Amongst the Yeshivish Litvishe and even more modern heimishe people in England, the average amount of shidduch meetings a boy and girl have is five – some less and some more. The parents make extensive enquiries about family, boy/girl, financial matters, etc. etc. before boy and girl meet, so that by the time boy and girl meet all they really need to see is if they like each others company and have same outlook in life.
this you can see in about four or five meetings.
the way it goes on your side of the pond does not seem better than this, you have divorces, broken engagements etc. even with weeks or months of dating, Here you don’t often hear of broken engagments/divorces and don’t go and say that people go around in unhappy marriages because that is not so, we are broad minded people here and counsellors etc are NOT HUSH HUST
Marrigage is all about working on your middos and giving in, What you can’t see in 4/5 meetings, you may never see in all your months of dating and may anycase only come out once you are married and living together so makes no difference how long you date for.
The shidduch crisis is definatly less severe here!
How about revamping your method, I heard R’ M Salamon – Lakewood Mashigiach would like to change to do european way…………