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Eat, drink and be married this wedding season

This article is more than 12 months old

Wedding season is in full swing.

December is the most popular month for nuptials, The Straits Times discovered through its check of marriage statistics over the past decade. The figures are published by the Department of Statistics each year.

Last year, 3,210 marriages were registered in December, making up 11.5 per cent of all marriages for the year.

With the exception of October 2010 and November 2011, December has seen more weddings in the past decade.

Couples and wedding planners said the month is picked for practical reasons, mainly because work slows down and the festive season gets into gear, so it is easier for couples to take time off to get married.

Marketing executive Lim Shi Han, 27, is saying "I do" to teacher Kenji Li, 27, on Dec 9, as it is hard for him to take leave during the school term.

Marketing manager Tang Ji Ching and civil servant Ng Kaijie, both 29, also chose a December wedding date to "optimise" their leave, alongside the Christmas and New Year public holidays, for a long honeymoon.

They headed for a three-week trip to South America after their wedding last Saturday.

People are generally more relaxed towards the end of the year and geared towards celebrations. Director of events and sales at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, June Choong

Architect Joel Lau, 29, got hitched at the weekend. The wedding date was chosen as his wife, fellow architect Samantha Quek, 27, loves Christmas decorations and the festive mood.

The end of the year also just seems to be a more joyful season to celebrate weddings.

Ms June Choong, director of events and sales at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, said: "People are generally more relaxed towards the end of the year and geared towards celebrations."

In October 2010 and November 2011, special dates led to more weddings. Many opted to get married on Oct 10, 2010 (10/10/10), and Nov 11, 2011 (11/11/11).

Wedding planner Herlina Makmur of Chere Weddings & Events said for some, 10/10/10 signified shi quan shi mei in Mandarin, which means perfection.

April and August are the least popular months, due to the Qing Ming Festival and the Hungry Ghost Festival, respectively.

FOR MORE, READ THE STRAITS TIMES TODAY

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