Having a Wedding in Singapore.

How much does it cost to have a Wedding in Singapore? How much does it cost to have a Wedding as compared to 10 years ago? 

Singapore is a Multi-racial country. Every race and religion has their own special way to have a wedding. So let's find out how EXPENSIVE it is to have a Wedding in Singapore. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Today we are talking about something many men and women will experience at least once in their life. At least once. At least once. Getting married. So how much did you spend on a wedding?

SPEAKER_01 0:17

For my wedding, which was in 2021, I spent about 25k, 30k. And how was the setup? Mine was uh quite a traditional Chinese banquet. Yeah, so everything that Chinese have from the pingting all the way until the wedding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Okay, for mine, mine was a Western style. I spent about 30,000. Okay, inclusive of all the everything, the pre-wedding shoes, everything. And I did it in Dempsey Hill, which is more uh Western pavilion garden type. Okay. So the big question is, is getting married in Singapore becoming too expensive? Because 10 years ago, many people, many couples have can have a wedding for around$20,000 to$40,000. And today the average wedding can easily reach$50,000 to$80,000 and even more. So what exactly changed? This is what we're going to talk about in this episode. So this is Ryan, he is Sean, and this is Let's Talk. Yeah, because uh these are the four major ethnic groups in Singapore. So let's talk about Chinese wedding. You did a Chinese wedding. Yes. Okay, so can you tell us what you expect to have in the Chinese wedding?

SPEAKER_01 2:13

I think for a very traditional Chinese wedding, firstly is even before the wedding itself, there's something called ping. And it's called bride price.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Not really. As in you pay pay the bridal bridal cost.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Yeah, in a way to thank the thank my in-laws for taking care of my wife up to today. Yeah, then after that, include usually the bride side will always return. Because we call FIGO. After the ping, then there also a normal Chinese wedding locally in Singapore. It will be also early morning. We'll have the prepare and then go for cake crash to fetch a bride. And you have the tea ceremony, yes. Then after that, go for photo shoots in between. Then depending on your wedding, is it the afternoon or the dinner? Okay. Yeah, so if you have a lunch one, you'll be straight to the hotel or the venue to have your lunch. So in between, I still have some time to rest. Okay. Yes. What about you? Yours was not the traditional Chinese. Yeah, mine was a Western style.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

So for a Western style, I'm not a Christian. Okay, but I prefer a Western style because I'm a budget. Okay. So I have a garden wedding, or something like a garden wedding, a pavilion wedding, with uh my ROM, which is a certification of my wedding. Okay, so what I have is uh long tables for the main guests, the my grandaunt, my grandparents is not longer around. My grandaunt, my aunt, my fathers, my in-laws, yeah, and my cousins. That's a long table.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

How many fathers you have?

SPEAKER_02 4:13

My father-in-law and father and fathers. Yeah. Also, because of that, mine was also the post-COVID type. So I also have small tables around to fit about five packs. Okay. Same as mine, lah. Same as mine. So I also have the pre-wedding shirt, and mine was a bit of a hybrid. So I have a Chinese in the morning with a tea ceremony, the gay crashing, but I don't have the pinting. Yeah. Okay, just a normal one, the short one to make up the day. And then the yeah, the reception at night. Okay, so thickly spent for a Chinese wedding 10 years ago, okay, it's around 900 to 1200 per table. So it can easily be about how much? 20k? 40k? And in today's context, per table for banquet is 1600 to 2500 per table. So that can easily hit up to 80 grand.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

For the banquet itself, I think it's about 50, 50. 50 grand. Usually normal Chinese wedding takes about 200 packs. Mine was post-COVID, so I was lucky. I cut into half. 100 packs.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Yeah, then let's talk about Malay wedding. Okay, Malay wedding instead of a hotel banquet, the couple choose to have a white night wedding or a community hall. So there are typical some typical features: Palami stage where the couples actually set, traditional outfits where they wear, the traditional Malay uh outfit, okay, and some catering buffets.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 6:01

And usually they have a large guest list. The guest numbers can be 500 to 1,000 people. Yes, correct.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Have you attended a Malay wedding before? Yes. I attended two weddings, two Malay weddings before. So one was back in 201718. That was pre-COVID. So that one was the quite the traditional, I would say, Malay wedding that is under the void deck. So when they give us a time stop to attend, then once we are there, we give our blessing to the couple, then have our buffet, our lunch there, and then after that, we will leave as a group. So when I was there, I also got a chance to see basically their Kung Pong family. Because they come in 20, 30 people, all in the same so if I'm not wrong, they usually come in different timings.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Okay, because once one whole gang of families come in, they give their blessings, they have their food, they talk, and then they will leave, and then a next group will come in. So this wedding actually does from morning to the night. And usually their catering is also catered there, they cook there. Okay, so they can keep top up on the food.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

So that was uh one wedding I attended, uh HGB kind. Then last year, I have a chance to attend a Malay wedding with my wife, though it was her colleague. So that one it was a more, I would say a more artist kind of uh Malay wedding because they they book a ballroom at the Flyers. Ah, okay. Yeah, so it still takes one whole day and also have buffet inside, but it the environment, the view is different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Yes. Yeah, so in cost comparison, what I what we found on the internet, 10 years ago it cost about between 10 grand to 25 grand. And in today's context, 15 grand to 50 grand. Okay, mean minimum and yeah, minimum.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

I think 15k to 30k is the void deck kind. Yeah. The more traditional Muslim wedding is. And the more large will be will cost more. 40 to maybe 50 or so.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Have you attended an Indian wedding before? No, I didn't have the chance. I only have once, a temple one. I visited the temple one. Okay, but Indian weddings are often multi-day celebrations, okay, which can increase the total cost. So they have a temple wedding, they had the handi ceremony, the sangit night. So the big factor in the Indian wedding is the gold jewelry. You see the bride having the gold crown, the gold earring, the gold nose ring, okay, the necklace, the banger, the leg banger, everything, all gold. So that adds up the cost. They increase the cost to maybe 10 grand to 30 grand or more. Okay, so in total comparison, 10 years ago, 15 grand to 40 grand, and in today's context, 35 grand to 80 grand and more. Because in current status this year, our gold price increases significantly. Yes. Okay, from 100 to 200 per gram. Okay, but culturally, these celebrations are seen as once-in-a-lifetime family events. So we actually spend a little bit more to celebrate this event.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Yes. I think I have the last one we will talk about is the more of the Western kind, the wedding at the church. This I have a chance to attend because I was the brother of the groom. Yes. So, because uh the couple is also Chinese, so we still have a mixture of cake crashing everything to the dinner. Okay. Yeah, but in the in the in-between from morning, cake crashing, after that we go to the church to have the church wedding over there, the walk-ins, the blessing from the pastor. Yes, then after that we go for a rest, and at night that will be the dinner. Ah, so this one back in 2015, the cost of a normal church wedding without the banquet, everything, this cost about 20 to 40k. Yes, but currently, uh more recent years, this cost can go up 30 to 80k. Yes. But why are weddings getting more and more expensive? Okay, I think this one of the reasons will be the inflation over the years. Why? Because uh everything is increasing in price from our ingredient cost, our import costs, and one of the most main factors I would say, compared 10 years ago and now, will be a GST. GST 10 years ago was about 7%. And now it's 9%. And we still need to incur service incur the service charge. Yes, correct.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

From the hotels or the restaurant, there's still a rough 19% increase. So if you pay 100 grand, you need to pay additional 38 grand.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

No, 19 grand. 19 grand, yes.

SPEAKER_02 11:26

Yeah. So the rising cost of a wedding, okay, one of the factors that that increase the price would be the rising cost of the venue and the hotel. Yes. Okay, hotel and event venues have increased their large their price significantly. Like popular wedding venues like Shangri-La, Marina Bay Sands, Rifles Hotel, Santosa, they have charged more for banquets. Okay, the reason are higher rental and operating costs. Okay, the premium venues have become more and more popular. Yes, the higher manpower costs also. Yeah. And couples prefer luxury ballrooms instead of restaurants.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

From what I do my research online, I think for this kind of hotels venues, the price is almost increasing about 10% per year. Yeah. So imagine five years later there's another 50% increase. Yeah, then you plus the GST and service charge, you are paying about 80% of what you're paying today.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Yeah. And because of the couple like enjoy small luxury borrowings, even there's a new trend. Malay weddings moving into event halls and hotels like what you attended. Okay. So traditionally in Singapore, Malay weddings are commonly held at Void Dead, uh, community hall, or even moss compounds. But in the past five to ten years, more Malay couples are choosing hotels, ballrooms, event halls, convention centers. And the reason for the shift is because of the weather and the comfort. Void Deck weddings can be affected by rain, heat, humidity, but hotels provide aircraft.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Uh this I agree because 10 years ago when the sun was up, it was really, really, really hot.

SPEAKER_02 13:24

And due to the social media effect, Instagram, and uh modern aesthetics, modern Malay weddings now include a grand, much grand stage. The professional lightings, the floral installation, they even hire wedding videography. Okay, so this setup are easier in the event hall or hotels rather than in the void deck. Yes. Because void deck is also affected by the lighting itself. Okay, and there are larger budgets nowadays. Okay. Ten years ago, Malay wedding costs about 10 grand to 25 grand, like I say. And now hotel or ballroom Malay wedding costs about 40 grand to 80 grand. Especially if they include professional decorators, celebrity makeup artists make you it looks like.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

I think another another factor for the couples to choose between the void and the current ballroom is because the service that the venues provide. Last time when you're at Void Deck, you need to book your own venue. You need to find your own catering, you need to plan your own timings and everything. Yeah, for your for your relatives and your friends. But nowadays, when you're at ballroom, the you just need to tell them how many pets are coming. They will settle the catering for you. The drinks, everything they will settle. Yeah. So you only need to worry about the time slot. You invite people over. So I think this is one of the factors that Malay couples they are choosing to avoid that and moving over to ballroom.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Yeah. Okay, like what I said, the social media effect, even for other weddings, okay, be it Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok also change how couples plan their weddings because now they want dramatic floral arts. They want LED stage things, they want cinematic wedding videos. You see the Sun Sun Sun video kind of video. Another one I saw was the Naza. So, what they have in the wedding video, they have uh different so-called different lifetimes of uh of the wedding video. So you have the olden style, the mid olden style, the modern style, yes, all combined. Okay, now they also want overseas pre-wedding photoshoots. Singaporeans like to travel to Taiwan, to Chongqing, to Japan, see the cherry blossoms, all the nice backgrounds.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

I like mine, mine deep in botanic garden. I also did mine there. So I think when you travel overseas, the cost will be way higher, maybe three times to four times because you need to book hotels, then you book flight tickets, and also add on baggage. Because then you bring the gown, the suit all over, and also you need to cover the cost of buffer and videographers.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

You want to pay more so that you can directly get all the photographer, the videographer, the the gowns, the suit is at the store oversee itself. Okay, you pay more. I think they all pay less. No, you need to buy it in a package. So you pay the package. Okay, so what used to be a simple ceremony is now often treated like a full-on production event. Yes. Couples are treated like celebrities nowadays, okay? And with that, more professional service and on. Ten years ago, many couples rely on friends or family, unless you have friends in the media. Ah, then that would be different. You got a friend that is a professional photographer, that would be also very different. Okay, but today couple of hire professionals for wedding planners, event stylists, live band, DJs, NCs, makeup artists, makeup artists, photo booth, social media wall to let the guests enjoy themselves, uh pre pre-wedding cocktail event, and also the same day edit uh videographers. Yes. Okay, they hire videographers to take the morning event and then they edit immediately so that at night you can display it to the guests. And also there will also be photo uh videographers who often edit shots so that you can use it for your Instagram posts on the same day. And each service may add a thousand to ten thousand into the budget each, huh? Each. So imagine you've got all five wedding planners, events to leads, live bags, same day, video graffle, photo booth. There will be five thousand to fifty thousand dollars extra.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

I think couples will like to hire a wedding planner is because it takes the stress of a lot of things out of their hands. Correct. Because when you as a wedding planner, I from what I understand from my friend, is they need to help them, give them a few venues to choose from. The price of the food from the banquet and the choices of it. And also from the 5 a.m. or even 4 a.m. all the way until 10 p.m. 11 p.m.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Yeah, I timeline everything. Still remember your wedding. I was your best man. Yes. And I help you do every single thing. Every single person. 80%, 80%. Some things you cannot do. Almost every single thing, inclusive of the event, the scheduling, everything itself. Okay? And even the payment, I have to hold your cards for you. Okay. That's the best man's job. So, talking about wedding planners, another factor that increases the price will be the guest expectations and experience. Nowadays, a wedding can be a breathtaking experience. Okay, they want a modern wedding that includes cocktail receptions, multi-cost diners, custom doll gifts, and the luxury decorations, like for example, the bridal arc. Okay, and this raises the per guest cost significantly. Because imagine a normal, simple, a simple wedding. Your dog give maybe something like a pencil, the pen, sorry, skip pen, the wet chip one. Now they even have what raw honey, a nice fragrance soap. Couple cups. Yeah. The the dog gift actually raises this cost. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

I think I think in Singapore culture, I think one good thing is we have this understanding of giving um pals. No matter what kind of wedding we are attending.

unknown 20:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

So we attend Chinese wedding, we get umpow, we attend Malay wedding. For Chinese, we still get umpow, but for Malays, they give the green packet. Yeah. Yeah, also a form of umpow. Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Yeah. And last but not least, this we cannot really avoid. Post-pandemic price adjustment. Okay. After the global pandemic, the COVID-19, okay, many venues actually raise the price because of the higher food cost, labor shortages, okay, and the demand surge from postponed wedding. Imagine two years of postpone. How many bad lots are there? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Because uh during the first year of the COVID-19, the limit was crazy. The limitation was crazy. Yeah, up to 20 packs. How do you have a wedding for 20 packs? Because you see, uh for normal Chinese wedding, 20 packs, it just covers two families, that's it. Yeah. But for mine and yours, we were quite lucky. Ours was post-COVID. So we have a restriction up to 100 packs.

SPEAKER_02 21:25

Yeah. Yeah. So and because of the COVID-19, we just sold it open. Our price actually didn't jump that much. Yes, correct. And for my wedding, I was a lucky one, and also the clever one. I did mine in the most unexpected places, Demsey Hill. Nobody really does a wedding there. Yeah. But I did mine successfully. Okay, thank you to Red Dog Blue House. Okay. So a common saying in Singapore now is weddings used to cost the same as a small car, but now they cost the same as a house down payment. But right now in 32.6, the cost of a car is almost the same as a house house. Yes, correct. Okay, so everything, all the prices are increasing significantly. You see now the car COE from five figure to six figure. Yes. Okay. You see the house nowadays.

unknown 22:22

Who?

SPEAKER_02 22:22

For a seven figure. A three-roll HTB flat can cost about 300 to 400 grand nowadays. Okay, depending on locations. That actually content is cheap. My three-roll flat was 200. If you want to talk about market price, it's about BTM. So the price are increasing significantly. So let us share.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

But I think from my wedding, I still quite thankful that it was a post-COVID 100 packs restriction. Because if we do the traditional one, 100 packs is not enough for me.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Okay. So let's share the story. Okay, having a 110 grand wedding debt in Singapore back in 21-2. I mean 21-2 last time. That was 14 years ago. Yeah. Singapore couple spent 110 grand on their wedding, and it reportedly took them four years to repay the debt. The wedding included a large banquet, multiple tables, and luxury wedding service. So let us share about what wedding services they have they have. Okay. They saw a magazine, they saw glossy pictures and glizzy wedding in wedding magazine. They dream of having a dream wedding. Okay. Okay. So that includes a bridal arc, which is made of 999 fresh tulips from Holland. Wow. Okay. Imported over. Complete with a tulip-shaped balloon for their wedding marching. Just their marching itself, the they they they spend nearly$12,000. For the art. Yes. Their wedding bank is held at a six-star hotel. Okay. And each table costs$100 no$1,600.$1,700 before tax. So$168. That was about the most attack. Most Atas. The most luxury.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

For 2012, that was the most atta most expensive.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

And that was before the 17%. The 7% GSD and 10% service charges. So that will cost about 2.2, 2.3, roughly around there. They have a 45 tables. So all together, plus their wedding photos, everything, they the bill comes up to 110 grand. Wow. So they have 20,000 in their savings, they borrowed 45,000 from a financial institution, another 4,000 borrowed from licensed moneylenders, and 11,000 from relative. And they also spend$30,000 on their credit cards. So imagine you enjoy one day of all the luxury, all your dream, all your dreams come true, and spend four years of broke life just to repay four years. Wow. So is the wedding itself, is the wedding ceremony to celebrate your wedding life, your marriage, your start of a family, start of a blissful life, or the start of a nightmare.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

I think most important is the couple must be happy after the day of the wedding.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Yeah, but the whole entire thing is as a result of their debt, they have to put off their plans to start off a family. And at that point of time, the wife is already 30 years old.

SPEAKER_01 26:38

Means that once they finish their debt and if they decided to have a kid, the wife is actually at a higher risk. Oh, sorry, 26 years old. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 26:48

So after paying off their debt, the husband is 35, the wife 30. Okay? And in between their um their the the four years of repayment, the wife is actually still a housewife. And because of the debt, the pressure that she got, they had to walk, she had to walk out for three months and even considered a divorce. So the wife actually went back to Johor Baru to live with her grandparents. Yeah. So why there's also another story. This story was still acceptable until I saw the later part. Oh, is it? Okay. The couple spent about 15 grand. Okay, 50, 50 grand on their wedding. Acceptable? I think quite acceptable. Yes, it's acceptable, right? But right after the marriage, they went ahead to buy a five-room flag.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Okay.

unknown 27:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

Which I think is also quite necessary because and they changed three cars. Okay, I think the car part is not really needed.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Okay, that's over the five years and also had a child. Wow. Number one, you couple, you have a child. You buy five friends for me. Okay, maybe you want to live in a very big place. Okay, maybe you think you can sustain. But you need to change the car three times, man. Yeah, I think the car part is really unnecessary. I mean you don't you want to change from what? Change from a Toyota to a Mercedes to a BNW? Or is it the other way around? Okay. In that five years, they accumulated over$250,000 in debt. And to top it off, to avoid the wife nagging, the husband borrowed money from loan shark. And that led to a lot of complications. Wow. And they were on the verge of divorce before they sought marriage counseling.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

So for the wedding, they were already 50,000 in debt. But over five years, they almost increased their debt 50,000 every year.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

Yeah, five times because of the changing of cars, everything.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

Yeah. Okay, then to make it worse, the husband borrowed from Don Shark. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Okay, and in some cases, couples don't even want big weddings, but the pressure came from their parents. Yes. So there's one story shared online described on a couple who only wanted about 100 guests. But their parents insisted on inviting about thousand guests and holding the event at a hotel. Imagine 1,000 guests in a hotel. Each table, let's not say COVID, let's say pandemic. Each table holds 10 papers. 100 tables. And if each table costs a minimum of maybe around 1,000 to all that. Okay, 100? 100 tables. That is$120,000 before tax. Oh. Okay. The couple eventually had to take a loan to pay the wedding, and even after the celebration, they struggled financially for months. And that stress made them regret the decisions. So, question Are couples planning weddings for themselves or for their family?

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Okay, for traditional Chinese wedding, usually you will have a saying of two families becoming one. So usually the guest numbers are quite big. Yeah, but that it there must be a point where you cut the line and make sure that as a couple you're able to afford it. Yeah. So like for my, where I say I thank God mine was post-COVID because of limitation of 100 packs. If not, my guest number will be about close to 200 or 300 packs. Yeah, I have to. I can't invite my cousins, all these to attend my wedding because of the limitation. But also because of that, I was able to save a large portion of costs. Yes. But I think as a couple, most important is you're getting married to be happy. You're not getting married to troubles and loans and debts. Correct. Yeah. Because that will give you a lot, a lot of problems.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

I mean the parents want to have the face value to invite all the family's friend, family's relative, every day, because it might be very big. Okay, it might be very big. Not only for the couple's friend, also. Okay. But here is the thing: a wedding is a ceremony to celebrate the couples in their successful marriage and wishing them peaceful and blessed life together. Yes. Okay. It is definitely not only meant for the family. Okay? It depends on the financial status of each family. Yes, correct. If you don't have the bit of a head, don't get a big hat.

unknown 32:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

It's a very unless unless I say if the parents really wanted that number of guests, then the parents need to help out a bit. Yes, correct. Yeah. Because some I find that in a traditional Chinese wedding, sometimes the couple had to invite people that they've never seen before in their whole life. But it's a very, very distant family. Yeah. So I think for the couple to them, it's like I don't even know this person. So why am I inviting this person to my wedding? Yeah. But for the parents, the more uh olden, more traditional thinking one is and but your parents know that.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

Yeah, it's it's it comes from the stress actually comes from the family aspect. So a wedding, let me re-illiterate this. A wedding itself is meant for the couples. Okay, the couples to have their blissful life. They want someone who they know to come and give them their blessings. To let them know, hey, they are getting married. It's not meant for the family. It's not like a like a family event, like, oh, my family, join your family, we create one big business to empire together. This is not business family kind of an event. Unless you really have this kind of big family, yeah. That would be different. Like a second leaning alliance.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

But but for locally, one good thing about in Singapore is usually when we attend weddings, we give umpows. Yeah, for Chinese.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

But even for Malay, we also give the agree. But they are also in cases where because of the family uh family invitations, uh, the umpal went to the parents. That causes the stress also. Yes. Because the family took away the red packets, which the red packet cat is a blessing. But you the parents actually took away the red red packet. Then you come for what? You come for my blessing. Or you come for the family blessing.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

I think this is the fight between the traditional and the modern ready.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

So don't because of one day of celebration, you spend years on regrets and paying for it. Okay. Uh once in a lifetime is not a once in a lifetime regret. Okay, sorry. A once in a lifetime uh marriage, don't make it lifetime of regrets. Okay, then let us end this with this small little quote that I read it online, and I think it's very, very good. Till death do us apart, not till death do us apart. Yes. Okay, think twice, plan wise. All right, this is Ryan, Sean, and this is goodbye.