It was to be their big day.

Dressed in their wedding finery and accompanied by 25 friends and relatives, the couple arrived at the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) on Monday to tie the knot.

Like the other couples there that day, Mr Mohamad Norizuan Shazali, 26, and his fiancee, Miss Sharafana Mohamad Shariff, 19, were excited about starting a new life together.

Unlike the other couples, their joy was short-lived.

Before they could get their marriage solemnised, the couple were shocked to be told that the groom was already married - something he claims to have no idea about.

But the proof was there in the registry marriage records. It shows that a man with his name and identity card had married a woman from India in 2012.

How could this be, a puzzled Mr Norizuan pondered as his bride and loved ones rallied around him.

This is how their big day went from cheers to tears.

Love story

Mr Norizuan, a driver, met Miss Sharafana at a barbecue party on Changi Beach in January 2012. They started dating the following month.

Not long after, she moved into Mr Norizuan's rented room in Whampoa. Last July, they signed up for the Young Parents Programme, which prepares couples for marriage, and attended premarital counselling.

They have an eight-month old daughter and were planning to apply for an HDB flat after getting married.

They now live with Mr Norizuan's parents in their Tampines flat.

The shock