Frequently asked questions

Who are the events aimed at?

Each event is catered for a specific demographic and a particular age group. Events are catered for people of different backgrounds and marital status throughout the year.



What is the format of the event?

1. Welcome & Introduction - On arrival you will be greeted by our volunteers and welcomed into the seating area, which will be separated for Men & Women. Our volunteers will share useful useful information, and they will be there to help and assist you throughout the duration of the event. ​ 2. Light refreshment - will be available for both applicants and chaperones, with seating segregated for Men & Women. ​ 3. One to One rotations - You will be directed to the 'Meeting Zone' for one-to-one meeting rotations with each applicant, which will generally last for no more than 5 minutes each. There will be short breaks in between and opportunity to make any notes. Note: Chaperones are not permitted in the 'Meeting Zone'. ​ 4. Post Event - We will collect your preferences post event and in instances where you have chosen to progress further with an applicant , we will continue to assist you in arranging the necessary steps.



Will there be an equal ratio of males and females?

Yes Inshaa’Allah we endeavour to have an equal ratio on both sides



I feel that I am not practising can I still come?

Yes you can and you are more than welcome.



Can I take pictures during event?

No. Audio-visual recording is strictly NOT permitted during the event.



Can I exchange phone numbers with applicants?

No, this will not be allowed. Any further progress after the event has to be done via IEC Marriage.



Will there be any group discussions?

No. There are no group discussions in our format.



Can I have refund after buying a ticket?

There will be no refunds pre or post event. You can be rest assured that all money is either spent on the event or for non profit activities carried out by IEC Bolton.



Can I bring someone with me?

Yes you are allowed chaperones. They will be with you during the meal however will not be allowed into the 'Meeting Zone'.



Why are the events split by age and nationality?

Our events have been planned in a way that every male attendee will get to spend between 3-5 minutes with every female attendee in ‘one to one’ rotations. To ensure the most efficient and effective outcome of these rotations we had to create ‘focused events’ i.e. events which focus on a specific demographic.

To choose our demographic we consulted 4 years of data and experience whilst operating our IEC Marriage service and took guidance from outside. The outcome of the research was that most people have a specific preference of age and nationality. For this reason, we decided to split our events by age and nationality based on the majority consensus.

As a voluntary service we are open to everyone’s personal preferences, our IEC Marriage service is open all applicants and we introduce potential spouses regardless of nationality if this preference is shared with us.