In short
Gardens by the Bay is a national garden by Marina Bay, offering two different ways to get married here. The Ficus Room, in the Active Garden, is one of only two places where the Registry of Marriages (ROM) itself conducts the ceremony: slots are booked only when you submit your marriage application, and ROM assigns the solemniser. Separately, for a civil marriage you can hold an offsite solemnisation with a licensed solemniser you book yourself, at a space the Gardens lists for solemnisations, such as Silver Leaf. The Gardens’ photography-use page treats wedding shoots as personal sessions rather than commercial filming, though a few rules apply either way.
- The Ficus Room is ROM’s own solemnisation site: booked with your marriage application, first come, first served, with a ROM-assigned solemniser.
- An offsite solemnisation at a space listed for solemnisations, such as Silver Leaf, uses a licensed solemniser you book yourself.
- Spaces the Gardens lists for weddings include Flower Field Hall, the Waterview Room and Silver Leaf, each with a stated capacity.
- The Gardens’ photography-use page treats wedding shoots as personal sessions; confirm how this applies to your actual-day coverage.
- Tripods are not allowed in the Gardens on weekends and public holidays, and drones are not allowed at Bay Central, Bay East and Bay South.
What Gardens by the Bay is
Gardens by the Bay describes itself as a national garden made up of three waterfront gardens: Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. The Gardens broke ground in November 2007; Bay South opened in 2012.
The Gardens’ personal photoshoot package lists Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy and Supertree Observatory as attraction options; confirm separately whether your event booking includes access to any of these for portraits.
The wedding and event spaces on offer
The Gardens’ own venue-booking pages list several spaces for weddings, each with a stated capacity. Flower Field Hall, inside the Flower Dome, covers 1,200 square metres, listed for up to 1,100 guests standing, 800 theatre-style, or 700 for a seated dinner. The Waterview Room, also in the Flower Dome, covers 600 square metres and is listed for weddings, for up to 500 standing, 300 seated, or 200 theatre-style. Silver Leaf, an outdoor space beneath the Supertrees overlooking Dragonfly Lake, covers 1,360 square metres, listed explicitly for outdoor weddings and solemnisations, with the same tiers as the Waterview Room. Other event spaces, such as the Event Lawn, are listed for other kinds of events rather than weddings.
Because these spaces sit across a large public garden, confirm which one is booked for your ceremony and banquet, and whether Supertree Grove or a conservatory is included for portraits, rather than assuming the whole site is open to you.
Two different ways to solemnise here
Gardens by the Bay is one of only two places in Singapore where the Registry of Marriages (ROM) itself conducts a solemnisation, alongside its own registry, currently a temporary premises at The Esplanade Mall while its Canning Rise building is redeveloped. This ROM site is the Ficus Room, in the Active Garden, set aside for solemnisations since 26 November 2022. The Gardens’ own venue page confirms this, describing the room as where marriage solemnisation is conducted by the Registry of Marriages and the Registry of Muslim Marriages, and directing solemnisation queries to ROM rather than its usual venue-booking process.
A Ficus Room ceremony works differently from every other space in the Gardens:
- Slots are booked only when you submit your marriage application to ROM, on a first come, first served basis – you cannot book the room separately or ahead of the application.
- ROM provides the solemniser for a Ficus Room ceremony, so you do not need to find your own.
- The Gardens lists the Ficus Room as 135 square metres, with general classroom and theatre capacities of 40 and 80 respectively. For a ROM solemnisation, ROM’s ceremony guide for the Ficus Room specifies a maximum attendance of 40 people, counting the couple and both witnesses, and asks everyone to arrive at least 10 minutes before the agreed time.
The alternative is an offsite solemnisation at a space the Gardens lists for solemnisations, such as Silver Leaf. For a civil marriage, an offsite solemnisation requires the venue’s agreement, a licensed solemniser and completion of ROM’s application, declaration and marriage-licence requirements, and may take place on weekends and public holidays; you book your own licensed solemniser separately, ideally 3 to 6 months ahead. Submit your marriage application no earlier than six months and at least 21 days before the solemnisation, and bring two witnesses above 21. Our guide to how ROM solemnisation works covers the application and declaration steps in full, and we can cover an offsite ceremony alongside your banquet.
In short: the Ficus Room is a ROM-run ceremony with no choice of room and a solemniser provided for you; an offsite solemnisation at, say, Silver Leaf is a Gardens booking with your own solemniser, giving you a choice of space and a more flexible format.
Photography and filming rules the Gardens publishes
The Gardens’ visiting guidelines state that photography for personal memories is welcome throughout, while commercial filming and photography needs prior approval, submitted on an application form at least 14 days ahead. Separately, its photography-use page treats wedding, graduation, maternity and family shoots as personal sessions, bookable directly with the wedding team by email and covering entry to a choice of the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy or Supertree Observatory. The Gardens offers personal wedding photoshoot sessions; ask its wedding team to confirm the booking and approval requirements for your actual-day coverage.
Tripods are not allowed in the Gardens on weekends or public holidays; at the time we checked, a further advisory also restricted them in Floral Fantasy, tied to a current exhibit, so confirm whether that still applies closer to your date. Drones and other remote-controlled aerial devices are not allowed at any of the three gardens. Wedding couples are also encouraged to shoot on a weekday, or book a session with an accompanying Gardens safety ambassador. Confirm the current rules with the events team before your date, since exhibits and advisories change.
Light through the day, and the evening show
The opening-hours page lists Supertree Grove and the other areas grouped under ‘Outdoor Gardens’ as open daily from 5am to 2am; Bay East Garden is open 24 hours. Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Supertree Observatory and OCBC Skyway normally open from 9am to 9pm, with last admission at 8.30pm except for Cloud Forest at 8pm. Check scheduled maintenance closures before choosing your date. Outdoors, the middle of the day gives strong, direct light, while the light softens through the late afternoon into the evening, which generally suits portraits at Supertree Grove. The Gardens lists Garden Rhapsody at Supertree Grove daily at 7.45pm and 8.45pm; check the programme and event access arrangements for your date.
The conservatories may offer sheltered portrait options, but confirm photography access, opening hours and the lighting available at your planned time.
Rain and indoor backup
Since Silver Leaf and Supertree Grove are outdoors, agree an indoor backup before the day, along the lines in our wet-weather planning guide – ask whether the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest or your booked event hall could serve as alternatives. Confirm with the events team what indoor access you have at short notice, since a conservatory visit may need its own booking.
What to ask ROM and the Gardens’ events team
Before you confirm a booking, clarify the following with ROM or the Gardens’ events team, as indicated:
- Check Ficus Room solemnisation availability and attendance arrangements with ROM; ask the Gardens’ events team about an offsite venue booking.
- Which areas, including any conservatory or Supertree Grove, are included in your event-space booking for portraits.
- Whether your photographer needs the commercial filming form, a personal-photoshoot booking, or both.
- What time vendors may begin setting up, and what parking and loading arrangements apply.
- What indoor space is available at short notice if it rains.
If you are also planning a separate outdoor session away from your ceremony venue, our guide to outdoor wedding venue photography in Singapore covers how to plan that alongside a booked event space.
At Gardens by the Bay, decide whether you want a ROM ceremony at the Ficus Room or an offsite solemnisation in a space listed for solemnisations, and confirm your photography arrangement with the Gardens well ahead of your date. If you would like to talk through coverage, check your date with us, or read more about our actual-day wedding photography.