She Talks Asia x Bumble — Virtual Date Ideas

Thinking of how to start dating in the middle of lockdown? We got you! We spoke with Bumble success story Gabby, 34, and Rafa, 37, about their online meet cute, and the creative ways you could get to know someone better even while you’re physically apart.

“I was initially hesitant to try online dating because I wanted to date someone who I’d meet through common friends. But it was actually my friends who convinced me to try out Bumble,” Gabby recalls. “Their selling point to me was ‘You can take control because you have to be the one to initiate the conversation,’ which honestly attracted me.”

Gabby tried it out and started matching with acquaintances. She liked that the profiles were “wholesome and gives an idea of the person’s interests and personality.” A day later, she came across Rafa’s profile. His photos gave her a glimpse of someone who enjoys the outdoors as much as she does. She swiped and they were a match!

“I like that Bumble gave me the power to be the one to make the first move and message the guy first, when I felt comfortable enough,” Gabby shares. “I started the conversation by saying ‘Hey! Cool photos ah!’ and he responded with ‘Thanks! You have nice shots as well!’ After some small talk, we traded social media handles too. It was nice to see that Rafa and I share a lot of common friends, and that our interests were definitely aligned. PMs became Bumble video calls and video calls became dates. The rest was history after that.”

Gabby and Rafa have now been together for two and a half years, and have a cute Corgi named Turbo. Both of them believe that communicating well and having shared experiences are the best way to really get to know someone. “We find that a combination of intersections and opposites of sports, hobbies and interests can really create a great experience in a relationship, so our early questions to each other focused on these. There’s nothing like sharing your passion to someone who’s passionate about you.”

Swipe to see virtual date ideas to try out and more advice from Gabby and Rafa. Make that fun first move & download @bumble now 🐝🍯