It is summer in Japan and love is in the air.
Now is the time to tie the knot and Singapore is busy wooing Japanese couples who want a wedding ceremony with a difference.
They can get married at the Singapore Pavilion at the Aichi World Expo, complete with ethnic bridal gowns.
The Singapore Tourism Board will host similar ceremonies right through to September when the Expo ends its 6-month run.
Chandrika Shantilal, Programme Director of World Expo, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "A lot of Japanese are going to exotic places to get married in a traditional way, and we thought that Singapore is a wonderful location for marriages because we can have four different styles of wedding for them to choose from."
In one wedding at the Singapore Pavilion, the Japanese bride and groom were wedded at a replica of Chijmes, a former convent school turned popular dining and retail spot.
And for an extra special touch, the couple dressed up in the bridal attire of Singapore's diverse ethnic groups.
Forest spirits Morizo and Kikkoro, the mascots of the World Exposition in Aichi, were the special guests at the wedding which took place at the Singapore Pavilion.
The bride Naoko Shimizu was thrilled by the unusual costumes for her special day.
She said: "It's something I'd never get to experience in ordinary life. The make-up and the ethnic attire all different so I'm really enjoying this."
"Marriage is the biggest event in my life and the best part is having my ceremony at the World Expo."
Theirs would not be the only wedding at the Pavilion.
Holding weddings overseas has been quite popular among the Japanese for the past few decades.
Hawaii has been the top destination followed by Guam and Saipan.
In Asia, Bali has been the most popular destination and now Singapore wants a piece of the pie.
There've been years when close to 50,000 Japanese couples held their weddings abroad, and the Republic is hoping to capture one-fifth of this lucrative market.
But it's facing competition - the American pavilion at the Expo is also hosting weddings to attract more Japanese to tie the knot in the United States. - CNA /ch
now ppl want their wedding in all sorts of manners! very creative..