Solemnisation Venues: ROM Sites and Beyond
You can solemnise at an official Registry site, the Ficus Room @ Gardens by the Bay, or your own external venue, where you must invite a licensed solemniser. While Canning Rise is redeveloped, ROM and ROMM solemnisations are held at the interim site on Level 3 of Esplanade Mall, which takes Saturday bookings. The Registry returns to Canning Rise in 2029.
Where you solemnise changes the atmosphere and the photos — but not your legal status. A solemnisation at a Registry site, at a garden room or at your own venue is equally valid, and the licence fee is the same either way (S$42, or S$380 if both of you are foreigners). Here are the official options as they stand in 2026, with one big change on the horizon.
The official Registry sites
The Registry of Marriages (ROM) and Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) both solemnise on-site. Their long-time home at Canning Rise is being redeveloped (2025–2028), so until it reopens the Registry operates from an interim site.
The interim site: Esplanade Mall
Since 14 April 2025, ROM and ROMM solemnisations have been held at the interim site on Level 3 of Esplanade Mall, in part of the space formerly occupied by library@esplanade. Two practical points:
Where you can solemnise, as of October 2026. Source: MSF / MCCY.
- The interim site is open for Saturday bookings, which Canning Rise historically was not.
- By early 2026 it had already hosted close to 6,000 solemnisation ceremonies, so slots are in steady demand — book early.
Ficus Room @ Gardens by the Bay
If you’d like a greener backdrop within an official arrangement, couples can book the Ficus Room @ Gardens by the Bay for their solemnisation. It’s a popular option for couples who want something more scenic than a registry room without organising a fully external venue.
Solemnising at your own venue
You don’t have to use a Registry site at all. If you hold the ceremony at an external venue — a hotel, restaurant, garden or private space — you must invite a licensed solemniser to officiate, and make sure they accept your invitation through the Our Marriage Journey portal. The Registry also allows video-link solemnisations in certain cases. For how to engage a solemniser and the timing, see our 12-month timeline and the ROM process guide.
What’s coming: Canning Rise in 2029
The Registry is due to return to a redeveloped Canning Rise building in 2029. Based on the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s announcement (February 2026), the new building will:
- Be about 60% larger than before, with a gross floor area of 3,755 sqm.
- Keep its iconic pitched-roof façade as a nod to the site’s heritage.
- Add a two-storey rear extension for more solemnisation slots, indoor rooms with garden-facing backdrops, and a rooftop garden terrace for outdoor ceremonies.
- Include scenic photo spots such as the Grand Stairs and Grand Lawn.
Until then, plan around the Esplanade Mall interim site and the Ficus Room.
Where to go next
Sources
- ROM and ROMM to return to Canning Rise in 2029, with expanded spaces for solemnisations — Ministry of Social and Family Development (as of 8 February 2026)
- Registries of Civil and Muslim Marriages' Canning Rise Site relocated to The Esplanade from April 2025 — Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (as of January 2025)
- Civil and Muslim marriage registries to return to Canning Rise in 2029 after redevelopment — CNA (as of 8 February 2026)