A Night in Paris: Speed Dating in the City of Love (A Review)

There’s probably no better place to find your match than in Paris, the city of love. But as it’s literally more than 10,000 kilometers away from Manila, for Telu Events’ fifth speed dating event, they chose the Paris-inspired café Staple and Perk.

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The Paris-themed set up by Telu Events for mood and ambiance.

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Registration started at 6 p.m., with each participant receiving a name tag, a dating guide, a date list, and a number. Guys were asked to sit at the table corresponding to their numbers while the girls were asked to stay at a ‘holding area’, the second floor of the cafe, so they could wait more comfortably (and keep the guys’ anticipation levels up).

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There are guides about small talk and meeting new people to help the participants feel less nervous.

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Around 7:30 p.m., just before dinner was served, the girls were allowed to go their respective tables and start their dates. The dishes served were fusions of French and Filipino cuisines. The familiar tastes of sisig and braised beef were combined with ingredients unusually present in local dishes such as radish, potatoes and lemon vinaigrette. And for dessert, a Staple and Perk Bakery specialty–cinnamon bread pudding with caramel sauce.

Once everyone had their fill, the lights were dimmed, the music softened and the 5-minute interactions with the other participants began.

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Staple and Perk’s strategic spacing and bright decorations made the participants feel more comfortable.

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A bell rang once to indicate that four minutes was up, and after exactly one more minute, the same bell rang continuously for a few seconds, letting the guys know that it was time to sit at the next table.

Small cards with interesting questions were placed on the tables to help the participants get to know each other a little better. A short game was also held in the middle of the evening to ease the tension and to reveal a bit more information about the participants as Telu Events acknowledges that five minutes could at times be too short to form even a first impression of someone.

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Dating Guide and Date List where participants can mark “Absolutely!” or “Nope!” to determine their matches matches.]

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By the end of the night, only the date lists could tell if romantic connections were made, but the laughter and smiles from the participants made it obvious that friendships definitely were.

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Telu Events making their mark with this pretty photogenic sign

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Photos and article by Ida Irigo