$400 for a wedding ang bao? Wedding banquets to cost at least 10% more next year

Prices of hotel banquets will rise by 10 to 20 per cent by next year, with wedding ang bao rates expected to skyrocket to $400 per person at some hotels.

Online wedding directory SingaporeBrides.com shared the latest approximate 2024/2025 wedding banquet price list for over 75 hotels and restaurants in Singapore last Wednesday (Nov 1).

According to Shin Min Daily News, weekend banquet rates look to reach $200 per guest for at least half the venues on the list.

Based on the list, prices of hotel banquets are also seeing a rise of between 10 and 20 per cent, Shin Min Daily News reported. The most expensive banquet option offered at five-star hotel Capella for example, costs $4,053.

The main reason for the burgeoning prices are manpower and food costs, according to the Chinese daily, citing sources in the industry who did not wish to be named.

According to the list, prices for a weekend banquet at Capella, located in Sentosa, start from $2,734, and at least $2,614 at Fullerton Hotel. Similarly, weekend banquets at the Westin hotel start from $2,120 for lunch and a minimum of $2,024 at Marina Bay Sands.

The increase in wedding banquet prices means wedding ang bao market rates have also risen, Shin Min reported.

The report added that guests are now veering towards giving an amount that they are comfortable with, instead of adhering strictly to the 'market rate'.

A 23-year-old financial planner, surnamed Huang, told the paper that the amount to give is a big consideration for her as she has just started working. The size of the ang bao would depend on not just the venue of the banquet, but also her relationship with the couple.

"Wedding banquets these days are getting more and more expensive. Even though I try to ensure that the ang baos I give are not below the market rate, I think there's no need to go out of the way to help the couple pay for their wedding. If it's too expensive, I'll say that I'm unable to attend the ceremony but still send a money gift digitally as a token," said Huang.

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Another 35-year-old who also works in the finance sector agreed that how much he gives in the wedding ang bao depends on how close he is to the couple. He would also choose to turn down the invitation if the venue is deemed too high-end.

One couple interviewed by Shin Min who recently held their wedding banquet at Temasek Club located in Rifle Range Road shared that they were worried about their guests being stressed over how much to put into their ang baos.

Explaining their choice of venue, the groom, Liu Jin Kun (transliteration), 36, said: "This place looks grand yet the price isn't too high."

Another newlywed, surnamed Xu, told Shin Min that he had booked a banquet at Swissotel The Stamford, with each table costing $1,800 before taxes. He decided to bite the bullet after heading down to three hotels and finding that the available dates were limited.

"We had originally intended to have 20 tables, but to save money we decided to reduce the scale of the event to 16 tables, and we are inviting only close friends and family," said Xu.

Xu added that he and his wife do not expect their guests to foot the bill for their wedding banquet, and therefore have mentally prepared themselves to cough up at least $5,000.

ALSO READ: Relationship with wedding couple far outweighs venue cost, financial status when it comes to angbao: AsiaOne poll

candicecai@asiaone.com