Tiny SG: Your COVID-19 Singapore Wedding Regulations Questions Answered

Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

August 2020

Wedding planning is hard enough, but throw in the coronavirus and things can get downright confusing! We’re here to answer your questions about meeting COVID-19 wedding regulations in Singapore.

When you and your love began planning for the happiest day of your lives, you couldn’t have imagined your wedding plans being disrupted by COVID-19. During what should have been a wonderfully exciting time, you’re might be feeling disheartened or overwhelmed by uncertainties and fears about the global pandemic. It’s tough to have to postpone your new chapter, or set aside your dream wedding in order to meet the new Singapore COVID-19 wedding regulations. We want you to know we’re with you! We’re all facing this pandemic together, and for those of you with questions about weddings in Singapore in Phase 2, we’re here to help.

1. Should we postpone our wedding?

The COVID-19 situation is changing day by day, and if your wedding was scheduled for the later part of the year, you might be wondering whether things will settle down by then, or if you should postpone your celebration. Talk to your partner and decide if you would prefer to wait till you can celebrate with all of your loved ones at a later date, or if you want to stick to your wedding date no matter what, even if that means hosting most of your guests virtually.

With so many uncertainties, it’s best to come up with a contingency plan as well. The sooner you get in touch with your wedding vendors, the easier it will be to discuss the possibility of an intimate solemnisation or a postponement.

2. What should we tell our guests?

Your guests may also have made major arrangements to celebrate your big day, so do let them know as early as possible if you’ve had to change your wedding plans. Put up a message on your website or Facebook page or send out a text to notify them of your postponement, or if you’ve had to cancel your big celebration to comply with the intimate solemnisation regulations.

Hailey and Clifford’s Exquisite Wedding at The White Rabbit by Bridelope Productions

3. How do we change our plans with our wedding vendors?

Inform your wedding vendors of possible changes in your plans as soon as you can so that you can come up with alternative arrangements together. Most wedding vendors will allow you to postpone their services to a new date, subject to availability, but do remember that dates can be very limited as many other couples are also postponing their weddings. Check out our list of wedding vendors who have flexible terms to help couples during the pandemic. The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 passed on 20 April 2020 also offers relief from forfeiting your deposits if you’re unable to fulfil your service contracts on or before 19 October 2020.

4. Can we go out for pre-wedding photography?

Photography services are among the activities allowed to resume in Phase 2, and parks and public facilities have also reopened from 19 June 2020. According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, no more than 10 persons including yourselves and your vendors may be on location, and no more than 5 persons may be in a photo at any given time. You are allowed to remove your masks during the pre-wedding photography session, although a couple of shots with your masks on would be a cool keepsake of these unprecedented times!

When shooting in public parks, you’re limited to visiting in groups of up to 5 pax, including your vendors. Check safedistparks.nparks.gov.sg before heading down, to make sure the park you want to visit isn’t too crowded.

Rachel and Aaron’s Intimate and Unplugged Wedding at Maison Miaja by Andri Tei Photography

5. How do we hold our solemnisation at home?

You’re allowed to solemnise your wedding virtually and at the Registry of Marriage. You’re also allowed to hold your solemnisation ceremony in your own home, or in the home of one of your immediate family members. The COVID-19 wedding regulations stated on Singapore Registry of Marriage advise that the ceremony can involve up to 10 persons, excluding the licensed solemniser, and your 8 guests may include non-immediate family members. Vendors such as your photographer and videographer are included in the guest count.

The couple and the homeowner are responsible for the safety of all guests attending your solemnisation, so do comply with safety measures such as taking the temperatures of your guests, ensuring everyone wears a mask, maintaining safe distances, and reporting contact details of each guest to your solemniser at least 1 day prior to your event. You should keep your masks on throughout the ceremony—unfortunately, even for photos and the highly anticipated “You may now kiss the bride” moment—to discourage community spread between members of different households. Encourage the vulnerable, such as seniors, not to attend in person but to witness your vow exchange safely by using technology.

Xue Qi and Chun Wai’s Ethereal and Romantic Vow Renewal Styled Shoot at Buangkok Crescent Field by Present on Pixels

6. Can we hold our solemnisation at an outside venue?

Solemnisations of up to 20 pax have been allowed at outside venues since the beginning of Phase 2 on 19 July 2020. From 4 August 2020, the Ministry of Health will expand that figure to up to 50 pax! The new 50 pax regulation will apply to places of worship and common areas of housing blocks in addition to external venues such as restaurants and function spaces. The guest count excludes your solemniser and venue staff but includes yourselves, and is subject to the venue’s capacity limit based on safe management principles. Your guests should be seated in fixed groups of up to five people only, with 1 metre of safe distance between groups and no intermingling. However, your bridal entourage can comprise up to 20 people, including yourselves. You and the venue operators must ensure safe management measures according to the COVID-19 wedding regulations are in place.

7. How can we share our ceremony virtually with family and friends?

The easiest way is to ask your videographer about livestreaming your ceremony so your family and friends can celebrate with you virtually. If you prefer to stream your solemnisation yourselves, you can set up a Zoom meeting or use Facebook or Instagram Live. A little bit of extra effort will create a better virtual experience for your guests, such as by getting a tripod for your devices, adding a microphone so everyone can hear, and making sure your venue has a great internet connection so nothing drops! You can get someone to man the camera for the best angles throughout the ceremony, and even get that friend to emcee the ceremony for your virtual guests! Remember to troubleshoot your set up before the big day, and consider walking your less tech-savvy VIPs (here’s looking at you, grandma) through the technology so they don’t miss out on your actual solemnisation.

If you’re sharing your ceremony on Zoom, get a pro account so the feed doesn’t cut off after 40 minutes, and send out your meeting details ahead of time. With a Zoom meeting, you have the option of adding multiple camera angles into your meeting, to capture both your faces during the vows as well as you in front of the solemniser. Consider muting your guests during the vows so that the stream doesn’t jump to someone else, and turning the volume on at the end so they can shout their congratulations!

You can opt for a Facebook Live video if your senior family members are more likely to use Facebook than Instagram or Zoom, and either make the video public on your profile and send your profile link to all of your guests so they don’t need to add you as a friend to view it, or create a private group to keep your solemnisation video between you and your invited guests.

Claire and Darryl’s Blissful Wedding at Tamarind Hill by Dapper Pictures

8. Can we host gatecrashes or tea ceremonies at home?

The same rules for visiting a different household apply if you’re planning on hosting a gatecrash or a tea ceremony in your home. Only 5 visitors are allowed to your home each day, so your tea ceremony will have to be an intimate one. Guests are supposed to keep masks on except when eating or drinking. If you’re offering refreshments, remember to include separate serving utensils. Remind guests to check their temperatures and to refrain from attending if they are feeling unwell.

To meet the COVID-19 wedding regulations, your celebration may not look like the big day you had envisioned. It’s perfectly fine to take a breath and allow yourself to grieve the loss of your dream wedding. Know that COVID-19 cannot change what is most important—you and your love are making a lifelong commitment to each other. Your wedding may look different from your original plans, but you can use this opportunity to hold a more personal and intimate celebration that’s truly about the two of you. Rock your wedding global-pandemic-style!

Credits: Feature image from Elizabeth and Chong Jun’s Spontaneous Solemnisation Ceremony at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore by Caline Ng Photography

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