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SINGAPORE – As soon as the government announced that capacity limits on weddings would double to 100 from October 3, future wife Sheryl See pulled out her alternate guest list and began making phone calls.
The 31-year-old said she was well prepared for any sudden change in plans, given the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had even created four separate guest lists, for up to 20, 50, 80 and 100 people, to suit different scenarios for her wedding on October 18.
“We had always expected government regulations to change in time for us to invite more people, and it really worked. We knew exactly who we wanted on our special day, so it was just a matter of letting them know as soon as it was possible to include them all.” said the bride, whose guest list will now be nearly 100.
See, who helps run his family’s home appliance and furniture store, will marry bank clerk Eddy Ng, 30, at a hotel in Orchard.
They are among the many couples in Singapore who have asked venue operators to make last-minute changes to floor plans and guest lists for their weddings this month, now that it is possible to have up to 100 people at ceremonies. of weddings and receptions.
Wedding venue operators have also received more inquiries about reservations.
The new capacity limit, which includes grooms but excludes vendors and service providers, is higher than the previous limit of 50.
But attendees must be divided into several zones of up to 50 people each, or divided into staggered schedules, with up to 50 people in each time slot. At least 30 minutes must be allocated between the time slots for cleaning and disinfecting the event space.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong had announced the changes at a virtual press conference last month, noting that some couples postponed their wedding plans in hopes of overcoming the pandemic and continuing their original plans for a grand reception. wedding.
“But the end of the pandemic is still far away and postponing a wedding indefinitely may not be practical or desirable,” he had said.
The Health Ministry added that the relaxation of the rules is aimed at facilitating marriages that may have been postponed or suspended.
But the limit of solemnizations held in homes and the building of the Civil and Muslim Marriage Registries remains unchanged at 10 people, excluding the solemnizer.
Popular wedding venue operators, including Goodwood Park Hotel, Hotel Fort Canning, Grand Hyatt, and the Millennium Hotels and Resorts group, told The Straits Times they received requests from couples to make changes to their wedding plans almost immediately after the Gan’s announcement.
They have also received more inquiries about place reservations in general, they said, indicating a potential boost in business.
Lee Richards, Millennium Hotels and Resorts vice president of operations for Southeast Asia, said: “The relaxation of measures is timely and positive for business. This win-win situation allows hotels to generate more business, while couples can share your special day with more family and friends. “
A spokesperson for the Fort Canning Hotel said: “Following the easing of restrictions, there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of inquiries. We remain optimistic and anticipate an increase in inquiries and booking confirmation.”
Still, not all couples rush to have larger weddings.
Engineer Wesley Lum, 25, and property officer Joyce Sim, 24, who will be married at Upper Peirce Reservoir on October 10, decided to stick with their plan of having 40 guests.
Sim said: “We are also thinking about the safety of our friends and family; it is probably best to keep the party as small as possible. If the Covid-19 situation improves next year, we could have a great wedding anniversary dinner and celebrate with more people. “
The only thing that matters is that they can move forward with their marriage plans, Lum added. “The pandemic has shown that you never know what is going to happen, or when things will return to normal. We just want to be together and have our loved ones there with us,” he said.
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