I'm probably an unusual simmer in that I don't try to direct the relationship lives of sims, I just "encourage" the romances they autonomously decide on between themselves. Put another way, only once they've started expressing an interest in each other will I give nudges to help things along. (I also don't meddle with their attraction settings, preferring to let them work that out on their own.)
When they're in neighborhoods with the Free Love N.A.P. active, I tend to take that much less seriously because they're merely being hyper-flirtatious neo-hippies in that sort of situation.
I do wish there was a setting which allowed sims to be more entirely autonomous with romantic interactions, however. I mean in the sense that it wouldn't require a nudge from to allow them to develop actual romantic relationships.
Some really do seem to belong together though, and it's more fun when I'm surprised by that.
One of my most recent couples dated briefly during high school, and met again as adults, with no prompting from me at all. She went on to become a Secret Agent, he just sort of settled into unemployed life. I suppose a lingering crush must have brought them together, and she decided having a husband was a necessary part of her cover identity. Then she (re)discovered what a sweetheart he is, and actually fell in love with him. He's dumb as a post, believing she really does work a boring salaried position, but he's turned out to be an excellent stay-at-home dad. (Their now-teenaged son, on the other hand, has begun to suspect.. though he has not yet found her secret workroom downstairs behind the false bookcase.)
