Singapore firms cashing in on Brunei wedding mart

Most of the vendors at the just-concluded Wedding Festival 2011 in Brunei have noticed the changes in wedding traditions.

"There's a definite change," said Liza Wong, a representative from Singapore's leading wedding and bridal event organiser and publisher of Wedding & Travel Magazine, on the type of weddings Bruneians are now open to.

Running the Wedding Festival for the fifth time in Brunei, Wong was optimistic that Bruneian couples would be willing to spend, despite having to tighten their financial belts recently.

Wong said the magazine is also hoping to include more content catering to Brunei's Muslim community.

According to the Brunei Times, more and more couples, both Muslim and Chinese, are bucking tradition to incorporate more bespoke or custom-made elements like personalised wedding photo shoots and one-of-a-kind dresses to their big day, said Wong, adding that the slew of Taiwanese and Singaporean companies on show this year are a reflection of changing tastes.


Another Singapore vendor, Feline Bridal, is also hoping its bespoke wedding dresses and photo shoot packages will break the market, although a representative from the company admits that with the more conservative nature of Malay customers in Brunei, their wedding couture leave a lot to be desired by younger couples.

The company is hoping to make its mark and has received a positive interest during the fair, said its representative.