Success Stories: "I knew after our first date that I had found my husband-to-be." By Alicia K., 22, Lake Forest, California

January of 2005 changed my life. After giving up on traditional dating and numerous dating sites that led nowhere, I turned to Yahoo! Personals to attempt to find a nice guy. A few weeks went by and finally I found someone who seemed to match up well with my values and interests. I took the first move and decided to subscribe in order to send him an email. Days later I received a response that he was interested.

We talked online for several weeks to get to know one another. After communicating through hours of Instant Messaging conversations, we decided to chat on the phone.

Making a quick connection - The next step was our first date on February 1st. After finding out that he lived 50 miles from me, he decided to drive out. When I saw Daniel for the first time, I knew there was an instant special connection. I knew after our first date that I had found my husband-to-be through Yahoo!'s technology. We especially favored being able to match up on our Christian beliefs. We connected quickly and exchanged "I love you" within two weeks of seeing one another.

We fell deeply in love and seven months later we were engaged. We were married in June 2006. I look back and see how quick and easy it was to find love on Yahoo! We communicated, met, dated, became engaged and were married all within 20 months. I want to thank you, Yahoo!, for providing such a promising service. You connected me with my wonderful husband, and married life couldn't be any better!

Success tips from Alicia:

Be optimistic and always hold out hope no matter how long it may take.

Be careful who you communicate with, and try your best to find someone who shares your same values, beliefs and morals.

Try to narrow your search down to the people who match you the best. Do not be desperate. You are worth the wait, so hold on! If you are interested in someone, subscribe so you can email them. That personal message is what caught my husband's eye!

First date: We went to the Claim Jumper restaurant followed by the arcade Gameworks. We also walked around a mall and then went to a movie. We were able to talk a lot and get to know each other better in person.