SINGAPORE - Love is in the air as a total of 87 couples will be registering their marriages on Thursday (Feb 14).
This is the largest number of solemnisations on Valentine's Day since 2016, said the Registry of Marriages (ROM) in a statement on Wednesday. That year, 66 couples said "I do", with 58 doing so in 2017 and 65 last year.
The most popular Valentine's Day for marriage, however, was in 1995, when 1,082 couples tied the knot. That day coincided with the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, which is also known as Yuan Xiao Jie, or the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day.
The numbers refer only to non-Muslim marriages.
Among the couples saying "I do" on Thursday are service engineer Pang Keng Hao, 29, and Miss Yap Wei Xuan, a 26-year-old research engineer.
Mr Pang said: "We chose Valentine's Day as it's a very memorable day for couples. It's also easy to remember our wedding anniversary."
The couple met while studying at Nanyang Polytechnic and have been dating for nine years.
Her smile captured his heart, said Mr Pang.
"She's straightforward and candid. I find her very real and cute. She's very comfortable being herself and that captivates me," he added.
About four years ago, he proposed to Miss Yap. They will get the keys to their Build-To-Order flat by the middle of this year and will hold their customary Chinese wedding reception this October.
Another couple who will be exchanging marriage vows are Mr Loo Zhi Wei, who is serving national service, and Miss Valerie Chew, a purchaser. Both are 23.
They chose the date as it falls on the fourth anniversary of them getting together as a couple after they met while studying in Republic Polytechnic.
Mr Loo said: “I asked her to be my girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. So I thought it will be nice to get married on Valentine’s Day too.”
As part of its Valentine's Day celebrations, the ROM is launching a campaign on Thursday to get couples to share their memories of their solemnisation.
"My ROM story" is jointly organised by the Ministry of Social and Family Development - the parent ministry of ROM - and the Singapore Memory Project.
Members of the public can share their photos and memories of ROM, including what they remember of the building, on the Singapore Memory Project website at www.singaporememory.sg/campaigns/myromstory
The ROM is also hosting a National Heritage Board exhibition called "Romance, Hopes and Dreams" from now until March 1. It highlights the significance of wedding customs and rituals of the major ethnic groups here.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/87-couples-say-i-do-on-valentines-day
