Proposal pros help you pop the question

For grooms-to-be here, it seems buying a ring and getting down on one knee in a restaurant is no longer enough for her to say "yes".

More men are hiring professional planners to execute grand and elaborate proposals, worthy of Facebook shares, likes, and even a chance at going viral.

Mr Lee Ming Hui, managing partner of proposal planning company HelpYouMarry, saw 15 clients in 2012, a number which doubled to 35 last year.

Of the 60 men Mr Lee and his team helped pop the question, 10 were tourists.

Spaniard Daniel Gartz, who proposed to his fiancee Bettina Schramm on a beach in Sentosa, was one of them. He sought HelpYouMarry out through the company's website.

The proposal, which took place in March, began with a waiter who presented a box - filled with memorabilia like the couple's photos - to Miss Schramm. The couple was lounging on a deck chair on the beach.

Later, balloons were presented to Miss Schramm, each tagged with words and letters which formed: Bettina would you marry me?

For the record, she said yes.

Popular locations for tourists looking to propose include local icons such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa.

Mr Lee said his clients are mostly men in their late 20s and 30s, who have worked for a number of years.

"They are typically very busy and sometimes struggle with coming up with ideas to bring meaning into their proposals," he points out.

The creation of such experiences do not come cheap.

Civil servant Wee Jie Hao forked out $6,000 for an elaborate proposal to his girlfriend on their ninth anniversary in February.

The 26-year-old counts the fee "worth it" as it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. He says: "I wanted a video of the proposal process, and although I could get friends to help, I didn't want to trouble them. Also, I could not expect quality since they are not professionals."

Such videos and photos add a nice touch to the couple's actual wedding day or banquet, said Mr Lee.

He and his business partner, Miss Jennifer Goh, helped Mr Wee prepare a series of nine surprises for his now-wife, Madam Careen Ang, to represent the nine years they had been together.

A set of clues eventually led her to the proposal site, where she watched a video recorded by her husband.

It did not end when she said "yes".

Mr Wee immediately ferried her to the solemnisation venue in a limousine and they tied the knot three hours laterthat same day.

Prices for HelpYouMarry's packages begin at $3,000, which is not inclusive of venue rental and decorations.

While the company is one of the few here which markets itself as proposal specialists, wedding planners also offer such services.

Ms Eileen Tan has been in the business for the past decade and takes on about 10 proposal cases a year.

The 30-year-old, whose day job is in office administration, said demand has been constant over the years, with numbers picking up before auspicious periods such as the Dragon Year.

Her charges start from $300, a figure which can go up to thousands depending on how elaborate the plan is. Her rates do not include professional photography and videography.

She reveals that in 70 to 80 per cent of the proposals, the women never find out that their men had help with popping the question.

"Some of the men think revealing he had help might spoil the impression the fiancee had of the entire experience," she says.

Mr Jonathan Goh, the local representative for the Association of Bridal Consultations, says an increased awareness of proposal planning services probably contributed to higher demand.

But he reckons it is a passing trend.

"We believe that most ladies would prefer their boyfriends to plan the entire proposal instead of engaging someone else to do it, which doesn't really show much sincerity," he says.