Singapore weddings are notoriously know to be expensive, with many “guides” written to advice the ang bao rates to give for the invited friends and families. This is so that you can cover the costs of your seat of that wedding lunch/dinner, and also a little extra to defray the wedding costs of the couple.
As the couple in the limelight, there are a couple of huge spending that made up the bulk of your budget that you set aside for the wedding. I cannot say for other ethnicity, but for Chinese weddings, it could get expensive real quick either due to family pressure for a lavish wedding to show off, or due to wedding traditions that is determined by the elders of the family.
In this post, we will take about the main spendings that a couple would be expected to fork out on a Chinese wedding.
Bridal package + photographers
Usually, most couples purchase a bridal package for their wedding. This package usually includes the rental of gowns and tuxedos worn on the wedding day and photoshoots, and makeup and hairdo done for the couple.
A bridal package also includes pre-wedding photoshoots. This is usually taken so that it can be printed and distributed to family and friends , and also to showcase during the many intermission during the wedding lunch / dinner (which we will talk about later).
In addition, couples will usually hire photographers and/or videographers to capture the surreal moment during the wedding for future reminisce.
Cost = $4000 (Bridal package) + $3000 (photographers)
Dowry
Dowry usually refer to a gift that the groom give to the bride’s family as a form of respect and thanks for raising the bride. They are usually in the form of jewellery or cash. There is no “market rate” for this value, and is usually determine by the bride’s family.
Cost = $2000
Wedding lunch / dinner
This may seems like a simple meal to celebrate the union of the couple and to gather every person the couple deemed important to share their happiness with. However, it is not the case. There is an unsaid thinking that wedding lunch are inferior to wedding dinner, and there will be judgement based on the star rating of the hotel you held your wedding in. In addition, there are also a minimum number of wedding tables you need to book before the hotel is willing to take in your booking, which is usually upwards of 30 tables.
Depending on the choice made, be prepared to fork out at least $45,000 (assuming $1500 per table for 30 tables) for the booking of the wedding lunch/dinner.
Cost = $45,000
Summary
The very basic costs that you should be saving for are these 3 items. Some other potential large ticket wedding items could be solemnisation and honeymoon. However, we did not include solemnisation as they are very commonly held before a wedding lunch/dinner, complimentary of the hotel. Honeymoon, in our book, are considered post-wedding activity that need not take place immediately after the wedding (Isn’t it too tiring to jet off after all the stressful planning?).
Total Cost = $54,000
Last Words
Weddings are never cheap. They can get stressful, they can spiral out of control, and more than often, fights broke out during the planning, either with each other, or with friends and family who were helping out. That’s probably how the term bridezilla and groomzilla came about.
Regardless, hopefully you would have a good idea of how wedding costs, and work towards saving for that big event of your lifetime.
