Wedding traditions of Singapore
A city-state where weddings of every community are registered at the ROM and celebrated in hotel ballrooms and heritage shophouses.
Singapore is a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian families. Civil marriages are registered at the Registry of Marriages, and Muslim marriages at the Registry of Muslim Marriages.
A wedding here
A Chinese Singaporean wedding includes the guo da li, the engagement gifts, the door games with the groom, the tea ceremony and a banquet in a hotel. Malay weddings have the akad nikah and a bersanding. Indian weddings have a procession and a fire rite or a thali. As of 2026, same-sex marriage is not recognised in Singapore, though the law on a sex act between men was repealed in 2022.
Where weddings happen
Hotels, restaurants and void decks, the open ground floors of housing blocks, where many Malay and Indian families hold a kenduri.
The season and the calendar
Many Chinese families check an almanac. The seventh lunar month, the Hungry Ghost month, is usually avoided. Weddings on 8 August, 8-8, or other numerically lucky dates are popular.
Wedding customs of Singapore
Chinese pre-wedding customsThe tea ceremony and the door games.Chinese pre-wedding customsThe betrothal gift exchange.Also part of it, and being written: Malay wedding (The akad nikah and bersanding.), Void deck wedding (A wedding in the shared ground-floor space of a housing block.), Peranakan (The mixed heritage community.).
Communities and their weddings in Singapore
- Chinese Tea ceremony and a banquet.
- Malay The akad nikah and bersanding.
- Indian Hindu rites and a thali.
- Eurasian A Christian wedding with a dance.
A wedding trail idea for Singapore
- Chinatown Complex and Pagoda Street Shops for wedding supplies and gold.
- Arab Street A district for textiles and Malay wedding goods.
- Little India A street of garlands, saris and gold.
- Registry of Marriages, State Courts Where civil marriages are registered.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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