It was meant to be when Daniel Casagrande, 34, and his wife Philippa, 31, met and fell in love after meeting on FindSomeone in 2006.

The Plimmerton couple actually worked at the same place, but were a couple of floors apart. They had noticed each other, but it wasn't until FindSomeone entered their lives that a connection was made.

Daniel, a gold member at the time, says his six-month long online dating experience was really positive.

"I got quite a bit of interest from women. I'd been on about 10 dates through FindSomeone, a few of them were quite a bit older too to start with."

Things moved quicker for Philippa who says it only took two previous dates before she found her match. "I was a member only for about a month, wasn't a gold member or anything."

She wasn't slow in coming forward though and was the first to make contact.

"Philippa smiled at me, but I wrote her a message because she couldn't message me as she wasn't a gold member," says Daniel. "I think I we met three weeks after initially chatting online."

Philippa says the pair talked on the phone a bit before meeting. Through chatting, they realised that they both liked Coronation Street and Indian food.

"I also liked that Daniel seemed very different to other guys, sensitive, honest and when he talked to me online I felt like he talked to me as if I was his equal. Very respectful. He was interested in having intelligent conversation!"

The couple's first date was at cafe Vella in Plimmerton on Good Friday. "We met up at 11 in the morning, just for a coffee, and got on really well and ended up hanging out together for the rest of the day," says Daniel.

"He made me his special toasted sandwiches, cheese, onion, tomato sauce and oregano like pizza in a toastie! I also had dinner at his place, a BBQ and watched the Hurricanes game that night," says Philippa.

"We met up again on the Sunday. Daniel came to my place in Island Bay. I made him lunch this time! We both just clicked I guess and we both like the simple things in life."

The couple married in January 2008 and have no children, as yet, but have a dog and own their own home.

Daniel said his parents initially thought dating online was a bit risky. "Lots of people thought it was a bit dangerous almost. I thought that providing I had a set of criteria that it wouldn't be that risky. I also wanted to meet someone that was educated," he says.

Philippa's flatmate had a work colleague who'd had some minor success with FindSomeone and urged her to sign up. "I was really sceptical about dating online. I wouldn't say my family thought it was risky, but they were probably as sceptical about it as I."

The pair says the key to their success was to have a set of criteria about who you want to meet, as well as knowing what you want from a person and a relationship before signing up.

"Meet in a neutral place for first dates. Be relaxed about the process. Know that you have to go on a few dates before having any success - it won''t be the first person you meet."