Getting wed to get little ‘dragons’

Memorable moment: Couples at the mass wedding ceremony at the Penang Chinese Town Hall in George Town in conjunction with the recent Mid-Autumn Festival. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Couples are rushing to tie the knot in order to conceive “dragon” babies.

Next year is the Year of the Dragon according to the lunar calendar, and it is commonly believed that those born in this particular year would be blessed with good luck and fortune.

Penang Wedding Professionals Association co-founder Low Chin Siang, who is also a wedding cinematographer, said there has been a surge in marriage bookings this year.

“More people are getting married now. If they plan on having a dragon baby, there won’t be enough time if they tie the knot next year,” he added.

He said Penang sees a higher number of Chinese weddings, especially during the second half of the year.

“While the local wedding market has fully recovered from the pandemic, the overseas market (which means either the groom or bride is a foreigner) is still recovering,” he said.

Low said business is great these days and his team is always busy on weekends.

“As wedding cinematographers, we usually work on weekends and we are all booked for the year.

“There are 60 companies under the association, and members have given positive feedback and say they are enjoying good business,” he added.

Amy Aw, a wedding planner for the past 19 years, said she received 20 bookings for November and December.

“People from overseas can now fly here with ease and weddings can take place. We are packed until the year-end,” she said.

A spokesman for the Penang Chinese Town Hall said 19 couples would take their vows there on Nov 11.

“It will probably increase and I am sure more people are getting married on this special day of double 11,” the spokesman said.

Over at the Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society, 12 to 15 couples are registering their marriage every day on weekends.

“There are only two registrars here, so we cannot accommodate too many pairs,” said its secretary Choong Yit Chuan.

“We are usually full on weekends. Many want to get married and we have now opened up dates for December.”

Believing in the blessings dragon babies bring to the family, Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia have experienced spikes in birth rates in the Year of the Dragon.