Getting a Licensed Solemniser in Singapore

Under the Women’s Charter, a civil marriage in Singapore only becomes legal when a licensed solemniser conducts the ceremony and registers it with the Registry of Marriages (ROM). There are two ways to get one: hold the ceremony at a Registry site, where a solemniser is assigned to you at no extra cost, or hold it at your own venue, where you invite a solemniser yourself through the Our Marriage Journey (OMJ) portal. This guide covers both routes, the timing and the money.

This applies to civil marriages (where at least one party is non-Muslim). Muslim couples register through the Registry of Muslim Marriages instead — see our ROMM guide.

What a licensed solemniser actually does

A licensed solemniser is the only person authorised to officiate a civil marriage ceremony and register that marriage in Singapore. On the day, they conduct the short solemnisation before your two witnesses (both aged 21 or older), and then file the marriage online afterwards. Your digital certificate of marriage is emailed to you once it is registered. No religious or elaborate programme is required for the marriage to be valid — the legal act is the solemniser pronouncing you married and lodging the record.

Two ways to get a solemniser

At a Registry site. If you book a solemnisation slot at ROM (currently the interim site at Esplanade Mall, covered in our solemnisation venues guide), a solemniser is assigned to you when your slot is confirmed. You do not choose the individual, and there is no fee beyond the marriage application fee.

At your own venue. If you hold the ceremony anywhere else — a hotel, a restaurant, a garden or a private space — you must select and invite a licensed solemniser yourself and declare your venue details in the application. ROM maintains a directory of about 1,200 licensed solemnisers, who are dedicated volunteers. You can search the list by the solemniser’s name or by your preferred solemnisation language, and filter by category (religious or non-religious, such as a Justice of the Peace).

How you get a solemniser depends on where you marry. Source: Registry of Marriages (Our Marriage Journey), as of October 2026.

How to invite a solemniser on Our Marriage Journey

For an external venue, the steps run in this order:

1. Shortlist a solemniser. Browse the directory on the OMJ portal and note one whose language and availability suit you. Contact them first to share your plan.
2. Send the booking invitation. When you start the marriage application with Singpass, you select the solemniser to invite; the portal sends them an official booking invitation.
3. Get their acceptance. The solemniser must accept the invitation through the portal. The timeslot shown in the directory only indicates general availability — nothing is secured until they confirm.
4. Check the status before your ROM appointment. Log in to confirm the booking is accepted. If they declined, invite another solemniser from your dashboard.

Timing: book 3 to 6 months ahead

ROM recommends making a solemniser booking 3 to 6 months before your solemnisation date; solemnisers often cannot commit much earlier than that. Keep this separate in your head from the legal Notice of Marriage, which you file no earlier than 6 months and no later than 21 days before the date (see the full ROM process). The marriage licence itself is issued only after the 21-day notice period is met, and within 30 days before your solemnisation.

Do you pay a solemniser?

For a ceremony at a Registry site, there is no fee besides the marriage application fee; the assigned solemniser is not paid by you. For an off-site ceremony, ROM says no fee is expected either — you may reimburse any costs the solemniser incurs or give a token of appreciation, but that is entirely up to you.

In practice, many couples prepare an ang bao for an off-site solemniser as a courtesy. Third-party guides put the customary amount at roughly S$68 to S$200 (higher for a highly personalised, bilingual or far-travelled ceremony) — these are approximate social norms from vendor sources (Vows.sg, 2026), not an official rate, and some volunteers politely decline or donate it. Note that a prescribed administrative fee applies if you later change your solemnisation details with ROM.

Religious and non-religious ceremonies

The directory lists both non-religious solemnisers — typically Justices of the Peace who conduct a secular ceremony — and religious solemnisers registered with ROM, who may include faith elements if you wish. The legal effect is identical; the only difference is who officiates and the words used. Whichever you choose, the same civil registration process and fee apply.

Where to go next

• The full ROM registration process
• Solemnisation-only weddings: the low-cost route
• Solemnisation venues: ROM sites and beyond
• A 12-month wedding planning timeline