In short
Fort Canning was home to the Registry of Marriages for decades, and the park is still a popular setting for solemnisation photos. What changed is that the Registry moved out of its Canning Rise building on 14 April 2025 and now runs its own ceremonies from a temporary site at The Esplanade Mall while the building is redeveloped.
- A Fort Canning solemnisation today is held at a venue of your choice in or around the park, with your own licensed solemniser
- Ceremonies at your own venue can take place on any day, including weekends and public holidays
- The Registry puts an offsite ceremony at about 15 to 30 minutes
- The park’s lawns, mature trees and heritage structures remain good backdrops for photos afterwards
- Venue bookings and any permits are arranged with the venue or park operator, not with the Registry
What changed at Fort Canning
The Registry of Marriages was housed at Fort Canning from 1961 and moved into its Canning Rise building in 1983. On 14 April 2025 it shifted its operations to a temporary site on level 3 of The Esplanade Mall, while the Canning Rise building undergoes a redevelopment planned for 2025 to 2028.
So if you want a ceremony in the Registry’s own room, that now means the Esplanade site or the Ficus Room at Gardens by the Bay. If you want Fort Canning, you are planning an offsite solemnisation, which gives you more say over the time, the setting and how long you stay for photos.
Holding your solemnisation at Fort Canning
For a solemnisation outside the Registry, you choose the venue and invite a licensed solemniser through the Our Marriage Journey portal; the Registry suggests booking three to six months ahead. Confirm the venue booking, the guest numbers it allows and any permit it needs directly with the venue or park operator.
On the day, the solemniser checks identification, takes your verbal consent and leads the vows. Rings and a ceremonial certificate are optional, and the solemniser registers the marriage through the portal afterwards. Our guide to how ROM works in Singapore covers the full process.
Photo spots around the park
Fort Canning Park sits on raised ground in the middle of the city, with open lawns, mature trees and several heritage structures within a short walk of one another. The elevation and tree cover give layered, green backgrounds that are hard to find elsewhere in the city centre.
Ask your photographer to shortlist two or three spots near your venue in advance rather than deciding on the day, so the time after the ceremony goes into photos rather than walking. For a professional shoot in a park, check whether advance permission is needed, especially if you plan to use tripods, reflectors or additional lighting.
Timing, light and weather
With your own venue, you agree the start time with your solemniser rather than taking a Registry slot, so you can plan around the light. Early morning and the last couple of hours before sunset are the gentlest for outdoor portraits; the middle of the day is harsher and hotter.
Singapore weather changes quickly, so plan a covered fallback near your venue for the ceremony and for family photos, and build a little buffer into the timeline in case of rain.
What to brief your photographer
Share the venue, the confirmed ceremony time, how many guests will attend and whether you are heading to a banquet or celebration afterwards, since that decides how long you can spend in the park. If you have a style in mind, formal and classic or relaxed and candid, say so in advance so the shot list can be planned around it.
Registry site or Fort Canning: choosing
A Registry site is simple to arrange: the Registry provides the solemniser, the ceremony takes about 10 minutes, and the Registry’s room at The Esplanade holds up to 20 people including you and your witnesses. An offsite ceremony at Fort Canning takes more planning, a venue and your own solemniser, but gives you the setting and the timing, and, depending on the venue, more room for guests and photos. See our ROM and solemnisation photography for how we cover either.
If you are planning a solemnisation at Fort Canning, tell us the venue and time and we can plan the photos around it.