By Laura Harris
lharris@abcnews4.com
CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV) -- "Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."
Sound familiar?
It's a quote from the 2005 movie Hitch. You know, the one where Alex Hitchens, played by Will Smith, has his own matchmaking service -- a service that prominent singles used to find their match! At the end of the movie, his most unlikely match was the most successful, not to mention, he got a girl of his own. But hey, that's just a movie.
Or is it?
Here in Charleston, we have our own Hitch, but she goes by the name of Buffie -- a feisty 30-something that's not just beautiful, but smart, understanding, caring, a newlywed herself and a matchmaker.
She calls it WinePairings. It's her baby, a company she started in January 2011 that has hosted more than 40 events to help single clients mingle with other singles in the Lowcountry.
"In addition to the seven couples who have married, currently there are eight pairs of clients that have gone on multiple dates and whom I remain in personal contact with," Buffie said.
She says in a world full of quick love, with so many people turning to online dating, so many relationships just don't last.
"Meeting online has grown into a monster that limits social interaction and unfortunately propagates dishonesty," Buffie said. "I firmly believe nothing about true love is quick and must be built on a strong foundation."
So how does Buffie ensure that her sensational singles have a good pool to choose from?
She says it has a lot to do with the one-on-one consultations she and her staff conduct with each client. She says she hears that singles in Charleston don't have a hard time finding dates, but rather finding love. Again, she references how the Internet dilutes the hopes and dreams of those hopeless romantics out there.
"I think it has to do with the Internet dating world we live in, which is often misleading," Buffie said. "This limits singles' opportunity to meet, get to know each other and devote the time needed for love to grow."
She goes on to say that she founded the business to allow clients to meet in person and get to know each other in a relaxed, yet upscale atmosphere.
But it's not just the Internet that makes it hard to make that true love connection. Buffie says her job also becomes difficult when a client goes to her at a time when they just don't have compatible matches for them in the WinePairings database.
"That keeps me up at night," she said with a long face. "When this happens, we are honest about the situation and they are comfortable waiting until the time is right."
That said, she says the lows always come with the highs. There are singles out there really looking for true love and Buffie wants to help them find it. She said it's important to always remember, no matter what your dating situation, that you should be honest with yourself.
She says don't ever give up on love or yourself and you will be fine.
