Planning a party for 100 or more can be challenging. Budgeting is key to planning a successful celebration. On average, weddings in Singapore cost about $30,000 to $50,000 and can go up to $100,000. The cost of wedding largely depends on the type of wedding you envision, as well as the scale of it and the number of guests you are planning to invite. This article will share with you the various components of a wedding (we will try to be as detailed as possible) and the average costs of each to help you better budget for it (there is a table summary at the bottom of the article). We also share our vendor recommendations with you. We share some wedding saving tips with you throughout this article.
1. ROM & Solemnization ($2,500 – $7,000)
It does not cost much to get legally married in Singapore. The actual cost to get registered is only $42 (Singaporeans & PR), and $380 if you both are foreigners.
The bulk of the cost comes in hosting a lunch reception. If your solemnization is separate from your wedding banquet, it will usually consist of a venue booking and a lunch reception.
Wedding Venue bookings ($1000 – $3000)
- If you plan to have your solemnization outside of ROM, booking fees for churches range from $1,000 – $3,000. Some churches take donations instead, and some churches are only open to members. See the church wedding venues in Singapore.
- If you are opting for a restaurant wedding venue, most venues quote a minimum spend on F&B. If you are able to hit that, they will usually waive any venue booking fee.
- Some venues charge a booking fee, and you can hire external caterers for your food, such as Llyod’s Inn (see promotion below!)
- Hotels have solemnization venues that you can use if you throw your wedding reception or banquet at their ballroom venues.
Lunch Reception ($1,500 – $4,000)
If your lunch reception is after a church ceremony, you will usually hire a wedding caterer for your event.
Standard lunch menus average from $15 – 25 per guest. For 100-150 guests, it will range from $1,500 – 4,000.
For a more bespoke experience, menus start from $25 per guest. Your reception will start from $4,000 upwards for 100 guests. Here is a list of our Top 10 Popular Wedding Caterers in Singapore
Red Packet ($80 – $120)
It is customary to give your solemnizer a red packet. On average, people give about $80 – $120. The minimum amount is $50, as per the guidelines on the ROM website. If your solemnization venue is not at ROM, do accommodate the transportation cost.
2. Wedding Banquet ($15,000 – $36,000)
Wedding banquets on average cost about $100 – $180 per person. Chinese weddings on average have 150 – 200 guests, bringing the total cost to be $15,000 – $36,000.
Depending on the venue you choose, 5-star wedding venues can start from $200 per pax. You can find a full list of wedding venues in Singapore and banquet prices on Singapore Brides.
Saving tips:
- Host your wedding on a weekday, or opt for a weekend luncheon instead. Prices will be cheaper.
- Instead of a hotel ballroom, you can opt for a Chinese restaurant.
- If your parents insist on hosting it in a hotel, you can opt for a 3 – 4-star hotel, or a boutique hotel to save on cost.
- Host your solemnization just before your banquet, so you can skip the lunch reception.
3. Engagement Ring ($3,000 – $5,000)
Most people budget around $3,000 – $5,000 for their engagement ring.
The average budget can get you a ~0.3 – 0.4 carat diamond (with setting), depending on where you purchase it from, and the specifications.
Where to Buy your Engagement Ring:
MADLY Gems, for bespoke artisanal engagement rings
Homegrown in Singapore MADLY is an international award-winning bespoke jeweller who creates breathtaking, prismatic treasures for clients who value individuality when it comes to their jewellery. This sparkle house believes that true luxury is customised, not standardised. They also encourage their customers to shop around as much as they can before coming to see them. This way, you would “see the difference” of their gemstones that are carefully selected from the finest 1% of gem-quality material mined and cut by tradesmen who ethically source and craft for the world’s most renowned jewellery houses.
You may hear rumours of a 2 or 3-month salary rule of thumb for the budget, though my advice is not to be pressured by it. Buying an engagement ring is a solely personal decision.
Customising your own wedding ring nowadays is more common and affordable. Before buying a ring, be sure to do your research, or sign up for a class to learn more about diamond shopping.
Saving tips:
- Rings from commercial retail outlets are generally more expensive for rings of similar specifications, as there is a markup for the retail spaces.
- Shopping online for cheaper alternatives could be an option, though be wary and only shop from reputable online jewellers. Make sure that your diamond ring comes with proper certification that matches the ring.
- You can choose to compromise measurements for one of the 4Cs – cut, clarity, colour, and carat to better fit your budget.
4. Wedding Bands ($3,000 – $5,000)
A pair of wedding bands on average cost between $3,000 – $4,000 for a pair.
The eventual cost will depend on the shop you purchase from, the brand, the type of material (18K gold or platinum), and the gem (diamond or gemstone) that you are including on your band.
5. Bridal package for your Wedding gown & suit ($2,000 – $6,000)
Bridal packages cost about $2,000 – $6,000 on average.
Bridal studios are often one-stop solutions. For convenience, you can pick up a bridal package that includes wedding gown and suit rental, pre-wedding/actual day photography, makeup and hairstyling services. The eventual cost depends on the inclusions you want. For the photoshoot, it depends on the locations and number of photos you wish to purchase. Some bridal studios have destination shoot services too.
While it may be more expensive to go ala-carte, going ala-carte can allow you to select vendors with specific styles you prefer.
If you wish to go ala-carte,
- Renting an ‘off-the-rack’ gown on average ranges from $500 – $1,500, depending on the boutique you choose.
- Customising your own ‘made-to-measure’ gown on average ranges from $1,000 – $3,000.
Wedding shoes ($100 – $200)
Shoes from ChristyNg, which allows you to design your own. Though you can simply shop around the stores for a cheaper pair that will match your gown. Most bridal boutiques have accessories that you can borrow with the gown, otherwise, you can use your own.
6. Actual day wedding photography ($1,000 – $2,000)
Actual-day wedding photography on average costs $1,000 – $2,000.
Wedding Photographer:
momentscreatives, to capture your most beautiful and precious moments
Bryaan, the principal photographer of momentscreatives, is an award-winning photographer with his works featured both locally and overseas. As a wedding photographer, Bryaan feels happiest connecting with couples and capturing their unique love story and precious moments on camera. momentscreatives is highly recommended by their couples for his quality of work and dedication to details. Bryaan commits to no more than 4 shoots each month, as he strongly believes in keeping himself fresh, creative and passionate. On top of his dedicated professionalism and likeability by couples and guests at weddings, another reason for our recommendation is that his photography package is great value for his work for actual-day at just at $788!
7. Actual-Day Wedding Videography ($1,500 – $3,000)
On average, your actual day wedding videography will cost $1,500 – $3,000. The eventual cost depends on whether you want half-day (4 – 5 hours) or full-day (10 hours). For wedding videography, per hour rates on average range from $150 – $350. For more recommendations, check our Noteworthy Video Gallery
Videography requires more equipment and manpower. Editing also takes more hours, and rushing out a same-day edit (SDE) can be stressful, hence the higher cost. But videography captures moving expressions that photos will not capture, so I highly encourage you to have a wedding videographer capture your big day.
Saving tips:
- Opt for a company that does both photography and videography for combo packages.
- Promotional packages may feature complimentary pre-wedding shoots, montages or SDE. Do ask if they are running any offers.
8. Pre-wedding Photography and Videography ($1,600 – $2,700)
Pre-Wedding Photography ($800 – $1,200)
A local pre-wedding shoot on average ranges from $800 – $1,200. The actual cost will depend on the number of hours and locations you require. Casual shoots are slightly cheaper. Opting for freelancing or newer photographers will get you slightly cheaper prices too.
Pre-wedding Videography ($800 – $1,500)
On average, a pre-wedding video or a Save the date trailer will cost you about $800 – $1,500.
Videography usually will cost more than photography mainly because the equipment is more expensive, and it takes a much longer time to shoot and edit videos.
9. Bridal Spa ($200 – $1,500)
Pamper your skin before your wedding to boost that glowing look brides have on their wedding day. Bridal Spa Packages on average costs $200 – $1,500, depending on the type of treatment, the number of packages and each duration that you pick.
Recommended Bridal Spa:
Porcelain, for skin refinement and innovative treatment
Porcelain has taken the industry by storm since its foundation by Pauline Ng in 2009, collecting 60 awards from media and recognised institutions. Taking nature and technology, two elements seemingly at odds with each other and merging them into harmonious skincare solutions enable this face spa to target the root of the problem and stimulate regeneration – never a symptomatic approach. All of Porcelain’s products are carefully formulated and crafted in-house using only the finest ingredients to ensure the consistently high-quality formulations that suit all skin types – specifically designed for use in humid climates like Singapore.
10. Makeup artist & hairstylist ($400 – $1,000)
Makeup artists (MUA) on average costs $400 – $1,000, depending on half or full day and how many looks you want.
Saving tips:
- Hire the same makeup artist for your pre-wedding and ROM/actual day and may get a promotional rate
11. Makeup & Attire for bridal party and moms ($500 – $1,000)
Budget at least $500 – $1000 for your entourage, depending on how big it is.
On average,
- Each outfit for a bridesmaid ranges from $50 – $100.
- For makeup and hairstyling, per pax costs about $100 – $150.
- For groomsmen, it depends on your choice of outfit.
For your mother and mother-in-law, it is optional to do this depending on whether they already have a suitable outfit, but we allocated about $300 – $500 each to shop for an outfit for them.
Tips:
- Have separate artists work on your family and bridal party. Depending on how many bridesmaids and the timeframe you have, you will want to allocate 1 artiste to max 3 bridesmaids. For 7 bridesmaids, their makeup was done by Eesha K (recently rebranded as EK Makeup Studio). They have a bigger team and were able to doll up my bridesmaids in time.
- For the wedding, consider Infinity convertible dresses from The BMD Shop ($33 – 39). These dresses made it very easy for they are free-sizing and they can be wrapped in different styles.
- Forever New also has many gorgeous collections for bridesmaids, though the pricing is more expensive from $100 – $200 for each dress. Buy bridesmaids shoes from Mitju at $40 each. For our groomsmen, full suits from Zara during a sale, and each suit was about $150. Ties online for about $10 each. Each groomsman wore their own brown shoes and an inner dress shirt. I’d suggest shopping during the sales period, like Great Singapore Sale (June-July), Black Friday or 12:12 to get good prices.
12. Wedding Flowers ($500 – $2,000)
Depending on your needs, budget around $500 – $2,000 for flowers.
Below are the average costs of wedding flowers:
- Bridal bouquet: $100 – $300
- Bridesmaids bouquet: $50 – $70 each
- Boutonnieres & Corsages for groomsmen and family: $10 – $20 each
- Floral decorations: If your venue does not provide floral decorations, the cost of this will depend on your requirements. On average, small centerpieces are about $50 – $100 each. A more elaborate flower centerpiece for the VIP table is about $100 – $200. For my wedding, our solemnization and dinner cost about $3,000 for flowers and we had centerpieces on every alternate table. To lower your cost, you can consider using more foliage (greens) for decorations rather than florals.
- A floral arch or canopy will start from $500 onwards
- Car decorations: $100 – $300, depending on how elaborate
Saving tips:
- Opt for artificial flowers to save cost of wedding, and you can keep them as souvenirs too.
13. Wedding Planning / Styling ($2,000 – $3,500)
On average, wedding planning costs about $1,000 – $1,500 for the service fee. Do ask if the vendor includes actual-day coordination as well.
For a wedding stylist, the average cost is about $1,000 – $2,000 for the service fee. The fee excludes the props, rental of equipment, and eventual cost will depend on how extensive your decorations are.
Saving tips:
- If you opt for a hotel/venue that has incorporated styling and decorations into their packages, that may reduce the need to get an external vendor, thereby reducing the cost of wedding.
- You can opt for bigger props to make a statement piece, and possibly use for a photo backdrop.
14. Wedding cake ($500 – $1,000) or dessert table ($500 onwards)
Budget around $500 – $1,000 for a wedding cake. A dessert table on average will cost you $800 onwards.
If you are having a hotel wedding, they would have a model cake included in the package, as well as champagne. Champagne for popping costs about $40 – $80/bottle on average.
15. Wedding Invitations ($200 – $500)
Wedding Invites cost about $1.50 – $3 per invite. Budget about $150 – $450 for this.
Recommended Wedding Invitations:
Mylin design & co. for personalised designs inspired by nature
What started as a desire to help friends to customise dreamy invitations for their weddings soon turned into a full-time commitment. To Mylin, designing can make a difference to everyday life and allows people to connect over meaningful designs. Her passion lies in exploring new textures and mediums, to create personalised invitations that express the couple’s unique style and identity. Each design is unique and meticulously handcrafted, all in line with her ethos of ‘less is more’. Often inspired by nature, her works are beautiful and surreal. Besides designing wedding stationery, her services also include creating wedding animation/video montage, reception styling, and corporate design.
16. Wedding Car Rental ($300 – $600)
The average cost to rent a wedding car is $300 – $600.
The cost depends on the model you pick and the hours you rent for. Do ask if the vendor has packages that include car decorations.
Saving tips:
- Alternatively, you can use your own car, or ask around to borrow a suitable car model
17. Photo Booth ($500 – $1,000)
Photo booth rates on average range from $500 – $1000 for 1 – 2 hours.
The package cost depends on how many hours you require.
Saving tips:
- If you wish to save on hiring a vendor, you can set up your own backdrop, and place a camera on a tripod to capture the ‘photo booth’ images as soft copies.
18. Wedding Entertainment ($500 – $1,000)*
Recommended Wedding Live Band
White Ribbon Live Music, for your own special love song
Made up of seasoned singers and musicians, White Ribbon Live Music draws on their exclusive talent pool to make sure that you get the best soundtrack for your wedding day. Local singer-songwriter Ruth Kueo stands as the founder – and with her co-founder, Ashton Koh – gathered experienced and talented music performers to create a strong team with versatile style. Their talent and knowledge in singing allow them to create new arrangements for the songs they play on various occasions – making sure that no performance is ever the same. This paved the way for them to play over 500 different weddings and events in the country and abroad successfully. They also continuously update and expand their repertoire to keep up with the ever-changing music scene. Upon request, their musicians can write and compose the song that conveys your love story, which makes the matrimony more special and unique on its own. With White Ribbon Live Music, you can find the perfect melody to resonate with your love story!
Saving tips:
- Ask a friend to help you emcee. He/she could be part of your bridal party.
- If you have talented friends, you can ask them to perform/sing at your wedding. Alternatively, you could also do it yourself for a memorable evening!
19. Wedding Dowry ($1,000 – $3,000)
For Chinese weddings, you will have to prepare for the Betrothal gifts process, also known as Guo Da Li (过大礼).
The groom/his family will also give a dowry (also known as Pin Jin 聘金) to the bride’s parents as a traditional way of showing sincerity. You can decide on the amount you want. Usually, it will be presented in amounts with numbers like 6 and 8. You can purchase traditional packages to present along with the dowry.
20. Honeymoon ($5,000 – $8,000)
The cost of your honeymoon depends on where you plan to go and how long you plan to stay. Most couples plan for a 2-week long holiday to somewhere more exotic.
A budget of $5,000 – $8,000 may take you to Europe, US, South Africa, Egypt if you plan early and secure your tickets on a promotion.
If you choose closer destinations like Indonesia, the Philippines, or Thailand, you can reduce your budget slightly. Though you may want to compensate by staying at a luxury resort which on average costs about $300 a night.
You can fly to Japan and Hong Kong for about $600 – $800 airfare, but accommodation in those countries are more expensive, averaging about $200 – $300 for a small room.
Countries like India and Myanmar are ‘exotic’ and have much cheaper accommodation so you can enjoy more for less. 5-star hotels only cost on average $100 – $200 a night, and they look stunning.
21. Miscellaneous ($1,000 – $2,000)
You will need to budget a little extra for red packets given out that day to your bridesmaids during the gatecrash, vendors, and for presents and flowers for the family. Other miscellaneous costs include wedding favours, or an after party.
Tip:
- Buffer about 5 – 10% extra on top of your total budget in case of any last minute expenses.