After a gap of almost two months – due to heightened restrictions –wedding receptions have finally resumed in Singapore. While this is good news for couples, it also means that this is the time for resolution of conflicts between them and vendors.
If you recall, from May 16, no wedding receptions were allowed. As a result, they either had to be cancelled or pushed back. This led to issued between couples and wedding vendors.
But with restrictions changed, Ministry of Law aims to resolve these conflicts by providing a free mediation programme.
Free Mediation Programme To Resolve Disputes Between Wedding Couples And Vendors
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The free programme is for parties who are in dispute over wedding events that were supposed to take place between May 8 and July 31 this year.
This mediation service will facilitate settlement between the couples and their vendors, if both parties agree to mediate.
Minlaw added that some parties have been able to reach a settlement or plan out an alternative. For instance, agreeing to reschedule or downsize the event, but not everyone has been able to resolve their issues.
Eligibility criteria
There are three main criteria that you need to fulfil to be eligible for this programme.
- The wedding must be between May 8 and July 31.
- Both the parties need to have a contractual agreement, written or otherwise.
- The scheduled wedding must be between May 8 and July 31.
- They can submit their request for mediation from Wednesday until September 10, 2021.
Mediation Process
- The process can be quick if both parties agree to mediation even before the application is submitted. But in case one party has not agreed to mediate, then they will receive a copy of the request after the other party has applied.
- After both parties agree to mediate, Minlaw will arrange a session and allocate a mediator, who is a “neutral, trained professional’.’
- The Min law further hopes to hold a session, via teleconference, within two weeks after both the parties have agreed. The session will generally be scheduled for two hours.
- The mediator will assist the parties to come up with a settlement agreement if they agree to come to a consensus.
MinLaw further encouraged to participate in the mediation programme with an “open mind” and be “fair and reasonable to each other.”
The coronavirus restriction affected both the parties and right now a mutual understanding of the difficulties faced will help them to reach a better conclusion.
MinLaw concluded, “For parties who are not eligible for the programme, we encourage them to conduct their own negotiations in the same spirit of understanding.”
With wedding receptions now being allowed in Singapore, it is important to organise the event by following extreme caution.
Many of these events have turned into super spreaders earlier, so be extremely careful – not only while attending but also while organising.
Here are certain tips to make your project wedding a success.
Project Wedding: How To Organise A Wedding During A Pandemic?
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Follow COVID-19 guidelines
Make sure the seating arrangements at the venue are far away from each other. Masks should be compulsory for all the guests attending the event. You should also place enough hand sanitisers and disinfectant machines at the event.
Choose your guest list wisely
Prepare a concise guest list of only those without whom you cannot have the wedding.
You can minimise crowding by introducing staggered arrivals. Mention it in the invitation card.
You can also number the designated seat/places and then mark the floor to ensure physical distancing between people of at least one meter.
Make registration compulsory
Prior registration should be made compulsory before guests attend the event. This will help you to keep a tab on the number of people attending it. Based on this information, you can make the necessary preparation.
Ceremonies should be short
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See to it that the ceremonies are as short as possible. Also, you can arrange special events with only the close family members present.
Have seated dinners to prevent the guests from standing near the food at the buffet or the bar. If you are going for a buffet, it is best to have multiple smaller stations. This will help divide the crowd.
Live stream
You can live stream the function for those guests who will not be able to make it to the event. It is perfectly okay to hold the ceremonies via video conferencing.
In fact, people are finding new and innovative ways to hold the marriage function online.
Here are some other precautions that you need to follow:
- Always check local guidelines before arranging an event
- Brief the guests before the event about the safety precautions that are being followed at the event. Remind them to keep their masks on all the time, use hand sanitisers and yes, maintain distance.
- You should choose outdoor venues over indoor spaces. If indoors, then ensure the area is well-ventilated.
We understand marriage is a function when the entire family comes together. But, don’t forget we are in the middle of the pandemic. Nothing is more important than your safety at the moment.
Amid concerns of the KTV cluster, don’t let your guards down, even if you are vaccinated.
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