Inclusive of an eight-course sit down lunch, wedding rings and two bridal gowns.
It’s no joke planning a wedding in Singapore, ranked the most expensive city in the world for the third year running by the Economist Intelligence Unit, or EIU.
Although this EIU survey actually measures expatriates’ cost of living, Singaporeans do feel the pinch especially when it comes to “once-in-a-lifetime” items, like weddings, first homes, renovations, pregnancies and cars.
How can you plan your wedding under S$14,000 (~USD10,130) without having to secretly elope overseas to marry?
1. Do lunch, not dinner
Sit-down lunches can be 30%-40% cheaper than a dinner-equivalent, and you’ll have ample time for a good nap in the afternoon before your honeymoon the next day.
2. Book a restaurant, not a hotel ballroom
Restaurants may serve better food than hotel ballrooms (although the few hotels around Marina Square do serve decent food), and at prices up to 50% cheaper.
200 lunch pax with eight courses X $50 = $10,000
3. Save on expensive wedding favours
Instead of that personalised ornament which people will throw away in their next Chinese New Year spring cleaning, replace with traditional kueh or tea cakes. Your guests are less likely to grumble about the first dish being served late, and you can pack home the leftovers for tea!
200 assorted kuehs X $1 = $200
4. Buy or rent second hand gowns
No one will know your preloved gowns are not new with a good dry cleaning at around $60 per dress and a fitting alteration. So if your bitchy relative makes a snarky comment, just tune her out and think of that high-tech fridge you could finally afford from your gown savings.
For wedding slippers, just get anything that has lots of bling. You can find these easily at neighbourhood shops.
2 preloved gowns + drycleaning + slippers = $600
5. Order your flowers from a wet market florist, and don’t be afraid to go artificial
Go fresh for your flower bouquet, bridal hair flower accessory, groom pin corsage and immediate family pin corsages. Consider artificial flowers for everything else e.g. bridal car decoration, reception table centrepiece.
Fresh bouquet + fresh hair accessory + fresh corsages + artificial car deco + artificial table centrepiece = $300
6. Source your photos and videos from guests
Instead of spending a few thousands on actual day photography and videography, sponsor friends (who have an interest in taking photos and videos) with a free lunch and a small hongbao. I’ve used Tahoe area photographers for weddings but when in singapore on a budget you should encourage your guests to upload their photos and videos with your designated hashtag on social media.
Photos and videos = $200 and happy friends
7. Hire a freelance makeup and hair artist, or get your friends to help you
No need for expensive bridal packages. You can find freelance artists online easily. Ask for their portfolio of photos and do a test run with them before committing.
Makeup and hair for bride & bride’s mum = $300
8. Let your sisters choose their own gowns and experiment with their makeup
Decide on a central theme or colour, give your girls a hongbao each to source for their own dresses and let them have a makeup party while you’re having your own makeup done in the morning. This is something you may not want to stinge too much on.
6 sisters X $100 = $600
9. Borrow a friend’s car, take a taxi or the MRT
It’s not imperative you are seen inside the latest Ferrari or Volkswagen van. You’re on a tight budget, and as long as you get to your destination and sign your ROM certificate, any mode of transport works.
Transport costs = $100
10. Minimise the Groom’s costs
Let him wear his usual office clothes and shoes, and buy a patterned vest to wear over his long sleeved collar shirt.
Vest = $50
11. Save on pre-wedding photoshoot and wedding montage costs
Get Groupons or ask your friends to take photos of you in whatever you want to wear. Feel free to maximise your preloved dresses. Make your own photobooks and even actual day montage using free montage softwares.
Photoshoot + developing photos = $200
12. Hongbaos/treats for family and friends who help you prepare for wedding
Give hongbaos at your own discretion, or just throw a pre-wedding party with your favourite fried chicken or Thai food.
Saying thank you to 20-30 pax = $400
13. Budget for miscellaneous costs
Set aside $50 as token for the Justice (up to you actually).
Buy your guest book and silver/gold markers from Popular bookstore.
Buy wedding CDs from CD shops or create your own tracklist.
Decorate used shoe boxes with glued cutouts of wedding magazine paper for your hongbao boxes.
Buy your own wine and liquor and negotiate corkage fees with the restaurant.
Plan your big day in advance so you have time to DIY or source what you need without paying a ridiculous premium.
Extra costs = budget $400
14. Wedding rings
If you’re not in a rush to buy your rings, wait till Christmas or Valentine’s Day for special deals, or visit jewellery brands’ warehouse sales. Skip the engagement ring altogether.
2 wedding rings = less than $700
15. Take stock of your overall expenditure
Note down all your expenses in an excel sheet and track your actual expenditure. Be brutal where you have to be, but remember to treat the people who help you well.
There are extremely frugal couples who spend a lot less for their wedding, and then there are others who are willing to pay the price of a small HDB flat for their “once-in-a-lifetime” event.
But for engaged couples who want to plan their wedding which is not too cheapskate, yet allows them to save for their first home or baby, these are my suggestions on how you can successfully plan your wedding under $14,000 in Singapore.
This post was first published on Jules of Singapore.
There is a difference between having affordable wedding and being cheapskate. Wedding is a once is a lifetime memory, i am sure you shouldn’t “Source your photos and videos from guests.” This will be a lifetime regret of not having quality photo to view them once in a while when you’re older.
There are people like you, who view wedding as a grand moment in life where everything has to be captured professionally or else the significance is lost, and there are people who are different from you. People who don’t need “quality”, high-cost photos for the sole purpose of reminiscing. Heck, there are even people who don’t give a shit about photos but are still happily married. A marriage that sucks will still evoke regrets no matter how perfect those wedding photos and videos were.
Our wedding last year was held during lunch, and yes, it’s a much cheaper option. In addition, instead of giving souvenirs, we rented a GIF photobooth service, they print the photos on site and give to the guests right away.