THE 10 men sat on stage wearing sleeping masks, one leg of their trousers rolled up to the knee. They were waiting to be recognised by their brides-to-be.

How? By their hairy legs, of course!

The women, who were also blind-folded, came out one by one.

They had to touch, rub or tickle 10 bare legs in an effort to determine the one that belonged to their partner.

One of the pairs taking in this game consisted of Mr Rishi Firoz Vasanth, 24, a corporate trainer, and his fiancee, Miss Siti Hawa Fathi, 20, a nurse.

Miss Siti was so eager to get into the thick of the action that she almost fell off the stage while moving around blindfolded.

She was undeterred, kept her composure and managed to find her husband-to-be.

Feel for biggest calf

'At first it was a bit hard, but I just tried to feel for the biggest calf,' she said, laughing.

Miss Siti and Mr Rishi will go on to compete in the finals of The New Paper Wedding Planner's Blossoming Love Challenge at VivoCity today.

When asked about the competition, Mr Rishi said: 'It's quite a challenge, different from games we had played before.'

Before the game, the 10 couples had strutted their stuff down the catwalk, with the brides togged out in gowns from various bridal companies.

Friends and family, armed with cameras to capture each moment, came down to support them.

Ms Claire Peng, 25, a purchaser, was snapping away whenever her friends were on stage.

'I think they are not doing too badly,' she said. 'Very courageous of them!'

The event caught the attention of many shoppers, with a crowd surrounding the stage and other onlookers lining the railings on the second floor.

Among them was Ng Huimin, 9, who was spotted near the stage.

'I like watching the couples playing the games,' she said.

Continues today

The competition continues today, with the finalist couples vying for $5,000 worth of prizes, including $1,000 cash.

What do the couples intend to do with the prizes if they win?

Like others, Miss Chua Chor Boon, 29, a property agent, and her fiance, Mr Ong Jack Shen, 27, an air force specialist, said the prizes would come in useful during their wedding preparations.

They want a special wedding ceremony later this year.

'We are planning to have our registration at a karaoke as that's where we first met,' Miss Chua said.

The Wedding Planner Fair continues today.

Spectators can expect to see the couples dancing the tango, and a bridal gown catwalk.

It will be the last day of a three-day event where couples can shop for their various wedding needs in one convenient location.

Those who sign up with any of the exhibitors will be able to take part in a lucky draw to win prizes worth more than $8,000.

- Han Su-Ying, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper.