REUTERS — Oct 16 — Singapore’s bridal agencies are seeing slowing
business as the
financial crisis and a looming recession hit love in the country.
"About 10% of my
customers say ‘The economy is slowing down, I have no money,’" said
Mark Lin, who runs the Vietnam Brides International Matchmaker in
Singapore. Matchmaking is not uncommon in the country, which has a
population
of 4.8 million and a low birth rate, as older men turn to professionals
to find a wife. Some agencies help link up singles, while others —
like Lin’s — help customers find a prospective wife from abroad. For
$5,450, a man can pick a wife from among the women in
Lin’s shop, send her to the doctor, and get his marriage registered —
all in 12 hours. FULL ARTICLE @ REUTERS
