Fewer couples are getting married, and it has impacted The Chinese Wedding Shop’s sales
Marriage has long been seen as an important union between two families across cultures. But in Singapore, fewer couples are choosing to tie the knot.
Recently released figures show that marriages in Singapore fell by about 6.2%, from 26,328 in 2024 to 24,687 in 2025. This decline follows a broader drop after the country hit a record peak of 29,389 marriages in 2022.
But this trend doesn’t just reflect shifting social priorities in the city-state—it’s forcing Singapore’s wedding industry, from banquet services to bridal studios, to rethink their strategies. And for niche retailers like The Chinese Wedding Shop, they need to find a way to balance tradition and staying relevant in a market where fewer people are saying “I do.”
Vulcan Post speaks to co-founder Michelle Neo on how The Chinese Wedding Shop, a specialist in traditional Chinese wedding products, is navigating a wedding recession.
The Chinese Wedding Shop has been around for almost 20 years
Michelle first established The Chinese Wedding Shop with her husband in 2009, investing S$400,000 of their savings to open their first store at Ang Mo Kio. From the start, they positioned the shop as a one-stop destination for couples seeking items for traditional Chinese wedding customs.
One example is the Guo Da Li (过大礼), a ceremony where the groom’s family presents wedding gifts to the bride’s family as a sign of respect as sincerity.
Back then, the co-founder shared that there was strong demand for such products.
“At that time, many of our friends who were getting married were extremely stressed trying to source traditional Guo Da Li items,” said Michelle. “They had to run from shop to shop, often with little guidance, and were worried about ‘doing it wrong’ in front of the elders.”
Beyond retail, the business also guides couples through traditional wedding customs. Each visit starts with a conversation to understand the couple’s background, which includes details like:
- Dialect group
- Family expectations
- Wedding timeline
- How traditional or modern they wish the ceremony to be
After consolidating this information, the team guides customers step-by-step through the customary sequence, explaining the essentials and optional items, and how certain practices can be simplified or adapted.
“Our focus is to ensure couples feel confident and reassured, rather than overwhelmed,” emphasised Michelle. These consultations helped the business build credibility and eventually expand to five locations across Singapore.
Adapting to a shrinking market
But shifting wedding trends over the past few years have forced the business to adapt.
Aside from the declining number of marriages, it has also become more expensive to hold weddings in Singapore. Banquet prices, for instance, increased as much as 10% in 2022 amid inflation, prompting many couples to opt for smaller, more intimate ceremonies.
While she did not disclose figures, Michelle shared that these trends have gradually reduced overall sales volumes. Customers have also become more intentional with their spending, carefully weighing what’s essential and what’s not.
“Previously, couples were more worried about following traditions strictly. Today, they are more focused on why certain customs exist and how they can adapt them meaningfully without it being unnecessarily complex,” said Michelle.
To combat the decline, the shop has gradually introduced new strategies: diversifying its curated traditional wedding sets, offering rentals of individual items like wedding baskets, and creating more flexible packages that let couples personalise dowry sets and other ceremonial essentials.
As more consumers shift their shopping habits online and value convenience in acquiring products, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the business also started selling its products online in 2020, both through its own website and e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada.
“These new streams helped offset the drop in traditional transactions,” said Michelle, adding that the shift has pushed the business to “innovate faster” and “serve couples better” rather than relying on tradition alone.
Beyond these initiatives, the shop has embraced a one-stop wedding approach, aiming to position itself as a go-to destination where couples can source more than just traditional items.
For instance, the company also facilitates wedding cake and pastry orders by partnering with local bakeries such as Baker’s Brew, Tong Heng, and Thye Moh Chan.
Another way the shop is positioning itself as a one-stop wedding destination is by expanding beyond retail into an advisory and educational platform. Social media has become a key channel for the business to educate younger couples about traditional wedding customs.
“The goal is to reduce stress for couples while keeping traditions meaningful, not burdensome,” she added.
Diversification is key to survival, but weddings remain their bread and butter
Since renewing its offerings post-pandemic, Michelle shared that they have been well received by both couples and parents alike, though she did not elaborate further.
Even so, the shrinking number of marriages means the overall market is likely to continue contracting, raising the question of whether the company should diversify beyond weddings.
Michelle and her team have explored this potential, considering expansions into other Chinese traditions—such as selling festive banners and red packets for Chinese New Year—but plans aren’t concrete yet, and any move into new areas would need the same level of cultural sensitivity, knowledge, and relevance.
Weddings continue to be the business’s bread and butter as of now, as the credibility they have gained over the years allowed them to establish a niche in Singapore’s crowded wedding scene.
“For now, our priority is to deepen our wedding-related offerings, such as rental sets for specific uses and modernised solutions, before extending into other areas.”
- Learn more about The Chinese Wedding Shop here.
- Read more stories we’ve wrote on Singaporean businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: The Chinese Wedding Shop
