The Business Realities of Working Destination Weddings: What Singapore Vendors Need to Know

What Singapore wedding professionals need to understand about working overseas - from visa requirements to supply chains.

@FleursByNoelle @SmittenPixels.co

For many wedding professionals in Singapore, destination weddings look like the dream: working in stunning locations, collaborating with couples who appreciate your style, and commanding higher fees. The appeal is undeniable.

But behind the allure lies a different kind of reality, one filled with regulations, logistics, and market differences that can make or break a project. Many vendors underestimate just how complex operating abroad can be.

Featuring:

Noelle Chu | Founder, Fleurs by Noelle
Contact: hello@fleursbynoelle.com

The Regulatory Reality: You Cannot Work on a Tourist Visa

The first and most misunderstood rule: tourist visas do not permit professional work.

“You cannot work on a tourist visa,” states Noelle Chu, founder of Fleurs by Noelle, who has worked weddings across Australia and Asia since establishing her Melbourne-based practice in 2018, before relocating to Singapore in 2020. “Checking the local labour and visa laws of the international country is important.”

This isn’t a technicality to navigate around, it’s a legal requirement that affects whether you can accept work at all. Non-compliance risks fines, deportation, or permanent bans from that country’s workforce.

Singapore’s recent advisory affecting Malaysian, Indonesian, and neighbouring country freelancers working in Singapore demonstrates that enforcement is becoming more stringent globally. While local Singaporeans were not as affected by these specific changes, Noelle notes, the principle operates in both directions: just as Singapore now scrutinises foreign vendors more carefully, Singapore vendors must navigate equivalent - or stricter - requirements when working abroad.

Before accepting any destination project:

• Research the appropriate visa category for your work.

• Understand the processing time (it may take weeks or even months.)

• Factor visa fees and documentation into your project budget.

Some destinations will simply prove commercially unviable due to these requirements and that’s essential to know before saying yes to a couple.