Here’s Why Your Love Life Isn’t Like a Hallmark Christmas Movie (and Why That’s Okay)

With Christmas around the corner, every channel and streaming service from the ‘burbs of Idaho to the North Pole is playing Hallmark movies. They’re cheesy, they’re fun, but they’re also very unrealistic. 

The writers dream up these scenarios, knowing perfectly well that they’re pulling at the heartstrings of the entire singledom.

In fact, the Hallmark channel has the formula down to a science. Case in point:

And we go back to watch every variation ever made.

Don’t get me wrong—I love a feel-good film. The heart of these movies tells us that love triumphs over all and Christmas is about more than presents and prestige. 

But after years of helping match (real-life) couples, I see how easy it is to compare oneself to a Christmas rom-com only to be left disappointed when your own love life doesn’t stack up. 

Here are some of the common tropes from Christmas-themed movies and Hallmark films that are way off base.

Those ridiculous meet-cutes.

In the Christmas movies: Whether it’s handwritten letters between pen pals with thousands of miles between them (Holiday for Heroes) or delivering sentimental handwritten notes from New York to a small town (Christmas Inheritance), the meet-cutes in holiday rom-coms are extravagant and often downright impossible.

Reality: Most couples meet at work, through a dating app, or through mutual friends. And according to The Knot, most people meet their S.O. with dating apps now!

Want to be a part of a service that combines the professionalism of matchmaking with the ease of an app? Get in touch to learn how The List is the best dating service for professionals in the LA area. 

Someone is secretly royalty.

In the Christmas movie: He’s a knight, duke, prince, or she’s an heiress. And the protagonist isn’t even impressed by the title.

Reality: Hate to break it to you, but most of the available royals are either too old, too young, or taken.

It’s good to keep standards high but even better to manage your expectations from the beginning. A proverbial knight in shining armor is just as great as a real knight (and probably less maintenance). 

The fake-date-for-the-holidays premise.

In the Christmas movie: Holidate, Single All the Way, the list goes on. A single person doesn’t want to be alone again at the family gathering and decides to rent-a-date or fake love with a friend who—you guessed it—they actually fall in love with by the end of the holiday season. 

Reality: Who even has the time to go on a date during Christmas time? Between baking, shopping, traveling, and end-of-year projects, fitting in a date is tough. 

And while it’s definitely possible to have a magical first date somewhere under the Christmas lights, bringing them home to meet the parents at that time just seems like a recipe for disaster! Not to mention adding extra work on the host or hostess that they probably weren’t prepared for.

The big city girl falls in love with small-town life.

In the Christmas movie: The hotshot magazine editor in New York has to go back to her crumbling hometown and rediscovers the Christmas spirit. Usually involves a bakery, a childhood sweetheart, and a truck.

Reality: There’s a reason you left your hometown. But here’s the good news: You definitely don’t actually have to give up your career, change countries, or time travel to find the love of your life. You can be the star of your own Christmas Hallmark movie — just a more realistic version. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the magic of these stories, but don’t forget one important thing: when the movie starts out, the protagonist is either heartbroken or lost and is actively working on themselves.

It’s only after they’ve journeyed through healing or discovered what’s most important to them do they find their forever match.

So go ahead and binge the movies we mentioned here and then some, but keep in mind these holiday rom-coms are modern-day fairytales. And for the rest of us? There’s The List matchmaking service. If you’re a single professional in Southern California who’s ready for something real, get in touch today.