You have just popped the question to your partner, “will marry me?” and of course you have a positive answer. Your mind is now roaming thinking how much you need to have a luxurious wedding in descent part of Singapore. You have to skip late evening office duties to hold financial meetings to discuss with friends and family how much they can chip in and raise for your wedding.
Unless you are from a royal family or a tycoon like Mandopop King Jay Chou who could afford a wedding costing S$1 million, there are highest possibilities that you will need financial assistance to walk down the aisle. It is a belief that holding a wedding in Singapore is expensive.
Still, you cannot wake up and estimate the cost of your wedding without planning for it one year or less. Alternatively, you can check A1 Credit, and you are guaranteed to have your wedding covered. But do you know how much it will cost you? Read on to find out how much you need for a wedding ceremony.
Pre-Wedding Preparations
The moment you two of you agree to have a wedding in one year or a few months to come, you start thinking about all the requirements you will need for the ceremony. The preparations include an introduction to in-laws, booking the venues, buying all the bridal packages, and getting the entertainment team set for the task ahead. To understand the pre-wedding costs and requirements, here is the breakdown of each item and the estimated costs.
Bridal Packages
Most couples will start their pre-wedding preparations by getting bridal packages. They will spend a lot of evening hours browsing a collection of dresses, suits, shoes, hair, and makeup services. They will also attend bridal fairs on the weekends to get their best packages in town. However, to save on time and money, the most couple will opt for bridal studios to have someone else to handle the nitty-gritty details like evening gowns, tuxedos, hair stylist, makeup artist, and bridal car. The advantage of these bridal studios is that the packages are brought in all-in-one solutions, and you are likely to pay between $3000 to $10,000 depending on the quality of services you need.
Photo Shoot
Another cost you have to prepare for is the photoshoot. The cost of the photoshoot in Singapore varies depending on the choice of photographer and the location. Some photographers will charge you by the hour budget of at least $200 per hour, while others prefer a flat rate of between $1,000 to $4,000. If you are one of these couples, who would fly abroad for a wedding photoshoot, then prepare for something higher than $5,000, especially if you engage a hot-in-demand photographer.
Dowry
Weddings in Singapore are applicable in Chinese traditions, and you have to give dowry to your in-laws (brides family). The dowry typically comprises jewellery, betrothal gifts like candles and pig trotters, wedding cakes, and generous red carpets. These are likely to cost you around $5,000 or more if you want to impress your in-laws.
Actual Wedding
After getting every tip of preparation in place, it is now time to declare your lifetime commitment to your partner. The costs are not over; it is now the time to face reality about how much you have to spend. It all starts with legal registration to the honeymoon. Briefly, let us see how much it will take you to have a night after the wedding in a hotel.
Solemnisation
For your marriage to be legal in Singapore, you have to register with the Registry of Marriages (ROM), locally called Solemnisation Ceremony. The ceremony is the official marriage in the eyes of the law. This will cost something close to $5,000, which covers gown rentals, floral arrangements, a photographer, videographer, and lunch or dinner for your guests. Although licensed solemnisers do not expect to be paid for their voluntary services, you can still give them a token of appreciation out of goodwill.
Wedding Bands and Rings
Every wedding will only be complete with the symbolic exchange of wedding rings. Some couples these days prefer just a pair of bands, although not every couple will settle for these cheap options that cost around $500. Therefore, to match your personality, you may want to fork out at least $2,000 for a pair of wedding bands and $10,000 for high-quality rings packed with precious stones.
Optional Church Wedding
A church wedding is optional depending on your religion. If you are Christian or Catholic faith, you may get away with a booking fee of $1,500. But if you want to get a luxurious church wedding, prepare to spend at least $10,000 at a beautiful cathedral.
Wedding Banquet
It is now time to get to the main celebration in a hotel or restaurant of your choice. The cost of your wedding banquet can also vary depending on the location. For example, Chinese restaurants tend to offer cheaper services as low as $700 per table, while five-star hotels like St. Regis and Capella charge between $1,500 to $2,000 per table for a minimum of 25 tables for weekend bookings.
Photographer and Videographer
On your wedding day, you will need a professional photographer and videographer who will capture everything for future reminiscing. You may still want to hire a family member or friend for the job or get an outside photographer. Alternatively, some bridal studios provide photography and videography services in their packages. Still, most couples prefer hiring an additional freelancer, just in case. For that case, prepare to pay between $2,000 to $10,000 for photo and video editing packages.
Post Wedding
After the dinning, dances, and connections, it is now time to land on your dream destination scheduled for a well-designed honeymoon. It is also time to check on your remaining savings and calculate how much you have to splash on your honeymoon and how long it will last. Heading to an overseas honeymoon will cost you at least $5,000 for a budget-conscious honeymoon or $10,000 for a more exotic destination in the Maldives or Europe.
The Bottom Line
How much will it cost you to have a wedding in Singapore? From the article, your wedding is likely to fly up to $130,000 depending on how prepared you are. However, you can have a minimum cost of $50,000 for your wedding. You can now budget how much you need to save if you are planning to wed one year from today. Remember, spending a million on your wedding does not reflect a successful life ahead. Therefore, prepare for a wedding that will not leave you fighting debts the moment you walk out of your honeymoon.
