More than 500 couples were married in Singapore yesterday, taking
advantage of the century's last repeating date, 12/12/12.
This was almost six times the
number recorded on the same day last year, according to figures from the
Registry of Marriages.
It was one of the busiest days on
the calendar for Justice of Peace Chia Swee Tin, with barely a half-hour break
between six civil weddings around Singapore at different venues.
Using a walking stick, the
64-year-old former teacher - with short reddish-brown hair, diamond ear hoops
and pink shirt - cut a formidable presence as she barked instructions to
couples.
About two a day is the norm, said
Chia, who has been conducting weddings since 2003. The most in a single day was
eight, although she could not recall exactly when.
Yesterday's proceedings had an
extra element. She told her couples: "Today is an auspicious day - I
promise you that in 12 minutes, you will be married."
But she also stopped to
comfortingly rub the arm of an emotional bride. "I feel energised by
people and seeing them together lifts you up - every day is a good day if you
want to be married."
Yesterday's figure of 541 couples
was a slight decrease on last year's sequential date - 11/11/11 - when 553
couples were married.
Wedding planners contacted by The
Straits Times said this could be due to the date falling in the middle of the
week.
"It really makes a
difference whether it is a weekday or a weekend," said Denise Tan of
wedding planning agency Idea Inn. She said that weekdays are less convenient
for guests. The wedding planner had no clients who married yesterday.
Still, some couples were willing
to go the extra mile to mark their special day with a special date.
"It's the last triple
date... (and) it's easy to remember so we planned in advance," said
Maurice Ang, 26, who wed Glenys Chow, 24.
A record 1,082 couples went to
the altar on Feb 14, 1995 in Singapore, when Valentine's Day coincided with the
fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year.
Yesterday, some 40 couples were
married at the ROM. While many said they had chosen the date because it was
easy to remember, others have precious memories associated with December 12.
Immigration officer Daeng Nur
Rima Amer, 29, and football coach Mohamed Farhan Mohamed Farook, 32, first got
together nine years ago yesterday.
"It's our anniversary. We
didn't plan (the sequential date) but everything came together so we're very
lucky," said the bride.
Kezia Toh and
Maryam Mokhtar
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Health care and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN 's area. We are currently changing the platform of www.yourvietnamexpert.com, if any request, please, contact directly Dr Christian SIODMAK, business strategist, owner and CEO of SBC at christian.siodmak@gmail.com. Many thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment