Online dating services are gaining popularity in helping people find that special someone. Critics remain skeptical that personality tests can match up the perfect pair.
It's a Valentine's Day love story with an unconventional beginning.
CherylSmart said, "My sister made me do it."
With a little prodding, Cheryl Rhudy and Steven Smart plunged into the dating scene by posting profiles on an internet dating service.
Stevensaid, "I thought based on their commercial that I was going to meet somebody quicker than I did."
It took some time. But before long, the firefighter from Wisconsin got an e-mail from the website that it had found him a highly compatible match.
Stevenmentioned, "I opened up her profile and it was somebody from South Dakota and I thought 'I don't know anyone from South Dakota,' maybe it would at least be fun to communicate with em."
Cherylreplied, "We had a lot of contact back and forth early on."
Then it was time to meet in person.
Stevensaid, "I was already in love with her before I had met her through all of our emails and conversations so it really didn't matter what she looked like but once I met her I was blown away."
But there was the distance problem.
Stevenalso said,"It was pretty tough being apart especially as in love as we were to just have the telephone to communicate was tough."
But that struggle ended in 2005 when Steven proposed to Cheryl on Valentine's Day and they married seven months later.
Cherylsaid, "It was amazing, we found somebody to hike up with and they married us on top of Harney Peak and it was incredible."
A union that wouldn't have been possible without the world wide web.
Cheryl replied, "That's right, there is not a chance that I would have met him and it's a dream relationship."
Steven and Cheryl were named South Dakota's success story of the year in 2006 by the online dating service eHarmony. More than ninety people are married each day because of the website.
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