Friends1st Reviews 

I dipped my toe briefly into a few other dating agencies, but did not find an approach that satisfied me. Friends 1st is vastly different. I particularly appreciate the personal profile approach, and have found that all the staff are pleasant, and willing to help in any way that they can. I have been fortunate in forming a friendship easily with the first person I contacted via this agency. We have spoken on the phone occasionally, emailed some more, and met up for lunch. We found common Christian concerns, and arranged to attend church in a town midway between our respective homes. I wait to see how things develop, but would happily recommend Friends 1st to others because of the type and quality of services provided.

Avoid like the plague. I joined in May 2021 with high hopes which soon faded. You are required to pay £500 odd pounds and commit yourself to a years membership upfront. You are required to give them your card details so there is no way of cancelling in the first year if you are not happy. I was promised a professional photo shoot which never materialised. When I tried to call the number provided no one had heard of the person concerned ! They lose interest in you very quickly once they get your cash. There are very few members and the members they send you are people who.live a long way away or are people you have nothing in common with

A great and safe way to connect and look for Christian partners.
The team are great at keeping in contact and will give support in many different ways.

I was only a member with Friends1st for a short time as I am pleased to say I met my husband very quickly.

We were both willing to travel and relocate if necessary in order to make it work.

Friends 1st were instrumental in us being introduced as we never would have met the conventional way.

We would both recommend their service as it made a huge difference to our lives.

It was a good experience to meet genuine people. The fact it costs money should not put you off as the free dating apps are a complete waste of time full of fake people so to find a dating platform that's real and works is a real gem

I joined Friends1st in 2019 and in 2021 I married my best friend. I took a monthly payment membership, and took advantage of some of the coaching available in setting up my profile and photographs. I was sent the profiles of available people and I contacted some and some contacted me.

I had a few telephone conversations and met one person a couple of times before meeting my now husband. We lived a long way apart (200 miles), so spent a lot of time on the phone and we did indeed become Friends First.

The one person I met with before my husband was not my ideal, and Friends1st gave me advice on how to handle that situation, which I needed having been out of the dating scene for so long.

I would not hesitate to recommend Friends1st to anyone looking for a Christian partner, especially over and above any of the instant sign up dating apps around.

They signed me up on an offer, then called my phone and spent 5-10 minutes telling me how crap that package was and gave me a hard sell to spend more after I had just sent them a hundred pounds! Because what they give you for £100 is rubbish. I then sent an email saying to cancel my account and give me my money back, to which they said "no we've already done some work so we can't do that" to which I said "what you've posted one photo of me and given me a phone call?" That's worth £100 in their books. This is portrayed as a Christian company, but after this experience, I do not believe they are Christian at all, stay away, they are simply trying to make a lot of money from you. They propose that because I never dated anyone I can't judge their service? Even though to get to the point of cancellation I would have to experience there service? Their logic makes little sense to me and there service is so bad, I tried to cancel. But in there books, posting a photo and making one phone call is enough to justify a £100 charge! Stay away, a horrible (I'm sure highly profitable) business here to make as much money out of you as they can and if you don't like the service they give, don't expect your money back. They will simply take it, say tough luck and walk away claiming the small amount of work they have done justifies the charge. Complete and utter rip off!

I met my husband Michael through Friends 1st in 2017. I was introduced by a friend who had been a member for 2 years and had not met anyone then and up to now. Within 3 months of joining, I met my husband. I remember well, when I told her that I have met someone, she could not believe it.

As Christians we all know that God’s time is best and God’s ways are not our ways. I believe that not everyone who joins Friends 1st will meet their life partner that way. It is important to join with an open mind, prayerfully and waiting on God, so as not to do the wrong thing.

I must say, if we are seeking God for our partners, let us not just dwell on the outside appearance, but on the inward. If I had focused on the outside, I will definitely have missed this compassionate, loving, caring and gentle man that I am proud to call my husband. I will have missed this gem that was hidden in the roughest.
To this day I thank Katherine and her team for the amazing work they are doing. May God bless you

I met my wife through Friends First. I would highly recommend their service which was first class 👌

Ive attended 2 friends first events ( Birmingham pub event & londons west end dinner ) I met my future wife at the London west end event. I liked the old fashion idea off writing a letter , an art which is fading, but still loved by the addressee. The staff where helpful during enrolment and sent out profiles . I’d recommend friends first too anyone seeking that special person .

Sometimes it is necessary to try again and allow time to take its course. After over two years at separate times I realise friends1st is not for me. The lack of quality social events where you can meet other Christian singles, the lack of suitable gentlemen is mind boggling. I now get one profile every two months, while paying £94 a month. Cannot wait till my membership is over! God knows.

Very happy to have found Friends1st , having decided not to go the online route. I appreciated the help to write a good profile, and I met a number of men over several months, from the profiles that were sent to me . It's very important not to give up too soon, and it took a while to meet John, but now we have been married for seven years! I would definitely recommend Friends1st.

I found my forever soul mate and got married ♥️ had almost given up on that happening but with Friends 1st it did happen. I never thought I would use any dating site, but with lockdown and feeling it was time to meet someone, I tried Friends 1st as it was not an online dating app and it felt better to me the way they do it. I had some good advice and encouragement from them and apprehensively gave it a go. So pleased I did!

My husband and I met after my pastor asked me to be an ambassador for Friends First in our church. We had ten very happy years together before he died. I also enjoyed the A- Z of FF on UCB Ireland a couple of years ago. It brought back old memories

Kenneth and I have just celebrated our third wedding anniversary and we will always be very grateful to Friends 1st for bringing us together. Ken had met a few other ladies via F1st but his profile was in the first batch of profiles they sent me. I didn't need to see any more profiles because the first time Ken and I met, we knew straight away that we were right for each other. I'd met a couple of other gentlemen previously via another agency, but that agency just didn't seem to grasp the fact that I only wanted to meet Christians. F1st totally understood, they provided a focussed and personal service, and the support and guidance they offer for all aspects of dating, how to approach meeting and getting to know someone, would be particularly helpful to people who have been out of the 'world of romance' for a while. I'd never believed in love at first sight but that's exactly what happened! We're looking forward to Ken's retirement from ministry later this year, when we will be able to spend even more time together enjoying all the things we've been wanting to do but haven't had the time in our busy life.

Very professional, lots of info to help on the journey. Staff very approachable and warm.
This organisation has been recognised for its success,its worth taking the risk and following recommendations around a helpful approach to dating .

Friends first were really helpful and gave good advice. I followed the advice when writing my profile and the advise on keeping an open mind on the profiles sent to me including how far away the people live. I tried one of the social events which was well planned. I contacted a few guys from the contact list sent to me and clicked with one of the guys after many emails and phone conversations and we met up. Friends first matched us well. I followed the advice on not giving up after the first date and was so glad I didn't since we got married a year after the first introduction and are still very happy together. If you want to meet someone who has the same Christian faith as you then I totally recommend Friends First. Thanks Friends First Team.

Brilliant! So glad I chose Friends1st. It wasn’t cheap but the personal service was excellent. I decided to be proactive to make the most of my membership, so contacted several people and met up with others. After 5 months I had met my husband, and the rest is history as they say! I travelled a little further than I had planned and ended up relocating but it’s all part of the adventure! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

This recommendation is from my experience of Friends1st in 2003/4 - not its current setup; it is a much more sophisticated organisation now than it was then.

I chose 2 people to be in touch with from my first mailing. Of those two, one replied a couple of times, but I had no desire to meet him. The second took a very long time to reply, by which time I had been in touch with someone from my second mailing, whose friendship I was already enjoying, and whom I eventually married!

The main support from Friends1st was prior to actually signing up. The founder, Katherine, was very happy to be contacted, and talked through various issues I had, and I then signed up. Best thing I ever did!

Friends1st worked for me and I have a few bits of advice that may help those wondering if they should join.
1. Give it time. You may think it would be wonderful if the first person you contact proves to be your lifetime soulmate. Indeed it would but it took me the best part of a year to find mine and she was well worth the wait!
2. Don't be too fussy. Christians come in all sorts of 'shapes and sizes' and worship in all sorts of styles. Personally I find this is something that makes life more interesting rather than being a problem so do try be flexible rather than dogmatic in this regard. My wife's Christian journey was certainly a lot different to mine before we met but, so what?
3. On the same theme, don't insist on only considering local people. Yes, it would be very handy to meet someone living just a few doors away but that's not very likely. When I first joined I said that I would limit myself to people living a maximum of about 30 miles distant (for practical reasons). When my now wife 'phoned, and I discovered she lived over 80 miles away, I was initially a bit disappointed and considered whether or not to stick to my own distance 'rule' and not pursue the relationship any further. I decided to break my rule and have never regretted it!
4. Cost. OK, Friends1st isn't the cheapest cafe in town but I generally find that the old adage 'you get what you pay for' holds true. In my experience, during my years membership, everyone I contacted or met were really nice people and, most importantly, committed Christians. I suspect that the Friends1st application process tends to deter anyone with ulterior motives which cheaper alternatives might not do?
Anyhow, we got married 9 months after we first met and have never looked back. Yes, we do have our ups and downs but what marriage doesn't? Our shared faith in Jesus's love binds us together and we will be eternally grateful to Friends1st for being the catalyst!