your intuition, instead of giving in to outside pressure.
#13

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 The second question first, no, we wouldn’t have liked each other when we were younger (we met at 33/34).

She lived above a friend in the same apartment complex I lived in. I moved in with the friend, asked this girl out, and she turned me down. About a month later she went to an Aziz Ansari show. He convinced her to give him her phone, and he promptly read her Facebook messages out loud. He asked the audience if she gave me a chance, they all booed her, and then she asked me out a couple days later.

Aziz Ansari guilted her into going out with me.

Hob_O_Rarison , azizansari Report

Final score:
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Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm glad if it turned OK for them... but invasion of privacy and peer pressure doesn't sound like a very romantic way to start a relationship for me :-/

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#14

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 We met through Craigslist? Iirc, I was lonely looking for someone to see movies with. She was looking for more. But after a few weeks of chatting, we met up , and omg the sparks, and chemistry. Our first date lasted 9 hours long... Here we are, still madly in love, 11 years later and 2 kids, 4 states, 4 apartments, 2 houses and our 10 year anniversary in September.

Kromm73 , Alex Litvin Report

Final score:
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#15

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was single and sad after being cheated on by my then-partner so one of my friends suggested I try out tinder as a distraction. I had always thought tinder was just hookups and kind of cringy. He was the second date I went on. Best guy I’ve ever met.

rabbidbagofweasels , Mika Baumeister Report

Final score:
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Bianka
Bianka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mer my husband on Tinder. My sister mer her husband on there as well. So did her sister-in-law, and her brother found his spouse there too. Four marriages out of tinder in a family. I think it's good enough!

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#16

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I went to a concert. She’s tiny and couldn’t see so I put her on my shoulders without actually chatting and just asked her if she’s single at the end of the night (she jumped on 3 or 4 times throughout the night). That was 3 years ago, Now I’m planning the engagement.

babawow , Aditya Chinchure Report

Final score:
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#17

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Met through Match in our mid-thirties. He was on his last week of having an active account (about to buy a house and minding his finances). I happened to swipe right. We messaged a bit, but after some awkward experiences were hesitant to give my number. I gave him the Lost numbers, he replied with “you just stole my heart”. We met in person, got engaged 7 months later, married a year after that. As much as we both wish we could have met before, we know we were completely different people and lacked the maturity to have the amazing, loving, and healthy relationship we have now.

chixpadecuada , Priscilla Du Preez Report

Final score:
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#18

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Met through Bumble, I was close to giving up on finding anyone who would love me. I am pretty sure he was made for me. I always wish we had met earlier, though given how long it takes him to do anything it's not really a surprise it took this long lol. We are expecting our first child in August

KinickieNoodle , Ivan Radic Report

Final score:
61points
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#19

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my wife in a bar when I was with my brother and a friend of his. I thought my brothers friend was a d**k.

My future wife approached us and proceeded to tell this d**k what a d**k he was, turns out they work together. I was immediately attracted to the way she spoke and her judgement of people.

After she walked away, I asked d**k what her name was, true to form he would not give me her name.

My future wife was with a group of 6 women, I nervously approached and asked for her name.

I was 30, we’ve been together ever since.

thedrugofanation , Alex Voulgaris Report

Final score:
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Felice Coles
Felice Coles
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Moral of the story: don't be a d**k because eventually you'll lose.

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#20

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Sent her a message on OkCupid, but then she set her account to inactive without seeing my message. Two years later, she reactivated her account, looked at her old messages, saw mine at the top of the queue, and the rest is history.

stanleyford , Sincerely Media Report

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#21

I am 47, I met my boyfriend on a dating app 2 years ago. After my divorce (married for 20 years) I was terrified I was too old to find love- who would want me now that the best years of my life were over? How would I figure out dating much less dating on the internet?

My boyfriend and I met a coffee shop the first time, and it was over a month before we met up again. Since then we have had countless adventures together- he’s my best friend and adventure buddy.

Sometimes it makes me a little sad that I had to wait this long to experience what real love is like , or that our time together is limited by our age- I wish We had a lifetime to spend together.

The truth is though, that 20 years ago we were different people with different understanding of life and love, and how things should be. If we had met then, maybe we wouldn’t have the deep connection we do now. Our separate lives taught us patience, compassion and honesty. They made us ready for the love we have now. I wouldn’t trade the 20 or 30 years we have to spend together for a lifetime of anything less.

Love doesn’t know age, it’s out there- and it’s never too late to find it

dezisauruswrex Report

Final score:
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Felice Coles
Felice Coles
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those years built you up for this relationship. Congrats on the maturation!

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#22

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 My to-be ex told me to go down to our insurance agent's office and talk to get my own insurance. Bam! Ex introduced me to my wife.

hotrods1970 , Scott Graham Report

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#23

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was diagnosed with a very large brain tumor at age 30 in 2008. It required three surgeries and a month in the ICU. It’s the sort of thing that makes you reevaluate your life choices, so when I was recovered at 33, I joined the Peace Corps as a way to pay it forward.

I served in a small town in Burkina Faso. My neighbor was a Canadian aid worker who rightly had a dim view of Peace Corps volunteers as relative amateurs who drink too much (both are true). I was neither, and after one project that went especially well, she expressed her surprise on this point. This started a debate on the nature of aid work that continues off and on to this day. Among other arguments - we’re both lawyers now

whistleridge , Marcelo Leal Report

Final score:
52points
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#24

My wife was over 30 when we met. I was outside her house directing traffic after a drunk driver obliterated the telephone outside her house one evening. directing traffic for a downed pole took a very long time so I was outside her house for a while.

Eventually she came out of the house and over to my car and offered me some dinner that she had made. The rest is history.

LegitChew Report

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Lizzie
Lizzie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So sweet of her tot share her dinner, not many People would do that. Guess you knew what kind of person she was right away!

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#25

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Was seated next to her on a flight from Morocco where we both attended a sweet music festival. I’m still grateful to the gods of the seating algorithms.

It’s been 6 years and we are expecting our third child

Pierapple , Gerrie van der Walt Report

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#26

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my wife in junior high school. We were friends in a group of friends. Never dated. Lost contact after high school. 25 years later we saw each other on social media, reacquainted as friends, then started dating and 8 years later we married. Still happily married after 9 years. We were both different people when we were younger and agree that it wouldn't have worked out between us if we got together when we were young.

122922 , Eliott Reyna Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
DennyS (denzoren)
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like this and yep, growth and that's so true....high school you and grown up matured you are completely different.

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#27

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 We met on the Coachella message boards. I was 34 and he was 30. He was looking for a ride to Coachella, I had tickets, but no one to go with. We met once for about an hour before making the 14 hour drive together. Hung out together the whole weekend, discovered we had similar tastes in music and enjoyed similar things. We didn't actually get together until about 3 months later when we met up to go to another music festival together. Music festivals have been a regular part of our 10 years together. Hopefully will be again soon. Stupid Covid.

I don't think it would've worked if we had met earlier, although I wish we had. It took me awhile to figure out how to be in a healthy relationship, and I'm glad I met him at my right time.

Burner423738 , Yvette de Wit Report

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#28

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I got divorced. Nothing tragic - we just weren’t right for each other. I was back to dating and it was fun but wasn’t really clicking with anyone. I was thinking about people who I knew that might be partner material. Then I remembered meeting her at a party and wanted to try to connect.

Meanwhile, her sister heard that I got divorced and told her to pursue me. My SO thought it might be too soon (only a few months). We went on a date anyway.

Fast toward to 4 years later. Our baby (1st for both of us) will be here in 2 months and we’re engaged to be married sometime in the next year or so. Success!

ChesswiththeDevil , Juan Encalada Report

Final score:
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#29

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Friends told me to make online dating profile

After a month, and talking to few girls just casually, she messaged. After first conversation, it felt right away, that this is something special. She wanted video call next day, and everything felt great from that point on.

Few months after, I flu across the world, spent best 4 weeks in my life. First time, I got that feeling, that she is the one. Few months after that, I went to see her again, this time with the ring.

Now we are happily married for almost 3 years. Life is so beautiful now, definitely wish we met earlier, as I would progress so much further in life, in pretty much all aspects.

neb986 , Leonardo Yip Report

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#30

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was in Australia on a working holiday visa. After going on about a million trials with different companies, I get a call for another interview with another one. Show up and there are 3 others all "interviewing" for a bunch of different roles. He rushes in late, gives us all a spiel on each of our different roles, asks if we want to try it out, and schedules a time. That was the interview. I don't think I answered a single question.

He ends up driving me home after my trial day and I think how kind he is and my head automatically out of nowhere goes "It'd be weird if we ended up falling in love and I had to go back to Canada and we had to figure out cross-country futures." Then I was like "wtf was that? no, boatsmoatsfloats, no, you just met this person."

About 4.5 months later we were in love, about 7 months after that, I went back to Canada and we had to figure out our cross-country future together. We're now legally partners, but i haven't seen him in a year and 15 days. Not at all how the last year was supposed to go, but god I hope I get to see him this year.

I don't necessarily wish we'd met earlier. I think we would have had a ball together as children because we had very similar interests. I also would have loved to see him in his wild 20s. But we both had lots of growing to do before we were able to be the partners we are to each other. I do wish we'd had more time together...I wish we had time together now for that matter.

boatsmoatsfloats , Mario Gogh Report

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#31

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Met on the train. I had the day off and was just riding random trains (personal joy) and she was going to work to fill in for someone. We wouldn’t have met under any other circumstances. She approached me, gave me her card and asked me out for coffee. Happily married for 7 years.

Do I wish we met earlier? No, early to mid-20s me was only concerned about clubbing and hanging out with friends. I would have probably blown her off. We both met at the right time in life.

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#32

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I was thirty, he was fifty. Now I'm forty-two.

We met online, then offline a few months later. He proposed the next day, and I said yes. Eloped to Vegas. No regrets.

Turned out that I had actually turned him down in a Yahoo chatroom when I was pregnant with my son, and I kick myself a lot for that.

(Son's biological father has been absent for longer than husband has been around, and we were having massive issues during my pregnancy. It would have been much simpler.)

We sometimes have wistful conversations about what it would have been like to grow up together; we both had really s**tty childhoods and to have a refuge of any sort would have changed us a lot. But I'll never regret finally finding him.

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Felice Coles
Felice Coles
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This romance is absolutely publishable. What a wonderful story.

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#33

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Match.com I was 30 she was 28. We are now married and just had our first kid (legit hours ago). Just scrolling through reddit while the nurses do their thing and Yes I wish we met so much earlier. Not to sound cheezy... but she is my everything.

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#34

Met her at a party when I was 32. I wanted to ask for her number, but never had the chance for a 1-on-1 conversation as she and her friend were tied at the hip that night. But I knew where she worked. I called her on Monday and we had our first date the following weekend.

I am glad we didn't meet any earlier than we did because she's nine years younger than me, so it would have been pretty weird for me to be in my early 30's dating a college student.

12 years later we are still going strong with two kids and a happy marriage.

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#35

I was working the window at a Starbucks drive thru and I saw her open the passenger side door to yak into the flower bed as I was feeding her dog his cup of whipped cream. That’s when I knew I had found the one for me. It is now 5 years later and we are engaged to be married.

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#36

I was 30, he was 38. I was in a (toxic) relationship at the time, he was newly divorced.

I was interviewing for a software engineering position at a game company. I had already spent a few hours interviewing there, but they asked me to come back in to do one more interview with a technical director.

I remember him being friendly, but nerves got the best of me. Later, he told me he thought I was cute. I didn't notice, I was in interview mode.

He rejected me for the position as someone else was better. Was crushed, but I ended up getting an offer elsewhere.

Fast forward over a year later, and I'm unemployed again. In a strange coincidence, that same company (that had rejected me) reached out again, and asked me if I wanted to apply again for that same job, as the previous guy bailed after a year. I did, so they fast-tracked my application and interview--only 1 interview this time, no technical director.

I got the job.

Turns out he worked closely with my group, and 6 months after I started (when I was 32 and he 39), we started dating.

We got married 4 months ago, at 37 and 44. I still don't let him forget that he rejected me the first time he met me!

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#37

I actually met my wife on Tinder. When we first met I was wearing cut off coveralls and had grown a mullet, she came to the brewery I worked at, drank too much and called me a c**t. Ahh yes there is nothing like falling in love.

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#38

He was running a game server I played on and he needed a temporary admin while he was out of town for hurricane evacuation. I had experience as an admin for another multiplayer game and offered to help. We started chatting while he was teaching me the ropes and we hit it off. He lived halfway across the country, but made a detour on his way home from visiting family for Christmas to meet me in person and take me out to dinner. I thought he was sweet, and handsome, but I wasn't interested in a long-distance relationship. A few weeks later, I was laid off from my job and I was devastated. That night, he bought a ticket and flew up the next morning to see me and swept me off my feet. He flew up every other weekend for a month before he asked me if I would consider moving in with him, if he bought a house. I knew immediately that this was the right decision, so I said yes. A month after we started dating, we closed on a house, and I moved halfway across the country to be with him. We recently celebrated three years together, I have a job that is not contract and I love it, and I love him more than ever. Talk about leveling up!

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#39

Moved to Kansas after my divorce. I was in the local bar with my sister. The bartender brought me a glass of wine over “sent from the gentleman across the bar”. I looked and he raised his glass and winked at me. That was almost 15 years ago. We’ve been married since 2012 and are now both 60 and 61.

I was a cheap date!

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#40

We met through friends and socializing. A mutual friends birthday get together to be exact. F**K NO I don't wish we had met sooner. IF you're doing life right, you'll wince at who you were several years ago. SO glad she didn't meet me when I was a bigger idiot than I am now lol.

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#41

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my wife when i was 31. She was 24. I was a complete moron in my 20's. Acted like a teenager who was even dumber than when he was a teenager. Perfect timing for me and she helped me seriously get my s**t together. Married 20 yrs in May, 2 teen kids. Awesome life right now. We met at the water fountain of a gym. I had never met a woman at a gym before.

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#42

We met at a bar! He was in the US for work and was working with a friend of mine. He was from the Netherlands and was only going to be in town for 3 weeks. I gave him my number, but after talking all night until we shut the bar down, I told him not to call me because it would never work out. He called me anyway and we hung out for those three weeks, then continued long distance with a few visits for a year and a half. It was my first time out of the states. I was 36 when we met, now I'm 44 and live on a houseboat in the Netherlands with him. We have a dog, I brought my cat, and we've been to 10 countries together. We don't even want to kill each other after almost a year of working from home. I don't think it would have worked when I was younger. Skype didn't exist then, which made long distance easier. I was also a different person and the idea of changing so much of my life for a man wouldn't fly, and the thought of immigrating would have been too intimidating I think. I think I needed those experiences of bad relationships to realize that this one would be worth the challenges of moving across an ocean. I also think being more advanced in my career helped both with international job prospects and being able to afford the move and visits home.

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WilvanderHeijden
WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is true because she calls the country "The Netherlands" instead of Holland. Contradictory to what some people tell you, the majority of Dutch people hate it when you call The Netherlands Holland. How would you feel if we called the USA Alabama or Texas?

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#43

Best man and brides maid. So cliche. But our friends married each other which is likely why we get on so we’ll — personality similarities. I’m glad we met when we did. We wouldn’t have been ready or got on at any previous time. Earlier relationships and trials prepared us for our forever partnership and it’s just lovely.

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#44

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I met my girlfriend through reddit actually and because of Animal Crossing.

We're both 32 and she messaged me last year because she saw this post I made where I gave all my villagers Groucho Marx glasses for a picture and wanted to know where I got them. I offered to invite her to my island so she could catalog them, but we kept having bad timing. However, this allowed us to talk and get to know each other better and soon we evolved to texting and then calling and then eventually visiting each other.

She lives 4 hours away from me, so it's a bit of a long distance relationship right now, but I don't think I would have met her had it not been for Animal Crossing. I don't regret meeting her so late, because I haven't loved anyone quite like I have her. I feel so fortunate to have her in my life and although we met later than most people, it was worth the wait.

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#45

I met my partner when I was 32. We were each in the same music scene so I’d get to see her out. I wasn’t ready for a good relationship before that so I was happy to meet her then. Last September was our 17 year anniversary. I’m glad I didn’t settle and waited until I found someone that I’m really happy with.

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#46

I met her at work...I'm an x-ray tech and she's an NP in a neighboring department. She had a friend of hers who I knew a little bit walk up to me at work and say something to the effect of "I work with a person who thinks you seem nice and would like to get to know you. Here's her phone number, she hopes you'll get in touch with her."

I texted her that day and so far it's been the best relationship I've ever had.

Sometimes it just happens, I guess. But not when you'd expect it. I guess my advice for someone would be to put yourself out in social settings and just be friendly.

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#47

Met my girlfriend in a random dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV. I cannot begin to comprehend the odds of us finding each other. But we are perfect for each other. She moved in with me in March, from literally across the country, WA to NY.

But no, meeting her earlier would not have been viable. The age gap between us is on the large size (34M vs 23F). And we both had a lot of baggage and mental issues that we needed to deal with before either of us would have been ready for a relationship. Our meeting was a stars align occurrence. The house of cards of our lives would not have allowed for a single minute change.

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#48

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 I actually knew my SO in high school, fifty-five years ago. Had one date. There was some attraction, but I was busy getting over a lesson in don't-date-crazy-girls, and she was a little shy and unsteady. Just as well.

She kept track of me. Met again, about 28 years later and something clicked. We had both worked through some tough stuff. Had low expectations. Low to none, actually.

That seemed to work. More concentration on the now of things. Been together for 25 years - my longest relationship, hers too - one day at a time.

It's a pleasure to wake up with her each morning. I suppose one could do better'n that, but I don't see how.

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#49

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Both of us were married 10 to 15 years previously. It honestly took the growth of our previous relationships to be able to have the meaningful relationship that we have now. Funny how your life being in shambles turns into the best thing you ever could have imagined and having a partner that is your true partner.

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#50

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Yes I wish we’d met earlier, by about five years. As we lurch towards the end of our lives I would love another second, minute, hour or day with the best person on the planet. We met the old fashion way, in a restaurant through a mutual friend. I had to work out of town for a couple of months after meeting but on returning we quickly moved into together and married in 1990. So almost 35 years ago. We didn’t have cell phones in 1986 much less the internet. Fax machines were a big thing. Different world. Different times.

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#51

I am, now, 41. I met all 3 of my husbands whilst we were both in our thirties. And, I am a twice widow.

I met #1 on a dating site. Met, got married in three days. Love of my life.
2 was #1s best friend, rebound marriage, after #1s death.
3 was my son's band teacher.

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#52

I met my husband on the app coffee meets bagel (possibly now defunct? Never hear about it). He was the first guy I met on it about 2 weeks after I moved to a new town for a job. I was 33..he was 37. The rest is history. Married w/2 kids now.

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#53

When I was 30 met a girl in college, she was always trying to get with me, but it's like what do I do, take you for a night out at Chuck E. Cheese or something. Recently we hooked up, I'm in my 40's and she is 31. I can comfortably be with her. If she was just a few years older, I wouldn't have chased soo many women around. I think she may be the one.

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#54

We met on bumble and went on a few dates. The chemistry was there but he was not in a good headspace to date and neither was I, to be honest. We broke up but kept in touch. We went on another date a few months later and I was much happier and so was he. This was in the fall of 2019, he moved in during lockdown. I am going to marry this guy and have beautiful chubby children with him someday, fingers crossed.

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#55

I met my husband at 39 years old (Him 43). It was a small town that my mom had moved to and remarried in. EVERYONE knew everyone. think one red light kind of town His family had a very well known business of auctioning and my mom and I went on a whim while I was down visiting. I saw him and was instantly infatuated. I went home and asked my step-dad who was a local and knew everyone in town about him. His first response was “NO”. One night leaving the auction i wrote my phone number and name down and went to find him, but no luck. I didn’t know at the time he was walking around looking for me. He found me at the front door and said “where are you going, the auction isn’t over”....we started chatting and I played it cool. Told him let me go write my number for you (HA, i already had written it down on a card but i had to play it cool) Gave him my number and here we are happily married.

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#56

I had just moved to the west coast of Florida for work and it was Christmas. I decided I'd ride my motorcycle up to the car wash and go get some beer.

I have a Bluetooth headset on my helmet and was talking to my homeboy on the phone while I was riding. There were some socks around the corner and as I came up to them I saw a woman laying at them with a motorcycle helmet next to her. I didn't see a bike though.

I told my buddy what I saw and he told me if I didn't go talk to her he'd pull my man card. So I said I'd skip washing the bike, but I still needed to get beer; and if she was there when I got back, I'd talk to her.

She was there when I got back, so I honked. She turned around and waved, so I parked on the sidewalk. Like two seconds into the conversation she asked if I normally park on sidewalks, and I looked around completely forgetting I just did that. Anyway, after a couple minutes she asked for my phone so she could put her number in it.

It was pretty perfect. Met on Christmas, first kiss on Valentine's day, and we'll have been together two years in a couple weeks.

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#57

I put up a craigslist personal ad, she responded. I am so glad we didn't meet sooner, she never would have wanted anything to do with me, I was a bit of a mess when we meet, butup until about a year before we met I was a complete train wreck of a human being.

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#58

I’ve just turned 50! Never had a relationship. Met a younger guy I couldn’t live without a couple of years ago. Married in less than a year.

Happiest I’ve ever been. Never thought it would happen to me and always hated the idea of marriage.

I kind of regret not getting out there sooner. But then I wouldn’t have met him.

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#59

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Wish we had met earlier? Hell no. We were both in our early 30s, and it was perfect because we were mature enough to know what we wanted and were both ready to settle down. In my 20s I was immature, wild and not marriage material.

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#60

30 Heartwarming Stories About How People Met Their Partners After 30 Met at work. He was an acquaintance for years prior but the time wasn't right then. I'd say it worked the way it was supposed to for us.

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#61

Match.com, we were early 30s. It was chemistry at first sight.

In some ways it's interesting to fantasize about having met earlier, but the reality is I was overseas, we were both f**king up other relationships (i.e. getting married and divorced) While a healthier partner might have prevented divorce I take my share of that responsibility too. I grew a lot and he did too.

Part of that was his becoming more assertive and me becoming less so.

Also... I feel the best parts of youth were freedom. I didn't get into a serious relationship until my late 20s. I'm glad. I had opportunities that would not have been the same if I were tied to someone.

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#62

We met playing Pokemon go.

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#63

We were friends for years, hung out off and on. I don't think it would have worked sooner, we were both messes in our own ways and we got together when we were ready to actually put in the work of a real healthy relationship

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#64

I applied to be in the Elder Scrolls Online closed beta and actually was invited at the time of the 3rd closed beta session. I met her in that session and we've been together ever since, going on 7 years now. We actually just got married 1 year ago. I definitely wish I'd been with her sooner, she motivated me to live my life better.

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#65

I met my wife at a church social when I was 33.

I was friends with a couple who knew a girl that was organizing the event. They wanted me to meet this girl. I called her and registered for the event.

My wife was friends with a different girl who was organizing the event. She went to support her friend.

I got there and never met the girl that my friends wanted me to meet. I ended up meeting my wife instead and we started chatting. We left together at about midnight, I with her phone number.

I don’t know if we would have worked out if we’d met earlier. I’m happy with my life as it is. I was with other girls before I met my wife and they each played a role in making me who I was when I met her. If I hadn’t been with them, I honestly don’t know what would have happened when I did meet my wife.

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#66

We met in an AOL chat room for divorced people. We’ve been married 23 years. I was 35, he was 34.

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#67

Met through online dating. We lived a few hours drive from each other but decided to meet anyway. The first year we were “together” I was gone for 3/4 of it.

We’ve been together for 5 years now and we’ve moved twice, to different provinces, due to my job. I’m glad I met her at the time I did - if I was much younger she wouldn’t be what I thought was “my type”. Turns out she totally was.

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#68

Met on a group canoe trip. I wasn't available. Went back the next year and met him again. Started dating after that. The timing was perfect though we said if we had met earlier we would have had more kids.

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