For Renee Wong and April Lee, marriage is not about romance, sexual attraction or the traditional idea of a couple. It is about friendship, trust, companionship and a decision to share their lives with each other.
SINGAPORE:
The two women have known each other since they were 12 years old. In 2026, they celebrated their second wedding anniversary after making the unusual decision to legally marry despite never having been romantically or sexually attracted to one another.
They live together, share a bank account and make plans for their future as a family. Yet they do not consider themselves a romantic couple and do not share a bed.
Their relationship reflects a relatively little-studied form of partnership sometimes described in psychology as a queerplatonic relationship — a deeply committed bond that is not based on conventional romance.
A Friendship That Began at 12
Renee and April first met at school in Singapore when they were 12.
Their friendship quickly became central to their lives. They spent time together after school, attended additional classes and went to church together on Sundays.
Renee recalls that they were together almost constantly.
“Literally, all seven days of the week, we were together,” she said, according to BBC News.
What began as a childhood friendship gradually developed into a lifelong commitment.
Over the years, the two women remained close through changes in their personal lives and relationships. Eventually, they realised that the bond they shared was something they wanted to preserve permanently.
For Renee, the decision to marry April was not about replacing a future romantic partner.
Instead, it was about recognising the importance of the person who was already there.
“We reserve life and marriage for someone who hasn’t even come into our lives yet,” Renee said in an interview with the BBC. If a romantic partner eventually enters her life, she said, that would be welcome. But until then, she believes the person who has already shared so much of her life deserves an important place in her future.
The two women describe their connection as being like “one soul”, reflecting the depth of their friendship and emotional commitment.
A Different Understanding of Marriage
Marriage is traditionally associated with romantic love, sexual intimacy and the creation of a conventional family.
Renee and April's relationship challenges that assumption.
They are legally married, plan to have children in the future and have chosen to organise their lives around one another. At the same time, they maintain that there has never been romantic or sexual attraction between them.
Their story raises a broader question about whether marriage necessarily has to be defined by romance.
For some people, partnership can be built around companionship, emotional security, shared responsibilities and a commitment to remain present through different stages of life.
The distinction between friendship and partnership can sometimes appear straightforward, but relationships such as Renee and April's demonstrate that the boundary is not always so clear.
Their commitment goes beyond an ordinary friendship. They have made legal and financial arrangements together, share a home and make long-term decisions as a unit.
At the same time, their relationship does not fit the conventional definition of a romantic marriage.
That combination makes their story unusual — but also illustrates how changing social attitudes are encouraging people to think differently about companionship and family.
For Renee and April, the decision appears to have emerged from something much simpler than social expectations: they know each other deeply and want to remain part of each other's lives.
Their friendship has lasted for more than a decade, from childhood through adulthood.
The decision to marry therefore represents not the beginning of their relationship, but the formalisation of a bond that had already become central to both their lives.
Their story ultimately asks a question that extends beyond their own experience:
If marriage is a lifelong commitment between two people, does that commitment necessarily have to begin with romantic love?
For Renee and April, the answer is no.
Their marriage is built on a different foundation — friendship, trust, companionship and the decision to choose each other for life.
Source Note
This article is based on reporting by BBC News/BBC Urdu, published on August 23, 2026, by journalist Julia Granchi. The original report includes interviews and personal accounts from Renee Wong and April Lee. AALIMI NATION has adapted and rewritten the material for its magazine audience while retaining the core facts and attributed statements from the source.
Source: BBC News / BBC Urdu.
