Matchmaking questions, answered.

Lyons Elite has spent more than a decade building the thing that cannot be assembled after a client walks through the door: the relationships, reputation and reach to get to the right people.

Since 2014 we have represented clients across North America, earned more than 12 industry awards, and been featured in Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, CNN, Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Founder Emily Lyons has spent those years building relationships across the cities and circles our clients live in.

That history matters.

The Lyons Elite name gets answered.

There is an enormous difference between finding someone and getting access to them. Over 12 years, thousands of clients, candidates, introductions and referrals have come through Lyons Elite. People know our name. Former clients refer friends. Candidates introduce us to people in their circles. Executives take our calls. People who would never hire a matchmaker will have a conversation with us because they understand who we represent. That trust took years to earn, and every client benefits from it on day one.

We recruit for every search.

Our private network is where a search begins. From there our team works through private referrals, professional and social circles, cross-agency relationships, targeted research, our audiences across nine North American markets, private events and direct recruitment. If the right person is not already in our world, our job is to go and find them.

Some of our strongest candidates have never joined a matchmaking service, attended a singles event or created a dating profile. They became available to one client because Lyons Elite went looking for them.

You hire a firm.

Every client has a dedicated matchmaker who knows them personally, and behind that matchmaker sits the Agency Director, the founder, our recruitment resources and the wider team. Relationships and intelligence are shared across the firm, and challenging searches are worked collectively. Your matchmaker knows you. The entire firm helps them find your person.

Our network compounds.

Twelve years ago our network was something we had to build. Today it builds on itself. A CEO we represented introduces another CEO. Someone we recruited for one search refers someone extraordinary for another. A matchmaker in New York opens a door in Miami. A client from years ago makes an introduction today. A network like that has to be built before the day you need it.

Discretion is assumed.

There is no public client directory and nothing about you is published. Your information is held in our secure client management system with access limited to the people working on your search. We represent people whose careers, companies and public profiles make privacy non-negotiable, and our process was built accordingly.

Every introduction comes down to human judgment.

No algorithm decides whom you meet. Every potential introduction is screened and considered by a matchmaker who knows your history, preferences, patterns and search. You receive the profile and the reasoning before deciding whether to proceed.

Twelve years of trust, relationships and opened doors is what you are retaining Lyons Elite for.

Submit a client application and we will arrange a confidential consultation.

Our paying clients are always our first priority. If you join the Lyons Elite database, your profile becomes available for consideration across our active searches, and our matchmakers may contact you when we believe there is genuine potential with a client.

Being in the database does not guarantee an introduction. If you’re looking for a dedicated search, proactive recruitment and a matchmaker working specifically on your behalf, we recommend booking a discovery call to explore one of our matchmaking memberships.

Every Lyons Elite matchmaker is trained in a proprietary system founder Emily Lyons has built over 12 years of matchmaking, thousands of client files, and one of the most established private networks in the industry.

The training manual is the smallest part of it. The advantage is everything a Lyons Elite matchmaker has access to once they are inside the firm.

We hire for judgment first. We review hundreds of applicants for every matchmaker we hire, and some searches have exceeded a thousand. Industry experience alone will not get someone hired. We look for an unusually strong instinct for people: the ability to read beyond a résumé, hear what someone is not saying, recognise compatibility that is invisible on paper, and make sound decisions where there is no formula. Most applicants do not have it, and most of our searches end without a hire.

Then we teach them how Lyons Elite finds people. Our matchmakers are trained in recruitment methods developed and refined over more than a decade. That work extends well beyond our own database: private referrals, professional and social circles, targeted research, direct recruitment, cross-agency relationships, and highly specific outreach built around one individual search. Some of the best people we introduce were never looking for a matchmaker. Finding them is the job.

Our network took 12 years to build. Every matchmaker works with relationships accumulated across thousands of clients, candidates, referrals, families, executives, entrepreneurs, and professional circles throughout North America. One relationship leads to another. A former client knows someone. A candidate refers a friend. An introduction made years ago opens a door today. That network cannot be purchased or downloaded. It compounds.

The Lyons Elite name opens doors. Our matchmakers are trained in whom to approach and in how to approach them. After more than a decade in the market, people recognise the firm, understand the calibre of clients we represent, and know why we might be contacting them. That credibility turns a cold approach into a genuine conversation. For a private search this matters enormously. The right person may never have joined an app, hired a matchmaker, or entered a singles database. They will still take our call.

Twelve years of institutional knowledge. Every matchmaker studies the patterns behind thousands of client files and introductions: what progressed, what failed, what looked right on paper and was wrong in person, which objections mattered, and what our strongest matchmakers learned in the room. New matchmakers begin with the accumulated knowledge of the firm behind them.

Nobody operates alone. Active searches are reviewed regularly with senior leadership, including Emily and our Agency Director. Difficult searches become team searches. Networks are shared. Recruitment strategies are challenged. When one matchmaker needs a door opened, the relationships of the entire firm are behind them.

The standard is enforced. No matchmaker carries a client independently until their judgment, discretion, and search work meet the Lyons Elite standard. Performance is reviewed against outcomes on every active file, and matchmakers who do not meet the standard do not remain on the team.

When you retain Lyons Elite, you retain the network, the reputation, the methodology, and 12 years of relationships behind the person running your search. That takes 12 years to build.

You can meet the matchmaker assigned to you before your search begins. Submit a client application here.

Emily works personally with clients in our higher-tier memberships, but she remains involved across Lyons Elite at every level. Our matchmaking team works from Emily’s methodology, training and more than a decade of experience, and every matchmaker has access to the full Lyons Elite network and database.

Depending on your membership, your dedicated matchmaker may lead your search while Emily provides oversight, strategy and input behind the scenes. At Lyons Elite, you’re hiring the strength of an entire firm, not the reach of a single matchmaker.

Package terms are discussed during your consultation and set out in writing before you begin.

There is no universal number, because the goal isn’t to fill your calendar. It’s to find the right person.

The number of introductions will depend on your membership, preferences, search parameters and what we learn as your search progresses. We would rather make fewer, highly considered introductions than send you on dates simply to meet a quota.

And importantly, the search evolves with you. Feedback after each introduction helps us refine what matters, challenge assumptions where appropriate and make increasingly informed matches. Many of our clients never reach the maximum number of introductions available to them because they meet someone they want to pursue before then.

Our matchmakers source actively. That includes referrals, professional and social networks across our markets, private events, and direct outreach. The person you are looking for is frequently someone who would never sign up for a dating service.

Joining the network is free. Your profile is held privately and considered when our matchmakers conduct searches for active clients. Becoming a client means retaining Lyons Elite for a proactive search: a dedicated matchmaker sources for you specifically, including people who are not in any database.

Look for verifiable third-party recognition. Lyons Elite has received 12+ industry awards and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, CNN, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. Every one of those is independently searchable. Awards from organizations you cannot find, and press mentions that lead to no article, are worth checking before you rely on them.

You should be able to get that answer in writing before you sign anything. Lyons Elite operates under Canadian privacy legislation, including PIPEDA. Your file is stored in our secure client management system with access limited to team members working on your file, and you can request deletion of your personal information at any time.

At Lyons Elite, your search is run by a dedicated matchmaker trained on Emily’s matching, with the full team supporting sourcing across our markets. Ask any agency you are considering how many people are actually looking on your behalf, and what happens to your search if your matchmaker leaves or they aren’t a good fit for you.

Ask. A legitimate agency can tell you where each testimonial came from, whether the client consented to its use, and whether the photograph belongs to the person quoted. Reputable firms use first names or initials to protect client privacy, and they can explain their consent process if you ask. Reverse image searching a testimonial photo takes about ten seconds and tells you whether the image came from a stock library.

Lyons Elite was founded in 2014 and has been matchmaking continuously for 12 years. Our incorporation date, our award history, and our press coverage are all publicly verifiable. When evaluating any agency, ask for the year of incorporation and check it against a corporate registry search. Business registration is public record in both Canada and the United States.

You can book a consultation now through the following link, https://calendly.com/lyons-elite/consultation. This is a no risk consultation.

Lyons Elite publishes original research and commentary on how people actually choose partners. Our work centres on the Prediction Gap, the documented distance between the criteria clients state at intake and the people they select in practice, drawn from 12 years of client files and grounded in peer-reviewed attraction research.

You can read that work in the Lyons Elite Journal, where we publish on matchmaking methodology, dating behaviour, and what our matchmakers see across our markets.

For anyone comparing agencies, the most useful reading is independent. Search the agency’s business registration to confirm how long it has operated. Look for press coverage you can open and read rather than logos on a page. Check whether awards come from organizations that exist. Ask how client information is stored and who can access it.

Founder Emily Lyons also writes regularly on LinkedIn about matchmaking, client patterns, and building the firm.

It’s simple: you are able to add different options in your package. If you have added a hold period to your package, then you are certainly welcome to use this time to pursue a relationship with a match. We love accommodating our clients, so let us know what your needs are when choosing a package.

Sometimes our clients find that it’s necessary to put their package contract on hold – they have an assignment overseas, they’re taking a vacation, and so on. If you anticipate this possibility, we can work this into your package so that you can “pause” matchmaking activities for a given interval of time.

Upon submitting your application, you should hear from us in 24 hours. If you still have not received an email, be sure to check your spam folder. Otherwise, please immediately call us at (647) 933-6776 or email us at info@lyonselite.com.

Yes, a photograph is required. Photos are the single largest factor in whether a matchmaker can place you, and no client agrees to an introduction without seeing one.

Recent matters more than polished. A clear, current photo of your face in good light does more than a professional shoot from three years ago. Two or three images work best: one close, one full length, one doing something you actually do.

Your photographs are never published. They are not posted to a website, a social media account, or a browsable directory. They are stored in our secure client management system, visible only to the matchmakers working on your file, and shown to a prospective match only when there is genuine alignment and both people have agreed to see them.

If you hold a public profile and have concerns about where your image goes, raise it with your matchmaker directly. We handle files of this kind regularly and can walk you through exactly who sees what, and at what stage.

You may request deletion of your photographs and personal information at any time.

Absolutely – in fact, you are encouraged to regularly update your profile. If you move to another location, or change your profession, get a new hobby, and so on – all of this is advised to go on your profile so the most up-to-date information is available to our matchmaking team.

Start with a consultation. Submit a client application and a member of our team will contact you to arrange a confidential call.

On that call we discuss what you are looking for, what has and has not worked, and whether Lyons Elite is the right fit. If it is, we set out the terms of the search in writing before you commit to anything. If it is not, we say so.

Once you retain us, a dedicated matchmaker is assigned to your search and begins sourcing on your behalf. That includes our private network and active outreach to people who are not in any database.

If you are not looking to retain a matchmaker but would like to be considered when we search for clients, you can join our network at no cost.

Before every introduction you receive a written brief. It includes recent photographs and a full profile of the person your matchmaker has selected for you:

• Educational and professional background
• Relationship history and current family situation
• Lifestyle, interests, and how they spend their time
• Values, including religious and political outlook where relevant
• What they are looking for in a relationship
• Verification status, including background check

Your matchmaker adds a personal read on top of that. Personality, presence, how they carry a conversation, and the specific reason this person was chosen for you rather than someone else on paper.

You review the brief before anything is arranged. If it is not right, say so and tell your matchmaker why. That feedback sharpens every introduction that follows.

Briefs are confidential. They are prepared for you alone and are not shared, forwarded, or published anywhere.

Your search draws on several sources at once, and our private network is the starting point rather than the whole picture.

Once your matchmaker knows what you are looking for, the search runs across our network of vetted members, referrals from clients and members, our affiliations with matchmakers in other markets who bring us candidates we would not otherwise reach, our social media audience across nine markets, private events, and direct outreach to people who are not registered with any agency. Some of the strongest introductions we make are with people who were never looking for a matchmaker and were approached because they fit a specific client.

Our matchmakers work across nine North American markets, so the search is not confined to one city. Tell your matchmaker how far you are willing to travel and where you already spend time, and the search is built around that.

The size of a database matters far less than the number of channels a search runs through. Ask any agency how they source beyond the people who signed up on their own.

At Lyons Elite Matchmaking, we thoughtfully screen each client and affiliate member in our database across a range of criteria to maintain the integrity and quality of our exclusive network.

Yes. Lyons Elite is not for everyone. Only individuals who pass our screening and filtering process with flying colors are allowed into the Lyons Elite program.

This is part of what allows us to deliver extraordinary benefits to both our clients and the women in our rolodex. Our screening process is carried out for two reasons: (1) to guarantee the safety of all the individuals who have joined Lyons Elite, and (2) to maximize the number of truly high-caliber men and women we work with.

You are more than welcome to contact us if you have any further questions regarding our screening process!

Yes. Confidentiality is the foundation of how we operate, and it is the reason many of our clients come to us rather than using anything public.

Your profile is never published. There is no browsable directory, no public listing. Your information is held in our secure client management system and accessed only by team members working on your file.

Your information is shared in two situations. The first is with a prospective match, once your matchmaker has screened them and there is genuine alignment. The second is with an affiliated matchmaker in another market when we are searching on your behalf beyond our own network, and only under the same confidentiality obligations we hold ourselves to.

Your information is never sold, rented, or provided to any third party for marketing purposes.

Lyons Elite operates under Canadian privacy legislation, including PIPEDA. You may ask at any time what we hold, request corrections, or request deletion of your personal information.

Questions about privacy can go directly to your matchmaker, or to us at (647) 933-6776 or info@lyonselite.com.

Lyons Elite provides matchmaking services across nine major North American markets, with matchmakers working in each region.

Canada: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver.

United States: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami.

We also work with clients in surrounding regions of each market. In the Greater Toronto Area that includes Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Ancaster, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, and Niagara. In the Greater Vancouver area it includes West Vancouver, Burnaby, and Surrey. In the New York area it includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester, Greenwich, and the Hamptons. In Southern California it includes Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Orange County. In South Florida it includes Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach.

Many of our clients divide their time between cities or travel frequently for work. If you live in Toronto and spend winters in Florida, or work between New York and Chicago, your search can run in both markets at once.

Our matchmakers also maintain affiliations with matchmakers in other markets, which extends the search beyond the cities where we have a physical presence.

If your city is not listed, contact us and we will tell you honestly whether we can serve you well.