The Most No-Fuss Romance: Let's Just Head to ROM and Get Married

The Most No-Fuss Romance: Let's Just Head to ROM

"Once it's done at ROM, we're family."

There's something quietly powerful about a couple who says that with complete certainty. They aren't cutting corners on commitment. They're simply being honest about what matters: the two of them, not the production around them.

In Singapore, a marriage has no legal standing until it is registered with the Registry of Marriages (ROM), which operates under the Ministry of Social and Family Development. It doesn't matter how grand the banquet is, how many tables you seat, or how elaborate the decorations are — without ROM registration, it isn't a legally recognised marriage. Given that, more couples are asking a perfectly sensible question: why not just go straight to ROM?

How Does ROM Registration Work in Singapore?

The process has two main stages. Both are straightforward once you know what to expect.

Stage 1: File a Notice of Marriage

Both parties must file a Notice of Marriage online via the ROM website (rom.gov.sg). The notice is valid for three months, and your solemnisation must take place within that window. After filing, you must wait a minimum of 21 days before the solemnisation can proceed.

Stage 2: Solemnise the Marriage

The solemnisation is the ceremony at which you exchange vows before a licensed solemniser. You have a few options for where this happens:

• ROM's solemnisation venue at the URA Centre on Maxwell Road — simple, official, and affordable.
• Approved external venues, including licensed hotels, gardens, and function rooms, if you'd like a more atmospheric setting without a full reception.
• Places of worship, for couples who wish to incorporate a religious ceremony.

You will need two witnesses above 21 years of age present at the solemnisation. The solemniser will guide you through the vows, and once you've signed the marriage register, it's official.

For a full breakdown of documents and procedural steps, this guide on the Singapore marriage registration process covers everything from application to ceremony day.

What Documents Do You Need?

Both parties will need to prepare the following when filing the Notice of Marriage:

• Singapore IC (NRIC) or passport
• For Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents: NRIC is sufficient
• For foreigners: valid passport and relevant immigration documents
• Divorce certificate if either party has been previously married (the Interim Judgement and Certificate of Making Interim Judgement Final)
• Death certificate of former spouse if widowed

If one or both parties are between 18 and 20 years old, a parental consent form is required. Both parties must be at least 18 to marry.

It's always worth double-checking the latest requirements directly on rom.gov.sg before your appointment, as document requirements can be updated.

Skipping the Banquet: What You Actually Save (and Gain)

A traditional Chinese wedding in Singapore — with a hotel banquet, bridal package, Guo Da Li gifts, ang bao collection, and a full guest list — can run into the tens of thousands of dollars before you've even begun. Couples who opt for a ROM-only route find themselves with a very different set of choices about where that money goes instead.

Some of the most common ways couples redirect the savings:

• Honeymoon: Put the budget into your first trip together as a married couple. Bali, Japan, the Maldives — there's a honeymoon destination for every kind of couple, and this time you're booking for two with no other obligations competing for your attention.
• Wedding rings: Many ROM-only couples invest more thoughtfully in their rings, knowing the ring is the one physical object from the day that stays. From choosing your forever ring to understanding what makes a good wedding band, it deserves real thought.
• Housing: Singapore's property market is not patient. Getting ahead on your BTO ballot or private flat budget is something many newlyweds are relieved to have prioritised. A newlywed financial guide can help you map out next steps.
• Long-term financial planning: Managing money after marriage is much easier when you start day one with breathing room rather than debt from a wedding.
• Financial decisions as a couple: Singapore has specific legal and financial implications that change once you're married. Understanding them early makes a real difference. This article on financial decisions in Singapore marriages is a good starting point.

Singapore's Multicultural Wedding Landscape

One thing that makes Singapore unique is just how layered the wedding traditions are. For Chinese couples, there may be expectations around Guo Da Li — the betrothal ceremony involving symbolic gifts — as well as the tea ceremony and family-facing customs that matter to Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, or Hakka households. For Malay couples, the solemnisation itself carries deep religious significance under the Administration of Muslim Law Act, which is handled separately through ROMM (Registry of Muslim Marriages). Indian couples may incorporate Hindu or Tamil customs into their celebration.

Skipping a banquet doesn't necessarily mean skipping all of this. Many ROM-only couples still hold a small family tea ceremony or a private dinner — just without the 20-table hotel reception attached. Others keep it entirely between themselves and their two witnesses, and that's equally valid.

For a broader look at how different communities in Singapore approach the wedding journey, this piece on cultural and religious traditions in Singapore marriages is worth reading before you make any decisions.

How to Make ROM Day Feel Like Something

The most common thing couples worry about when skipping a reception is whether the day will feel empty in hindsight. It won't — if you're intentional about it.

Dress for the occasion. You don't need a gown or a full suit. But wearing something that makes you feel like the best version of yourself signals to your own memory that this day mattered. It will show in every photo.

Bring a camera. Shoot at the URA Centre before you go in. Shoot at your favourite hawker stall, at the park you walked through on your first date, at the void deck of the flat where one of you grew up. These are the photos you'll actually look at in ten years.

Exchange your rings. There's no exchange-of-rings tradition in a civil ROM solemnisation, so you can create your own. Whether it's at the solemnisation venue, at dinner afterwards, or somewhere meaningful to you both — the moment you put the ring on each other's fingers is yours to decide. ALUXE's Singapore boutique experience can help you find the pair worth saving that moment for.

Write something down. A card, a note, a voice message. You don't need to read it aloud to anyone. Just put into words what today means, and keep it somewhere you'll find it again.

Invite only the people who really matter. Your two witnesses can be anyone you choose. Many couples pick their closest friends or a parent. Let the day be small and real rather than large and performed.

Wedding Rings: The One Thing Worth Spending More On

For ROM-only couples, the wedding ring becomes even more significant. There's no ceremony centrepiece, no flower arch, no venue backdrop — just the ring, on your hand, every day from here on out.

That changes how you should think about choosing one. Forget about which cut looks best in a banquet hall from ten metres away. Ask instead: Is this comfortable? Does it suit how I actually live? Is this a ring I'll still want to wear in twenty years?

ALUXE offers over 30,000 in-stock diamonds for Singapore couples to browse, with transparent pricing and consultants who won't rush you. If you want something fully bespoke, acredo's customisable wedding rings let you design every detail — metal, width, surface finish, and engraving — so the ring is as specific to you as a fingerprint.

Not sure yet whether a full traditional wedding or a ROM-only route is right for you? This overview of different ways to get married lays out five paths side by side so you can decide with clarity.

Start Your Sparkling Journey

Ready to find the ring that will be there for every day that follows? Explore the ALUXE engagement ring collection or visit our diamond education hub to shop with confidence. When you're ready to see the rings in person, book a boutique consultation and let our consultants help you find the one.

References

• Registry of Marriages Singapore — rom.gov.sg
• Ministry of Social and Family Development: Marriage in Singapore
• GIA — Gemological Institute of America

Editor's Note

The URA Centre lobby on a weekday afternoon is one of Singapore's least romantic settings — and yet some of the most quietly significant commitments happen there every day. Two people walk in, sign their names, and walk out as something new. No fanfare, no applause, just the hum of air conditioning and the knowledge that something has genuinely changed. I've always thought there's a particular kind of confidence in couples who choose that. They don't need a crowd to make it real. They already know it is.