Planning the perfect wedding involves a lot of decision-making that sometimes you cannot just keep up with. Even if you have hired the best wedding planner and coordinator, most of the things to be done will be decided by you. Where will I hold my wedding? How many guests am I gonna invite? Will there be a dress code? What type of flower am I gonna use? What color will I use? What theme do I want? Questions just keep piling up and the time to give answers shortens and shortens and you still have your full-time jobs. Frankly speaking, you just want everything to stop and let fate decide. Whatever comes up, comes up.
But, alas! It cannot be like that. Surprise! Another decision shall be made. The Solemnisation ceremony. Will I hold it on the same day as the actual wedding? Who am I going to pick as our Solemniser? Why can't I just live freely and have the most beautiful wedding in all of Singapore? The stress and hassle of weddings have gotten through you. However, you also know that the Solemnisation ceremony is a very important step toward marrying your significant other. So you get up, take a long and deep breath, put on your big girl shoes, and start to decide what is best again. Real brides do the work.
You have to remember the saying that success is sweeter when you worked hard for it. This applies to almost everything in life. So, you continue to work and work and work until you reach satisfaction. This is your big day! So everything shall be according to your wants and needs. Even so, we should also consider our partner's wishes. Additionally, we should also acknowledge the existing laws. We do not want our time and effort to be put to waste because we ignored the law. No matter how much you would want to shy away from tradition, laws still exist. Add that to the stress you currently feel.
Well, worry not because here in this article we want to help and for things to be simple for you so we have rounded up some of the commonly asked questions and given you a list of the licensed solemnisers you can choose from. Prepare your entire list of questions!
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What is Solemnisation Ceremony?
A wedding will not be complete without a Solemnisation ceremony. This is a required step in order for a marriage to be legal. So, in a way, this would be one of your legal documents. It is usually done at the Registry of Marriage (ROM) or Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) by an approved or licensed solemniser.
With regard to the time and venue of the ceremony, you are free to decide whether to hold it on the same day as your actual wedding day or at a different day and venue. Of course, some of the pros of holding it on the same day are fewer decisions to make, yay! You won't have to pick another date or another venue, make another guest list, and such. Though if you are more of a "the more, the merrier" type of person you can always choose a different solemnisation date. Whatever floats your boat!
The solemnisation process would require at least two witnesses, as with any other legal proceedings.
Do I need to engage a Solemniser for my wedding?
A simple answer to this very simple question is yes. You definitely need one. A Solemniser is required to marry you. As law-abiding citizens, we should follow this. Additionally, they can guide you in your especially hectic wedding planning and offer advice. In a way, they are not only the hosts to a requirement to legally marry but also a guide. They will also be tasked to verify all of the legal documents you presented and ensure the consent of both parties. Lastly, they will facilitate the signing of the Certificate of Marriage.
When should I start contacting a Solemniser?
Start to contact a solemniser, also known as a Justice of Peace, as soon as you find the person you will marry. Just kidding! It actually depends on whether you will hold it at the Registry of Marriage (ROM) or not. If you choose to hold it at ROM, one will be assigned to you. In contrast, if outside ROM, you will have to devote some of your time to trying to choose and contact a licensed solemniser. So preferably, the sooner the better so you will not be in a rush and can contemplate well. Some would say that you should contact them at least 3 months before the event so that you can iron out the details and ensure their availability.
Your chosen solemniser can help you navigate your marriage and provide a better idea of how to prepare for the wedding. Choose them wisely.
What are the things to consider in choosing Solemnisers?
For the objective part, the first thing to consider is the language spoken by them should be the language preferred, and then look for their contact details. You also have to check their license expiry date. Another thing is to check if they would be comfortable in your wedding venue.
Subjectively, check if you prefer their style of hosting the ceremony. Everyone has their own style. See if it is aligned with your preferences. If you realize that you both prefer different styles but you really want them to host, try to talk and see if you can reach a compromise. Needless to say, do this courteously and with the highest respect possible.
In brief, there are actually no rules or strict checklists to follow in choosing solemnisers. Just choose whatever you think is the best for you.
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Important Things to Remember When Meeting Your Solemnisers in Singapore
As mentioned a while back, always be courteous and give them the highest respect possible. It's only what a decent person would do. On the day of your meeting, talk to them about your preferred order of events. Also, try to build rapport with them so that it would be less awkward and you can freely discuss things to further improve your wedding and solemnisation ceremony. You may also ask them to explain the process for your understanding. Also, ask for the contact details of their solemniser buddy just in case you would need them to fill their position. To put it simply, confirm all of the details to avoid confusion and achieve satisfaction.
For payment, solemnisers generally do not collect fees. Although, a simple token of appreciation would not hurt. You can also use this meeting as an opportunity to politely ask them about the things they have received from their past officiating so you can have a better idea of what to give.
Concerning the issue of inviting them to the subsequent wedding banquet, you may want to ask them if they would like to stay for it. Commonly, solemnisers leave after the ceremony. Thus, a simple invite may be a nice thing to do to also show your appreciation to them.
The solemniser did not show up! What can I do?
Generally, solemnisers will inform you ahead of time if they cannot come on the day. Instead, they will send their solemniser buddy to officiate. Alternatively, if they have failed to inform you, you may be the one to ask their buddy if they are available.
If both are not available, you may proceed to ROM's website to check if there are any other solemnisers who can come on such short notice or go to the ROM with your legal documents and two witnesses the next working day after you have held your actual wedding ceremony.
Presenting the list of licensed solemnisers in Singapore [for your convenience]
Included in this list are the contact details as well as the language spoken by each solemniser for your convenience.
Mrs. Chia Swee Tin
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 6342 1381(H) / 9735 1533(HP)
Email: ckldex@gmail.com
Licence expiring on 30 June 2028
Justice of Peace- Prof Dr. Shirley Low
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin
Contact Number: 9636 5477
Licence expiring on 31 December 2026
Ms. Joanna Portilla
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 91011935 (M)
Email: joanna.portilla.jp@gmail.com
Licence expiring on 31 December 2024
Mdm. Foo Siew Fong
Language Preferred: English, Mandarin
Contact Number: 9737 0301 (M)
Email: siewfong@harryelias.com.sg
Licence expiring on 31 December 2026
Dr Eileen Aw (PPA(E), JP)
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 6235 2440 (H)
Email: eileenaw76@gmail.com
Licence expiring on 30 June 2028
Wee Pang Kiat
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 91833618
Email: weepangkiat@gmail.com
Licence expiring on 31 December 2028
Sunny Leow (LTC (RET))
Contact Number: 9450 1408
Email: leowsunny@hotmail.com
Licence expiring on 30 June 2026
Mr. Yee Poh Hong
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 9736 6723
Email: rodneyyee@ymail.com
Licence expiring on 30 June 2024
Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair (BBM, PBM, JP)
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 6539 1621/9675 0455
Email: cmohan@trc.com.sg
License expiring on 31 December 2025
Dr. Jasbir Singh
90072747 (HP)
66945096 (O)
67606490(H)
Email: JASBIR@NTU.EDU.SG
Language Spoken: PUNJABI, ENGLISH, MALAY
Instagram handle: @scottish.pink.khalsa
Licence expiring on 31 December 2026
Justice of Peace- Mr. Tan Peng Yam
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin
Contact Number: 9777 9848 (M)
Email: tpyam@yahoo.com
Licence expiring on 31 December 2026
Mr. Khoo Seng Wee, Gerald
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 6273 6566 (O)
Email: gerald@churcharise.net
Licence expiring on 30 June 2025
Mr. Lai Kok Heong
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin
Contact Number: 98412821
Email: laikokheong@gmail.com
Licence expiring on 30 June 2024
Justice of Peace- Mr. Ng Yan Huay (BBM, PBM, JP)
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin
Contact Number: 6221 2438
Email: yhng_steven@hotmail.com
Licence expiring on 31 December 2025
Rev. Chiu Ming Li
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 6265 3211
Email: MINGLI@Agapemc.org.sg
Licence expiring on 30 June 2024
Ms. Jennifer Lim Lay Choo
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese
Contact Number: 9182 2168
Email: cnljennifer@hotmail.com
Licence expiring on 31 December 2026
Prof. Low Cheng Hock
Contact Number :6357 7807 (O)
Email: cheng_hock_low@ttsh.com.sg
Licence expiring on 31 December 2025
Mr. Lim, Eugene, PBM
Language Spoken: English
Contact Number: 9798 0911 (M)
Email: enjlim@singnet.com.sg
Licence expiring on 31 December 2024
SIDE NOTE:
You may want to check for video examples of how they are officiating weddings to have a better perspective. This can help you decide if you feel that they are the right fit for you.
You may also check if there are any reviews about how they officiate. This would further help you to cut down your list and arrive at the best solemniser for you.
This is for those who are particular with word enunciation. Pick someone who can pronounce words and sentences very well. An additional advantage of it is it will be easier for everyone in attendance to understand them so they can relate as well.
Lastly, double-check if the planned duration of your solemniser coincides with the allotted time you had. This is to prevent any delay with your other plans and so as not to bore your guests with a dragging ceremony. On the other hand, if you want it long, be sure it is as comprehensive as you envisioned.
In summary...
We all know you are already tired of all the wedding planning you are doing. You have to take a lot of things into consideration. Even the smallest detail should be looked into. However, these things are very important and should not be neglected. We do not want your wedding to not be recognized legally after all of the stress you have had to go through. Through this article, I sincerely hope that I have helped you at least in a few ways. Remember to take breaks, too! Enjoy the little time left that you get to spend for yourself. You got this!
