How do you find a partner for your sims?

I wait until they meet someone they gel with. I've just started using the same rule as in real life, 'you'll find love when you stop looking'. As a rule though, my sims usually end up with the exact opposite of the sim I was planning for them.

Mostly I just create a new Sim, move them into a house, and then get my other Sim (so, the grown up child of a family I've been playing) to move in with them, and go from there. My Sims in Sims 4 don't really meet people autonomously (they barely leave their house aside from going to school/work so the "forced" idea is better for me.

I use the club system - just set the age requirement to the same age as my sim and maybe the age group above if my sim is near the next stage/I'm cool with an age gap. I tend to fill up the club with options, and my sim gets to know each of them until I/we pick one (or more than one ;) ). Occasionally, I'll make a sim family with one of the children being the future spouse of my sim so that they can grow up together, and I can count on good genetics.

If it's a competition, it's usually something along the lines of the "Big Brother Challenge", except with all skills at once... Or, that, but a fight to the death. ^_^ In regular gameplay, I just choose the most attractive ones.

About 90% of the time they just find someone that is already in the game. For the other 10% I pick someone from the gallery who looks like a good fit. Regardless, 100% of my sims always decide on the end who they end up with.

I let them meet in group meetings with Get Together, autonomous turned on, and when I need an instant match the wishing well. If I go the wishing well route I get three candidates and see which of them is the better fit.

For my legacy family, the other parent is usually chosen from childhood friends - I'll have the kid 'make friends' at school so that he or she will have someone to call when they need a social boost. When it comes time to start my next generation, I'll move the friend into the household and either create a toddler by mixing their genes in CAS or set the mood (romantic lot traits and a 'flirty' painting by an ancestor) until they're sufficiently amourous to do the deed. Then, I move the Sim out - it's easier to play with single parents.

Sometimes, I'll specifically create a spouse, and in that case, I'll keep him or her in the household. But really, that's one of the best things about Sims 4 - it's so much easier to move Sims in and out of households and build relationships.

I usually edit the spawned townies to give them a unique look and name instead of being a white japanese guy with ginger hair.

I let them choose autonomously for both friends and lovers. I find it's more natural and organic that way., as well as more interesting.

After introductions/inviting in they are on their own. I only direct friendly/mean socials once they become friends/disliked. I only direct romance once they have 1/3 pink bar minimum. Even then I just tend to restart the conversation when it stops and let them pick their own interactions/topics based on traits/jobs etc.

I do any whims they have for socials too.

Go to the park. Is that a decent looking male? He'll do!