Fifty-one-year-old Swiss Philippe Caretti, never expected to meet the love of his life in Beijing. His fiancee Joanna Tan, a Beijing woman 10 years his junior, is the boss of a relocation company, which caters mainly to expats in China.

"I had an issue with my landlord, and demanded to see the company's boss," says Caretti, vice-president of operations (VPO) at Kempinski China. "I did not expect to see this elegant and attractive lady, who dressed nicely, and was soft-spoken."

He admits it was love at first sight. He also found Tan jovial, yet humble and reserved. Three months after they met, he proposed. It was the day after Valentine's Day this year, and she readily consented.