FILIPINO men are romantic, a trait that makes M Proposals Manila’s services a perfect match when they propose to their perfect matches. And to help keep the romance going, the company that specializes in providing services for wedding proposals, has added two new packages to its lineup this month: Proposal in a Box and Proposal in the Sky.

The Proposal in a Box is a ready-to-go package that allows the client to propose at any time and any location. It includes a bottle of sparkling wine, a box for the engagement ring (to be clear, the customer has to provide the ring), and guidelines for the actual proposal.

Meanwhile, the Proposal in the Sky option offers a 30-minute helicopter ride around Metro Manila, with rates starting at P80,000. A “Will You Marry Me” banner awaits the couple returning from the ride, with an option to use the helicopter hangar for a photo shoot.

The company’s most popular package among Filipinos, thus far, is the Private Cinema Proposal, which features a video about the client’s love story that is shown on a movie screen.

FILIPINOS ARE ROMANTICS
Based on the work she’s done helping them with their wedding proposals, Filipino men are romantic, said the company’s founder, Carmela Denise A. Alcordo. “Even those on a budget tend to really make an effort to make the proposal special,” she said.

“They don’t do it to show off,” she said in a March 23 phone call. “Most of my clients

The Philippine-based company also does customized proposals.

“The company’s signature process involves a virtual heart-to-heart conversation, asking signature questions, and curating a proposal idea that perfectly matches their relationship’s dynamic,” Ms. Alcordo said in an e-mail to BusinessWorld.

She founded the proposal planning company in 2017 when she noticed that “a lot of men are in need of help with their proposals.”

“They don’t know how to start. Discovering me is like a lightbulb moment to them. The spark in their faces [as they talk about their ideas] never gets old,” she said.

“I saw the niche, grabbed the opportunity, and the rest is history,” she told BusinessWorld.

M Proposals Manila thrived during the pandemic because most clients preferred intimate experiences anyway, Ms. Alcordo said.

“The company has evolved its services to cater to clients’ needs during the pandemic…,” she added. “During the pandemic and until now, we only do virtual meetings.”

Preliminary data from October 2022 showed that there were 286,555 registered marriages in the Philippines between January to September 2022.

In 2021, 356,839 marriages were registered in the country, an increase of 48.2% from the previous year, per the Philippine Statistics Authority. — Patricia Mirasol