Autumn, with its darker evenings and cooler weather, has officially settled upon Chelsea and, with it, another season is unfolding: cuffing season. 

According to Charlie Ball, founder of Chelsea matchmaking service Bond The Agency, cuffing season is the time of year when single people seek to ‘cuff themselves’ to someone romantically ahead of the colder winter months. 

We asked Charlie for her expert advice on how to navigate cuffing season as a single person and how to make sure your new relationship lasts into spring and beyond. 

PEOPLE TEND TO SEEK OUT RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COOLER MONTHS

Some singles will want a romantic relationship for companionship during the colder months when people aren’t as sociable as they are in summer and more of life tends to happen indoors. 

This is the time of year when you want to nestle in and cuddle up at home and many people want to do that with someone else. The colder weather, shorter days and darker nights can make people feel a bit lonelier and inclined to stay indoors. 

And coming up to Christmas, many people feel like they need to be in a couple. They’re looking ahead to those special moments and they think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to share that with someone?’

WINTER CAN BE A LOVELY TIME TO COUPLE UP

Aside from being able to cuddle up to someone special under an Hermès cashmere blanket on cold, rainy nights, for someone who genuinely wants to be in a relationship, the festive season often comes with lots of events and family gatherings where it can be nice to take a partner along. And at New Year’s, there are the resolutions to find love or get into a committed relationship. 

IF YOU’RE READY TO MAKE THINGS EXCLUSIVE, COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING

If you have found someone that you’d like to ‘cuff’, you’ve got to make sure that you are on the same page because exclusivity means different things to different people. You’ve both got to agree or it’s just not going to work.

You need to really establish what it means to you and to your partner and that means having an open and honest conversation. Be vulnerable – because if you really like this person, then communicating where you’re at is so important. 

Communication is everything. We say this from the get-go; from the moment clients first come to us, we tell them that they are going to get the most out of the experience if they communicate to us exactly what their needs are.

KEEP DATING YOUR PARTNER

If you’ve entered into an exclusive relationship, it’s important to keep planning interesting and fun things to do together in the cooler months. There’s so much to do in Chelsea: go and see a show together at The Royal Court, book tickets to hear the Royal Philharmonic at Cadogan Hall, visit the Chelsea Physic Garden for some nature, the Saatchi Gallery for art, or go for cocktails at the new basement bar beneath One Sloane.

It can’t all be cuddles and Netflix. You’re still dating and that’s about continuing to explore the relationship, getting to know someone and seeing if it is going to work beyond cuffing season. 

IF THEY DON’T WANT TO BE CUFFED, BE PATIENT 

It might feel uncomfortable if you have that conversation with your partner and they’re not quite ready to make things official. But if you’re invested enough in them, it might be that they are just on a slightly different timeline to you, so it’s perhaps worth being a bit patient with them as they catch up. 

If someone isn’t ready to make things official with you, then you have to be open-minded, patient and keep yourself open to other possibilities, too, by dating other people and being honest about that. 

BELIEVE YOUR PARTNER WHEN THEY TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT

Sometimes you may want to hear something that they’re not actually telling you. You have to believe your partner when they tell you what they want – or don’t want. Try to really listen to what the other person is telling you, and don’t fool yourself into thinking that the other person will eventually change their mind and want the same as you.

ALLOW THE RELATIONSHIP TO MOVE FORWARD IN A NATURAL WAY

When you really like someone, it’s natural to want to move things forward quickly, but it’s important not to rush. Be patient and explore it. Allow the relationship to move forward in a natural way. Keep open, keep communicating and just keep exploring together.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOMEONE TO ‘CUFF’, DON’T SETTLE

If you haven’t met someone over the summer with whom you’d like to get more serious, don’t settle for something just for the sake of being with someone for the cooler seasons. 

If you’re forcing something that’s not right for you, how is that helpful for you? Or them? That person could block you from meeting someone you’re meant to meet during this time. 

USE THIS TIME TO WORK ON YOURSELF

If you’re single and don’t have someone in your life that you’d like to get a little more serious with, then this is the perfect time to really work on yourself and focus on making yourself the best version that you possibly can be. 

We firmly believe that when you are happy inside, that radiates out, making you more magnetic and more open to attracting the right people. That’s why we offer all of our clients access to our curated line-up of experts, including a mindset trainer, a dating and relationship coach, personal stylists, a wellness coach and people specialised in making you feel more confident about your hair, teeth or home. And we always recommend Skin – fluencer for transformative skin treatments. 

IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUST

I think that trust is the foundation of any relationship. You’ve got to have that trust in the other person, in the process and also in yourself. You’ve got to be able to trust that if this isn’t the right person for you, then there will be someone else that’s a better match for you down the line.

If you’re ready to find love this cuffing season, make an appointment with the matchmakers at Bond The Agency now. 

Bond The Agency. Email info@bondtheagency.com or call 020 3972 0472 for more information