Wed& Insider Newsletter #9
What's happening in weddings around the world | Issue #9 | 9 November 2025
This Fortnight’s Focus: Government changes are creating new opportunities for wedding venues and cultural heritage events across Asia.
TRENDS THIS FORTNIGHT
China: New Marriage Registration Rules Boost Venue Options
What’s happening: The Straits Times featured China’s May 2025 policy, which allows couples to register their marriage anywhere in the country starting May 2025, not just where they live. Local governments are now opening registration offices at scenic locations (such as Sayram Lake and Xiling Snow Mountain), temples, nightclubs, shopping malls, and even subway stations. Because of this change, there were 22.5% more marriages in the third quarter of 2025 (1.61 million), breaking a ten-year downtrend.
Why this caught our attention: This government-driven transformation of administrative registration into experiential offerings shows how policy changes create immediate effects and venue competition. When Chinese domestic venues can offer experiential registration with government backing, Asian destination wedding vendors face intensified competition from more affordable, culturally familiar alternatives that couples’ can now easily access.
Singapore: Government Supports Cultural Wedding Traditions
What’s happening: The Straits Times reported that Singapore’s new heritage centre, ArCH Square, opens on 1 November, hosting cultural practitioners, including wedding stylist Jabir Amin, teaching workshops on traditional Malay wedding floral arrangements (sirih junjung and sirih dara). The centre addresses declining cultural awareness among younger couples, who now often display only one arrangement instead of two and lack an understanding of their symbolic meanings.
Why this matters: Singapore’s government is helping to keep traditional wedding customs alive through education. This makes cultural experts and vendors more respected, allowing them to charge premium prices for their knowledge, not just basic services.
Sustainable Wedding Fashion: Pre-Loved Dresses Get Mainstream Attention
What’s happening: Irish Examiner published a story about finding an unworn designer wedding dress at Barnardos charity bridal room. The article showed that producing one polyester gown creates 50-100kg of CO₂, equivalent to the emissions from a flight from Dublin to Rome. The piece also highlighted other eco-friendly options like renting, buying pre-loved, and choosing designers who use natural fabrics and local crafts.
Why this is significant: Major media covering eco-friendly wedding dresses means it’s now mainstream, not just a niche market. With detailed stories about shops, rentals, and designers, the market is ready for professionals to get involved.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Experiential Registration Raises Baseline Expectations: Service Standards Must Evolve
China’s recent marriage policy illustrates how government action can rapidly elevate the experience of administrative processes. By opening registration offices at meaningful and scenic venues, like Sayram Lake, whose altitude symbolises deep love, Chinese couples are now learning that the location of their registration is just as important as the act itself. This shift is redefining what couples expect, not only in China but also internationally, as market trends begin to value emotional and symbolic significance in venue selection.
What does this mean for you: Couples will increasingly look for venues offering unique stories and emotional resonance, not just visual appeal. If you are a venue operator, consider developing compelling narratives for your locations. This not only justifies a premium price but also ensures your venue stands out in a landscape where rising expectations, fueled by policy shifts like China’s, are setting new benchmarks for service and experience.
Cultural Heritage Workshops: A Potential New Premium Service
When government agencies support cultural learning, it confirms there’s a real demand from younger couples. Wedding vendors who become teachers or consultants, not just service providers, gain authority and can charge more. Workshops like those at ArCH Square can become a business even without being part of a wedding.
The opportunity: If you have traditional wedding knowledge, consider offering workshops, consultations, or online lessons to establish yourself as an expert before securing wedding bookings.
Sustainable Fashion: Now a Must for the Bridal Market
Mainstream media is showing that eco-friendly wedding fashion is an expected part of wedding planning. If you wait for couples to ask about green options, you’ll seem out of touch. Professionals should be aware of charity shops, rental services, and sustainable designers as part of their standard recommendations.
The reality check: Do you offer green bridal fashion as a standard or only if requested? You should know at least three local sustainable options with up-to-date details to stay current.
WHAT TO DO/ASK YOURSELF
Recommended Action Steps
Review your cultural knowledge: Beyond carrying out cultural traditions, can you explain what they mean? Can you update them for modern couples who want stories, not just decoration?
Explore sustainable fashion locally: Look up pre-loved dress shops, rentals, and green designers nearby. Can you recommend several good options right away?
Questions To Ask Yourself
About experiential expectations:
What unique stories do your venues offer? Consider special coordinates, numbers, or historical aspects that make the venues stand out to couples.
About cultural heritage:
Do I know the meanings behind traditions, or just how to present them?
Could I offer workshops or online guides on traditions, besides coordinating weddings?
About sustainable fashion:
When did I last visit local eco-friendly shops or designers?
Do I bring up sustainable choices first, or only if a client asks?
Skills Worth Developing
Learn deeper cultural knowledge so you can teach as well as plan.
Build relationships with thrift stores, rental services, and environmentally conscious designers.
Learn how to approach government and heritage organisations for collaborations.
Forward this newsletter to industry peers who want up-to-date insights about what couples and clients really care about.
Want more wedding industry insights? Check out Wed& Main for articles and guides.