The first noticeable difference in “Perfect” is that it is told from 1st person point of view by a male singer, which does not comply with Regis’s specification that romances must tell the story of a heroine.
“Cause we were just kids when we fell in love/Not knowing what it was”–While the central couple is together from the beginning of the song, which is different from Regis’s romances that must include a meeting of the hero and heroine, these lines describe a flashback of the meeting. The Meeting is Regis’s 2nd essential element.
The repeated line “You look perfect tonight” acts as the Declaration in this song. The hero is describing his love for the heroine, but it is not an outright Betrothal or promise to be together for the long run.
“Fighting against all odds/I know we’ll be alright this time”–While these lines do not directly include the elements of the Barrier or the Recognition, they reference the main ideas of these elements. There are obstacles to the relationship of the hero and heroine, but they will overcome them all in the end, just like the couples in the romances cited by Regis.
“I see my future in your eyes”–This line could be interpreted as the Betrothal, Regis’s 8th essential element. The hero and heroine do not explicitly get engaged, but the hero does say that his future is the heroine, and this reference to spending the future with one person aligns with the ideas of a Betrothal.
“Perfect” includes many of the essential elements to a romance, but because it omits some of them and focuses on a male hero, Regis would not consider it a true romance.