Guide to ang bao rates for wedding venues in Singapore (2022)
PHOTO: Unsplash
PUBLISHED ONApril 30, 2022 7:00 AMByKenneth Fong
21st birthdays. Check.
Graduation. Check.
First job; first paycheck. Check.
You already know what’s coming next…
Weddings.
Attending a wedding also means that you’re gonna need to gift a wedding ang bao or hongbao (red packet).
Now, as much as I would love to gift as much as I can for every friend or (long-lost) cousin’s wedding I attend, it’s not possible…
So, to make it easier, let’s look at the minimum amount needed to cover the cost of your seat at the table (aka break-even point).
I know.
I KNOW.
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Some of you would argue that the whole idea of covering the cost of your seat is a senseless societal expectation.
And if the couple decides to have their wedding at an atas five-star hotel, they shouldn’t be expecting their guests to give a “five-star” ang bao.
I totally get it.
But think about it, you still need to know the minimum amount first before seeing whether you want to give lesser or more… right?
TL;DR: Wedding ang bao rates 2022?
Saturday is the most popular day of the week for wedding banquets.
So let’s see the wedding venues…
Most expensive hotels for a wedding lunch (Saturday)
- Capella Singapore ($221 to $380)
- The Clifford Pier @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel ($327 to $351)
- Shangri-La Hotel ($199 to $305)
- Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa ($233 to $268)
Most expensive hotels for a wedding dinner (Saturday)
- Capella Singapore ($221 to $380)
- The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore ($268 to $339)
- The Clifford Pier @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel ($315 to $327)
- Shangri-La Hotel ($234 to $305)
Cheapest hotels for a wedding lunch (Saturday)
- Genting Hotel Jurong ($93 to $105)
- Copthorne King’s Hotel ($100 to $128)
- Furama City Centre ($105)
- Furama Riverfront Singapore ($113 to $152)
Cheapest hotels for a wedding dinner (Saturday)
- Genting Hotel Jurong ($93 to $105)
- Copthorne King’s Hotel ($100 to $128)
- York Hotel ($115 to $123)
- Changi Cove Hotel ($116 to $152)
Note: I could’ve compared hotels against other wedding venues too, but that wouldn’t really be fair now, wouldn’t it?
If you’d like a more cost-effective venue, you might want to consider a Kopi Tiam Wedding.
Don’t laugh... some of our parents did that and are still happily married till today, aren’t they?
Wedding ang bao rate guide: how much wedding ang bao money should I bless the couple with?
For this wedding ang bao guide, I’ll be looking at Chinese banquet settings – the type where you sit down and are served a seven to 10-course (or maybe even more) meal.
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If you’re wondering how I got these figures, I simply Googled the various hotel and restaurant websites and looked up their published rates for 2022.
Then calculated the cost per table inclusive of service charge (10 per cent) and GST (7 per cent) and divided the price by 10 (since a standard banquet table seats 10 guests).
To get a guess-timate of how much the wedding ang bao rate should be.
Also, I’ve narrowed it down to just Saturday and Sunday rates because – in my experience – very few couples do their wedding banquets on a Friday.
After 10,349,665 million hours of painstaking calculation and dry eyes from looking at too many numbers, here it is for your ease of reference:
Hotel wedding ang bao rates
| Sat (Lunch) | Sat (Dinner) | Sun (Lunch) | Sun (Dinner) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa | $198 | $233 | $198 | $233 |
| Andaz Singapore | $203 | $232 | $203 | $232 |
| Capella Singapore | $222 to $380 | $222 to $380 | $222 to $380 | $222 to $380 |
| Carlton Hotel | $134 to $177 | $134 to $177 | $134 to $177 | $134 to $177 |
| Changi Cove Hotel | $116 to $152 | $116 to $152 | $116 to $152 | $116 to $152 |
| Chijmes Hall | $202 to $226 | $202 to $226 | $190 to $214 | $190 to $214 |
| Concorde Hotel | $134 | $165 | $134 | $158 |
| Conrad Centennial Singapore | $164 to $182 | $192 to 218 | $164 to $182 | $180 to $218 |
| Copthorne King's Hotel | $100 to $128 | $100 to $128 | $100 to $128 | $100 to $128 |
| Crowne Plaza Changi Airport | $146 to $151 | $151 to $163 | $146 to $151 | $151 to $163 |
| Faber Peak Singapore | $150 to $163 | $191 | $150 to $163 | $191 |
| Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford | $163 to $175 | $185 to $199 | $163 to $175 | $185 to $199 |
| Four Points By Sheraton Singapore, Riverview | $151 to $174 | $151 to $174 | $151 to $174 | $151 to $174 |
| Four Seasons Hotel Singapore | $173 to $351 | $196 to $351 | $173 to $351 | $193 to $351 |
| Furama City Centre | $109 | $113 | $109 | $127 |
| Furama Riverfront Singapore | $119 to $156 | $127 to $168 | $119 to $156 | $123 to $156 |
| Genting Hotel Jurong | $95 | $107 to $121 | $95 | $107 to $121 |
| Goodwood Park Hotel | $152 to $175 | $175 to $196 | $152 to $175 | $175 to $190 |
| Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel | $152 to $161 | $175 to $185 | $152 to $161 | $175 to $181 |
| Grand Hyatt Singapore | $162 | $210 | $162 | $198 |
| Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy | $115 to $151 | $127 to $165 | $115 to $151 | $127 to $165 |
| Hilton Singapore | $175 | $222 | $175 | $199 |
| Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium | $120 | $130 | $120 | $130 |
| Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre | $158 to $163 | $158 to $169 | $158 to $163 | $158 to $169 |
| Hotel Fort Canning | $143 to $180 | $175 to $203 | $143 to $180 | $175 to $192 |
| hotel jen tanglin singapore by shangri-la | $141 to $177 | $165 to $177 | $141 to $177 | $165 to $177 |
| Intercontinental Singapore | $198 to $405 | $233 to $405 | $198 to $405 | $198 to $405 |
| JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach | $216 to $263 | $246 to $263 | $216 to $263 | $246 to $263 |
| M Hotel | $130 to $153 | $147 to $162 | $130 to $153 | $147 to $162 |
| Marina Bay Sands | $163 to $222 | $199 to $222 | $163 to $222 | $199 to $222 |
| Mercure Singapore Bugis | $128 | $128 | $128 | $128 |
| Novotel Singapore On Stevens | $140 | $175 | $140 | $175 |
| Oasia Hotel Novena Singapore | $148 | $168 | $148 | $168 |
| One Farrer Hotel | $158 | $185 | $149 | $163 |
| Orchard Hotel Singapore | $167 | $193 | $167 | $205 |
| PARKROYAL on Beach Road | $156 to $199 | $182 to $222 | $156 to $199 | $170 to $222 |
| PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road | $140 | $149 | $140 | $149 |
| PARKROYAL on Pickering | $163 to $235 | $199 to $235 | $163 to $235 | $199 to $235 |
| Pan Pacific Orchard | $154 to $163 | $194 to $203 | $154 to $163 | $176 to $186 |
| Park Hotel Alexandra | $116 | $128 | $116 | $128 |
| Peninsula Excelsior Hotel | $116 to $140 | $128 to $152 | $116 to $140 | $128 to $152 |
| Regent Singapore | $161 to $163 | $192 to $202 | $161 to $163 | $180 to $190 |
| Rendezvous Hotel Singapore | $151 | $165 | $151 | $165 |
| Resorts World Sentosa, S.E.A. Aquarium | - | $315 | - | $304 |
| Resorts World Sentosa | $175 to $210 | $199 to $234 | $175 to $210 | $199 to $234 |
| Royal Plaza On Scotts | $152 | $152 | $152 | $152 |
| Shangri-La Hotel | $199 to $305 | $234 to $305 | $199 to $305 | $234 to $305 |
| Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa | $233 to $268 | $233 to $268 | $233 to $268 | $233 to $268 |
| Sheraton Towers Singapore | $168 to $210 | $195 to $210 | $168 to $210 | $183 to $210 |
| Singapore Mariott Tang Plaza Hotel | $140 to $167 | $143 to $193 | $140 to $167 | $143 to $193 |
| Sofitel Singapore City Centre | $174 | $210 | $198 | $186 |
| Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa | $199 to $221 | $222 to $304 | $199 to $221 | $216 to $280 |
| The Clifford Pier @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel | $327 to $351 | $315 to $327 | $327 to $351 | $315 to $327 |
| The Fullerton Hotel | $227 to $230 | $236 to $248 | $227 to $230 | $236 to $248 |
| The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore | $221 to $245 | $268 to $339 | $221 to $245 | $268 to $339 |
| The St. Regis Singapore | $210 to $234 | $258 to $281 | $210 to $234 | $246 to $281 |
| The Westin Singapore | $175 | $200 | $175 | $195 to $200 |
| Village Hotel Changi | $175 | $195 | $175 | $195 |
| Village Hotel Katong | $160 to $175 | $195 | $160 to $175 | $195 |
| W Singapore Sentosa Cove | $194 to $221 | $229 to $233 | $194 to $221 | $206 to $233 |
| York Hotel | $115 to $123 | $115 to $123 | $115 to $123 | $115 to $123 |
Country club wedding ang bao rates
| Country Club | Sat (Lunch) | Sat (Dinner) | Sun (Lunch) | Sun (Dinner) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchid Country Club | $110 to 118 | $126 to $133 | $110 to 118 | $126 to $133 |
| Seletar Country Club | $103 to $105 | $103 to $105 | $103 to $105 | $103 to $105 |
| Sentosa Golf Club | $162 | $162 | $162 | $162 |
| Serangoon Gardens Country Club | $87 to $131 | $87 to $131 | $87 to $131 | $87 to $131 |
Restaurant wedding ang bao rates
| Restaurant | Sat (Lunch) | Sat (Dinner) | Sun (Lunch) | Sun (Dinner) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine | $74 to $148 | $74 to $165 | $74 to $148 | $74 to $165 |
| Fu Lin Men @ Chinese Swimming Club | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 |
| Fu Lin Men @ National Service Resort & Country Club (Changi) | $101 to $160 | $101 to $160 | $101 to $160 | $101 to $160 |
| Fu Lin Men @ Singapore Recreation Club | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 | $109 to $167 |
| LingZhi Vegetarian @ Liat Towers | $59 to $82 | $59 to $82 | $59 to $82 | $59 to $82 |
| Peach Garden @ Hotel Miramar | $105 to $138 | $118 to $140 | $105 to $138 | $118 to $140 |
| Peach Garden @ OCBC Centre | $114 to $152 | $128 to $152 | $114 to $152 | $128 to $152 |
| Peach Garden @ The Metropolis | $101 to $128 | $101 to $128 | $101 to $128 | $101 to $128 |
| Peach Garden @ Thomson Plaza | $114 to $126 | $114 to $126 | $114 to $126 | $114 to $126 |
| Qian Xi Bountiful Garden @ Depot Heights Shopping Centre | $79 to $125 | $79 to $125 | $79 to $125 | $79 to $125 |
| Qian Xi Farrer Park @ Tessensohn Road CSC | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 |
| Qian Xi Hilltop Garden @ Bukit Batok CSC | $101 to $159 | $101 to $159 | $101 to $159 | $101 to $159 |
| Qian Xi Jubilee Garden @ SAFRA Toa Payoh | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 |
| Qian Xi Paya Lebar @ Tanjong Katong Complex | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 | $99 to $156 |
| Qian Xi Pearl Garden @ SAFRA Jurong | $101 to $156 | $101 to $156 | $101 to $156 | $101 to $156 |
| Qian Xi Summer Garden @ SAFRA Mt Faber | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 | $104 to $161 |
| Tung Lok Heen | $174 to $222 | $174 to $222 | $174 to $222 | $174 to $222 |
| Tung Lok Signatures @ Orchard Rendezvous Hotel | $104 to $118 | $104 to $118 | $104 to $118 | $104 to $118 |
| Tung Lok Signatures @ The Central | $93 to $105 | $93 to $105 | $93 to $105 | $93 to $105 |
| Tung Lok Seafood @ Orchard Central | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 |
| Tung Lok Seafood @ Upper Jurong | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 | $64 to $96 |
| YÀN | $162 to $199 | $162 to $199 | $162 to $199 | $162 to $199 |
They’re subjected to changes by the venue without prior notice and will vary depending on various factors. Again, I cannot stress enough that the rates listed here a just a guide.
A noob’s guide to deciding what is the appropriate ang bao amount to give
If this is the first Chinese wedding banquet you’re attending, I gotchu fam.
Apart from using the above rates as a guide, here are some other important factors to consider:
- How close are you to the bride and/or groom? You can probably give more than the listed rates if you’re close.
- How much can you comfortably gift without living on instant noodles for the rest of the month? If you’re in a good place, then maybe you can afford to give more.
Factors which you shouldn’t consider include:
- Will I lose face if I give lesser than (insert name of colleague/friend/relative)?
- Should I put the money into a Regular Shares Savings Plan for the couple instead since they’re just gonna blow it on an expensive banquet… oh, never mind.
- Is my ang bao packet design chio (Hokkien for attractive) enough? FYI: Just make sure you write your name on it so that the couple knows who it is from.
- I don’t believe in the institution of marriage, so should I still gift an ang bao? (JUST GIVE LAH, don’t cheapskate can?)
Basically, your wedding ang bao is given to bless the couple’s marriage.
So whatever amount you choose, the wedding ang bao should be given with sincerity and your wholehearted blessing.
Other things to note
Always gift your wedding ang bao amount in even numbers.
As much as possible, an amount with the number 8 is always appreciated as it is considered an auspicious number.
Here are some of my go-to wedding ang bao amounts: 68, 80, 88, 100, 120, 128, 168, 188, and 200.
You get the picture.
Also, avoid the number 4 because it sounds like the Cantonese word for ‘death’.
Disclaimer: The prices listed in this guide are accurate as of April 22, 2022. Note that these prices are INCLUSIVE of 10 per cent service charge and the prevailing government tax. The prices are subjected to change by the venue without prior notice and may vary depending on the date booked, level of customisation, menus chosen etc.
This article was first published in Seedly.