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When Diane Weld logged onto the Internet five years ago, she wasn't looking for love.
But she did find a friend in Englishman Andi Blount.
Now, the couple are engaged and plan to wed in April.
"We just never really lost contact over the years," Weld said. "You know when you meet that special person you're supposed to be with."
Romances that begin in cyberspace are increasing in popularity. A horde of Web sites exist solely for the purpose of bringing two people together.
So what is the advantage of looking for love online?
"It widens your network of potential romantic interests," said Liz Edelbrock, a spokesperson for dating site Match.com.
"I think that it's a great way to be able to have the potential to find the love of your life."
Internet romance
We have become an online nation.
The convenience of the Internet lets people bank, pay bills and even grocery shop online. So why not use it to meet people, too?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 90 million singles 18 and up in the United States. Sixty million of those are online, a 2005 Match.com study showed.
Another study from the site showed that two-thirds of single adults view online relationship sites as an effective way to meet many potential dates.
With the click of a mouse, computer users can search for thousands of singles in their area. Dating sites allow people to put a profile listing information about themselves, as well as pictures.
Match.com has more than 15 million members in 240 countries and sites in 15 different languages. More than 60,000 new people register on the site every day.
It's free to post a profile, browse and search for matches on the site. Once members become paying subscribers, then may e-mail other members.
"It's all about coming to see your options," Edelbrock said. "We really believe that there's someone out there for everyone."
Another dating site, eHarmony.com, matches people based on scientific research. The site pairs people based on 29 dimensions of personality that have proven to be predictors of long term relationship success.
The site has more than 14 million registered users in more than 200 countries.
"It's just so amazing how the Internet can bring people together," eHarmony spokesperson Becky Teraoka said.
Going online appealed to Blount because he said there are no first impressions or snap judgments when two people are getting to know eachother.
"It's purely what someone's talking about and what their heart says," Blount said. "You have nothing to hide."
The Internet appealed to Weld because it expanded her social contacts.
"I would definitely recommend exploring finding someone online," she said. "You never know who you're going to meet."
But is online dating safe?
Many sites screen members' profiles before they are posted on the web. Match.com offers a double blind e-mailing and phone system, that allows members to remain anonymous while communicating.
"We want to protect our members' identity and privacy while they are interacting with other members," Edelbrock said. "They can decide when and if they're ready to give any personal information."
'You know it when you feel it'
Weld met Blount, who lives in Birmingham, England, in a fantasy world chatroom five years ago. The two began chatting online as friends.
At the time, Weld was married and Blount had a girlfriend.
A few years later, they were both single. In February 2005 the relationship started getting more serious.
By April, "I knew that I was in love with him but I didn't know how deeply," Weld recalled.
"You know it when you feel it."
That month, the pair spoke on the phone for the first time. The conversation lasted about five hours.
In September Weld went on a three-week trip to England to see Blount.
"I did not want to leave," she said.
Her second trip overseas was in December. It was then Blount proposed.
The couple plans to wed on April 7, the one year anniversary of their first phone conversation.
"Andi is my soulmate," Weld said. "He has my heart, mind and soul."
What does Blount like most about Weld?
"The way she can make me laugh, the way she can make me smile. She always knows exactly how I'm feeling."
Blount and Weld aren't the only ones who have found lasting love online.
Edelbrock said each month, on average, Match.com receives news of more than 400 marriages or engagements from members or former members.
On an average day in America, more than 90 eHarmony members marry as a result of being matched on the site.
Weld said the thing about marriage she looks forward to most is just being able to take care of her husband.
After traveling to the Welsh coast for their honeymoon, the couple will live in England. While it took them awhile to get here, Weld wouldn't have it any other way.
"We had to go through the hurt before...we realized love was right there in front of us all the time," she said.
By ASHLEY COX
The Times
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