A match made in Richmond through It Takes 2

“Was it the second or the third date that I broke my knee?”

“Third.”

“We were hiking in Shenandoah,” explained Gretchen Mayberry from the living room of her home in the Fan. “I tripped and hit my knee on this stone.” She held up her hands to show the stone was shaped like the head of a nine iron, and her husband, Mike, put his arm around her.

“The thing was,” he said. “We didn’t know her kneecap was broken. There’s a really good restaurant at the Barboursville Vineyards, and we limped in and ate lunch that day.”

“We ended up getting married there,” Gretchen added.

Gretchen and Mike are a lucky couple, in that they’ve found true love in their retirement years. Originally from Chicago, Mike was a chemical engineer and moved to Richmond in 1998 to become the plant manager for DuPont. When his wife died from breast cancer, he turned to It Takes 2, a matchmaking service in Richmond.

“I knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life single,” he said, “but I hadn’t dated someone in 30 years.

I’d just moved to Richmond, so I didn’t have any real easy way to meet someone.”

In 2000, he called Carrie Daichman, founder of It Takes 2, and Carrie invited him down for a consultation in her comfy Innsbrook office. She began with a personality survey created by a marriage counselor, which allows her to match people by compatibility, and then she interviewed Mike to get a sense for who he was and what he was looking for. As he spoke, her mind jumped to her pool of clients, and Gretchen came to mind.

“When you have a full-time career, particularly when you reach a certain age, the bar scene is not where you want to meet someone,” Gretchen said of joining It Takes 2. “I wanted to meet someone my age who I could have fun with. Carrie’s a very positive person, and what I like about her service is that it’s very private. I didn’t feel exposed. I didn’t feel like I was in danger or harm.”

Carrie introduced Mike to Gretchen and the two hit it off. Gretchen said, “I hooked him because he liked our first place for dinner. I asked, ‘Have you ever been to Davis & Main?’”

“I was living in Chesterfield County at the time, so I was glad to try something new. This was really neat part of town,” he said of the Fan.
The two married in April of 2003, and, as Gretchen said, “We’ve been on a honeymoon ever since.”

Mike had recently bought a brick townhouse on a quiet cross street in the Fan. They spent some time renovating the home, and moved in a few months after their wedding. “We’ve survived renovating a house,” Gretchen said. “If your marriage can survive that, it can survive anything.” The home is beautifully decorated with tasteful dark wood accents. Flowers grow out on the stoop, and this month the trees on their street have flared yellow for autumn.

The couple has made their house a home by decorating it with souvenirs from their many travels. Gretchen retired at the end of 2003, and Mike retired in 2004, and since then they’ve enjoyed adventures around the world: Holland, Belgium, Portugal and New Zealand. Currently, they’re planning a trip to Chile.

When they’re not busy globetrotting, they stay busy at home. “It’s amazing how busy you stay after you retire,” Mike said. “You start to wonder how you ever had time to do it all.”

Mike likes to golf, and goes about three days a week. Gretchen is fond of gardening, and she nurtures flowers in the backyard. The couple clearly enjoys spending time together, and conversation over meals seems to be one of the most fulfilling aspects of their lives together.

“One of our special times is after dinner, when we’ll just talk,” Gretchen said. She elbowed him playfully and said, “He’s turned into a gourmet chef.”

“I do all the cooking.”

“He does all the cooking. We made a deal—he’d do the cooking, and I’d do the laundry, and it’s worked out great. He goes to the grocery store every day for fresh food, and he’s always trying new recipes.”

The couple has been married “78 months” now. “We measure out our anniversaries in months,” Gretchen explained.

“Our ritual is we alternate months and choose a restaurant,” Mike said, “and the other has to guess where we’re going.”

The Mayberrys have a great life together, and Carrie Daichman is glad her service could help. Founded in 1998, It Takes 2 is an in-person service for people like Gretchen and Mike who are over the old games of dating—the bars and the blind dates. Carrie keeps a pool of clients, and she has many files of clients like Gretchen and Mike—introductions that have lasted for life. Carrie’s motto is, “It Takes 2 to help you meet just the right one,” so if you’re looking for a straightforward way to meet quality individuals, give her a call. She cares about her clients, and wants to help you find happiness, wherever you are in your life. Carrie has in her notes that when Gretchen called to say she and Mike were getting married, Carrie said, “Thank you for making my day!”

To which Gretchen replied, “Thank you for making my life.”

For a no-cost consultation, please contact:
Carrie Daichman Founder, It Takes 2
Danielle Lemek Assistant, It Takes 2
(804) 967-9911
4050 Innslake Dr. Ste. 110 Glen Allen, VA 23060
Please visit our Web site at www.ItTakes2online.com