SINGAPORE - Singaporean couples can now solemnise their marriage at Gardens by the Bay in a new zone dedicated to fostering stronger familial ties.

Spanning the Active Garden and Silver Garden, the Family Zone has been set aside as a place where families can spend time together meaningfully, strengthen their bonds and mark life milestones, such as marriage solemnisations, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Saturday.

The zone was jointly developed by the Families for Life (FFL) movement, MSF and Gardens by the Bay, and will host family-friendly events and activities.

FFL’s line-up of activities includes a bouncy castle to be set up in the West Lawn every Saturday in December, and monthly picnics from January 2023.

Couples with at least one partner who is a Singaporean or permanent resident can arrange to hold their solemnisation at the Ficus Room event space in the Active Garden at no additional cost after submitting their marriage application at www.marriage.gov.sg

The Ficus Room is an additional location for solemnisations. Couples can still opt to hold their nuptials at the Registries of Civil and Muslim Marriages’ Fort Canning venue, said MSF.

Solemnisations at the Ficus Room can be held only on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as the event space is also a venue for other family-friendly programmes and activities organised by MSF partners, such as FFL, the ministry said.

At the launch event, which was attended by more than 500 families, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said families form the bedrock of Singapore’s society. Enabling them to flourish and overcome adversity will help build a resilient society that can achieve a better future, he added.

Also present on Saturday were President Halimah Yacob and Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development and Home Affairs, as well as FFL council chairman Ishak Ismail and Gardens by the Bay chief executive Felix Loh.

To celebrate the crucial role families play in society, 2022 was designated as the Year of Celebrating SG Families, and the zone is a project to support family life beyond 2022, said Mr Masagos, who is also the Second Minister for Health.

He also noted several milestones since the campaign began, including the launch of the A Singapore Made for Families 2025 plan to foster a family-friendly culture and a Bill proposed in October to amend the Constitution to prevent the definition of marriage from being challenged in court.