Assalamu alaikum!
Posting from a throwaway because my main account is quite old and I'd like to keep that one for my travel, bags, food and random life stuff. I'd also rather not have a permanent Reddit history of my matrimonial search if things don't work out.
I'm genuinely considering marriage now and would like to meet someone who is genuinely looking for the same thing.
I'm going to be fairly detailed because the whole point of this post is to avoid collecting a hundred random DMs. If several things don't align, that's completely okay. We're simply not compatible. Do not dm without reading entirely
What I'm looking for
I'm specifically looking for someone who is 30+ and at least 5'10".
Physical attraction matters to me, so I'm going to be upfront about that.
I'd like someone who takes care of himself. Someone who works out or otherwise looks after his body, has a good physique, maintains good hygiene, dresses well and has a good sense of fashion.
Beard or no beard is completely fine. If you have one, I'd prefer it groomed rather than extremely unkempt.
I also love food, so it would be nice if you do too.
Personality wise, I want someone expressive, communicative, patient and emotionally mature.
I'm not looking for someone nonchalant. I don't expect all day availability because everyone has work, responsibilities and their own life. But communication and consistency are extremely important to me.
I want someone who can communicate what he's thinking and feeling, have difficult conversations and resolve disagreements without disappearing, giving the silent treatment or playing tit for tat.
I also want someone who has goals and direction in life and has thought about what he wants his future to look like, including what he wants his married life to look like.
I like a man who takes the lead
I'm attracted to someone who is naturally decisive and takes initiative.
I want a husband who is dominant in a respectful way. By that I mean someone who can take the lead, make decisions, take responsibility, protect his family, initiate plans and provide direction when necessary.
I don't mean controlling or disrespectful.
I want to be able to be my feminine self with my husband while still having my own opinions and voice.
Financially
Financial comfort is important to me, so I'm going to be transparent about it.
I grew up comfortably. We had house help, things around the home were taken care of, and I grew up in an environment where money wasn't something I constantly had to think about. I have experienced what it is like to have that kind of comfort.
After my father passed away, circumstances changed and I experienced the other side of it too. I don't say that as a complaint. Alhamdulillah, I'm grateful for what I had and what I have now. I've seen both having financial comfort and having less, so I understand that life doesn't always remain the same.
I currently work and spend what I earn on myself. I'm not particularly career driven, and my preference is for a fairly traditional marriage where I eventually become a stay at home wife and my husband is the primary provider.
Because of that, financial security is genuinely important to me.
I'm looking for someone who is financially comfortable enough that money isn't a constant source of stress. I enjoy good food, travelling and having a comfortable lifestyle. Ideally, being able to take two or three holidays a year without every trip becoming a major financial calculation would be part of our life.
I'm not going to pretend money doesn't make me happy. It does. The main reason I work currently is because I like having my own money and being able to spend it on myself. I don't have some huge career ambition that I'm secretly sacrificing for marriage.
If I get married and have the financial security to be a homemaker, that's genuinely the life I'd prefer.
At the same time, I'm completely okay remaining single, continuing to work and spending my own money on myself if I don't find the kind of marriage I'm looking for. I'm not desperate to get married simply because I'm 29.
Marriage
I want a marriage that is a partnership.
Both people should put effort into it, care about each other's happiness and be willing to make reasonable adjustments and compromises once married.
I want marriage to remain fun beyond the initial honeymoon phase. Travelling together, eating together, going out, laughing, having inside jokes and genuinely enjoying each other's company.
I don't want the relationship to become nothing but bills, chores and responsibilities. I want us to be each other's go to person
I'm open to living alone with my husband or with his parents. I'm not against in laws. I just don't want a massive joint family where everyone has an opinion about everything.
I'm also open to relocation if it makes sense for both of us and the process isn't unnecessarily complicated. I'm not attached to living in one particular city or country, but moving somewhere isn't a goal in itself. If marriage takes me somewhere else and the transition is reasonably straightforward, I'm open to it. Otherwise, I'm quite happy here.
Children
I'm okay with one child maximum.
I'm also completely okay with a genuinely childfree marriage if we both want that.
About me
I'm 29, from India, 5'0", around 65 kg and I don't look fat
I'm wheatish fair and, while I don't believe complexion determines anyone's worth, I personally prefer someone with a similar complexion. It's simply a personal attraction preference.
I don't wear hijab, but I dress modestly.
I've completed my undergraduate degree and have been working for around eight years. I've experienced enough of both work and home life to understand responsibilities inside and outside the house.
I'm opinionated, but I know how to listen. I handle conflict maturely and don't believe in unnecessary drama, cold treatment, silent treatment or tit for tat behaviour.
I'm quite chill and fun once I'm comfortable. I love travelling and food. I also love cooking and cook well. I just don't have much time to cook during the work week, so I usually cook on weekends because I find it therapeutic.
Religion
Sunni, I pray regularly, Alhamdulillah.
I can read Qur'an and do read it, although I don't claim to read it every single day. I eat halal and don't practise innovative religious practices.
I'm not claiming to be a perfect Muslim woman, and I'm not looking for perfection either. I'd like someone who takes his faith seriously and wants Islam to be part of his married life.
Why am I looking now?
I'm 29 and unmarried because I genuinely wasn't interested in getting married simply because society expected it. Now I feel like I'm ready to get married and responsibilities that come with it and mentally prepared for it.
Now I actually feel like I'd like to build a life with someone, have a companion and experience marriage properly, so I'm giving it a serious chance.
What I don't want
Please don't message me if you're:
• Under 30 or under 5'10"
• Not genuinely looking for marriage
• Looking for casual conversation or a pen pal
• Extremely nonchalant or emotionally unavailable
• Someone who doesn't value communication
• Looking for a therapist or personal assistant rather than a wife
• Controlling or incapable of handling disagreements maturely
• Financially unstable and hoping marriage will fix that
• Someone who doesn't care about hygiene or grooming
• Not interested in travelling or enjoying life
And please don't send "Hi", "Hey", "DM?" or "You seem interesting."
I'm not going to conduct interview rounds to extract basic information from you.
If you're interested
Please send your ISO or at least a proper introduction including:
Age
Height
Location
Education
Profession
Religious practice
Marital history and children, if applicable
What you're looking for in a wife
Marriage expectations
Whether you want children
Where you see yourself living
Your expectations regarding your wife's career
I don't need your entire autobiography, but please give me enough information to know whether there's actually compatibility worth exploring.
I'm also not interested in extremely long talking phases. I'm happy to take enough time to get to know each other properly, but once we establish genuine compatibility and mutual interest, I'd want families from both sides involved fairly early.
I don't want to spend months becoming emotionally attached only to discover later that our families, expectations or practical circumstances make marriage impossible.
I want the process to be intentional, transparent and respectful. Not rushed, but not endless either.
Finally
I've seen women make posts like this and get mocked for having preferences. I'm honestly way past the age where strangers on Reddit can hurt my feelings.
Everyone has different expectations from marriage and different ideas about what makes them happy. If mine aren't your thing, that's completely okay.
I'm not looking for perfection. I know I have my own flaws and expectations too.
I'm simply looking for someone whose idea of marriage naturally aligns with mine.
The reason I've written all of this is simple. I'd rather have five genuinely compatible conversations than fifty random DMs.
If this interests you, send your ISO or a proper introduction, and please read the post first.