New Jersey Monthly

Here's The Story of How It All Began...

The Story of MarryBlaire.com

The Love Guru Blaire Allison's Search for a Hubby

New Jersey Monthly

MarryMe.com

by Daria Meoli

October 2004

In an era of TV shows such as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Who Wants to Marry My Dad? New Jerseyans may consider themselves shock-proof when it comes to mass marketing for marriage. Then there's Blaire Allison. The 27-year-old professional bachelorette-party planner from Bergen County recently launched the web site www.marryblaire.com for the express purpose of finding her life partner.

Allison's home page features the head shot of an extremely attractive woman. "Do you know my husband?" the site asks above the photo. "It's time for Blaire to get married...and she needs your help!" Below it reads, "My goal: to be engaged by December 2004" - with a real-time countdown in days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

"I came up with this goofy site thinking that it would circulate among my friends and family and they might know someone to fix me up with," Allison says. Under the heading "My Husband," she describes her dream man as romantic, quirky, good-looking, Jewish, intelligent, witty, confident, and an outdoorsman who also frequents the gym. To increase her chances of meeting him, Allison has implemented an "action plan" that includes going on one date and attending one social event per week; a dating diary titled "Not My Husband" dishes the dirt about her dates. The site also features a page for visitors to post comments.

Bridget Jones and Carrie Bradshaw notwithstanding, Allison says that being single isn't something people care to acknowledge. Singles, she says, are so afraid of appearing desperate, they deny their frustration over trying to find a mate. "I need help and I'm not ashamed," she says. "This was like my coming-out party."

Allison, who plans to pursue a doctorate in psychology, devised her action plan after careful self-evaluation. "When you're young and out having a good time going to bars and parties, you're not focusing on Who is this man?" she says, but on "I'm a bold chick, and I'm getting into relationships and becoming passive". I'm at a point in my life that I'm ready to be married, and I realized I wasn't being honest with these men."

Since her "coming-out party," Allison has gone on several dates, appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and ABC, and started giving lectures about love and relationships. Meanwhile the clock is ticking....