paddoc, your process (guy looks, wife approves or not) was pretty much our routine after we'd been in the pool awhile.
The wife always had concerns about her physical attraction (she didn't think guys liked her) until she actually was in their presence. And she hated rejection. So I got to be the one that took the rejections.
The only difference for us was that if we were going to meet another couple (vs. a single man) I insisted the girls talk together - I didn't want to waste a meet/greet night on a 'oh, sorry, the wife couldn't make it, she's sick, but I'm here!' I found that if the girls talked, even briefly, the chances of an actual meet skyrocketed.