By Manuel Ausloos
PARIS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - When Texan Josue Perales brought his girlfriend Kayla Balboa to Paris, she thought it was just a romantic getaway. Instead, he had hired a marriage proposal planning agency to set up a dreamy scene overlooking the Eiffel Tower, complete with white roses and candles, to seek her hand in marriage.
The result? A tearful "yes" from Balboa.
"She's always been mentioning how this is her dream. I would always say, 'no, no'," Perales told Reuters moments after getting down on one knee. "She wasn't expecting it at all."
Business is booming for marriage proposal planners in Paris, dubbed the "City of Love," with love-struck couples paying thousands of euros for bespoke proposal experiences. For many, Valentine's Day is the busiest of the year.
Proposal packages at Les Entremetteuses (The matchmakers), which curated Perales' engagement, start at 590 euros ($699.56)for a proposal on the banks of the river Seine with 'Marry Me' letters, rose petals and candles. On average, their clients splurge between 1,500 and 2,000 euros, forking out extra for prime locations, champagne and more elaborate decorations.
Kiss Me in Paris has carved out a niche in the luxury market. It mostly organises highly choreographed proposals in high-end hotels, aboard yachts on the Seine, or in French castles. Its clients will pay up to 100,000 euros for that magical moment, often full-day experiences.
"To just be able to, in your social circles, say, 'We got engaged in Paris' is great," said Cengiz Ozelsel, co-founder and president of Kiss Me in Paris. "It has prestige; it has cachet."
Ozelsel and his wife, Chantelle Marie Streete, say annual bookings have doubled since 2015 as couples increasingly seek "Instagrammable" moments.
Social media and popular shows like Netflix's "Emily in Paris" and events such as the Paris 2024 Olympics, have boosted the city's global visibility as a proposal hotspot.
A 2023 study by France's National Centre of Cinema and pollster IFOP showed one in 10 tourists decided to visit France after seeing it featured in a film or series, with "Emily in Paris" influencing 38% of respondents.
The 2024 Paris Olympics, a dazzling summertime event that charmed a global audience and showcased the city's landmarks, had also provided a post-Covid boost, Les Entremetteuses founder Pauline Le Tendre said.
For Perales, it was money well spent to take the stress out of setting up his big moment.
"It was so much easier," he said, than organising it all himself.
($1 = 0.8434 euros)
(Reporting by Manuel Ausloos; Editing by Richard Lough and Susan Fenton)
