If there’s one thing you can’t accuse Singaporeans for being cheapskate about, it’s organising weddings. Aunties might storm a supermarket in search of that elusive $1 discount, but when it comes to celebrating their child’s wedding, the bigger and flashier, the better.
Singaporeans have been known to splash out large amounts of cash to impress relatives and/or get all their friends drunk. If you’re in charge of organising a weddingcelebration, here are some tips that can lower your cost.
Don’t pick a mainstream venue
It’s likely that your venue is going to be your heaviest cost, unless you’re planning to rent a white horse for the wedding march-in or a troupe of circus performers to entertain the guests. Many Singaporeans get into debt over their weddings when they pick the most expensive venues possible, on the days that cost the most.
Instead of holding your wedding banquet at a five-star hotel, pick venues that aren’t often used for such functions and you could find yourself paying less. Here are some unexpected venues that can be rented for functions:
- SuperTree by Indochine, otherwise known as that bar at the top of the biggest supertree in the Gardens by the Bay supertree grove, can be rented out for functions, including wedding receptions. Prices start at $1,500.
- Lewin Terrace, located in an elegant bungalow at Fort Canning Park, is restaurant on a stately 106-year-old property that can be rented out for $500 and above.
- *SCAPE isn’t just for kids. With two sky terraces with sweeping views of the city for rent at half-day rates of just $500 to $2,100, this could save a DIY bride and groom a lot of money if they are willing to source for their own caterer.
Have a buffet
Rent a banquet hall at a five-star hotel for your wedding and the bank will own your first five kids. On the other hand, if you’re prepared to have a buffet lunch or dinner, you can organise the wedding in virtually any space that’s reserved for you—whether it’s a warehouse, a cafe, a church, a park or in your very own home.
Here’s an idea of what buffet caterers charge:
- Purple Sage’s buffet lunches and dinners start from a very affordable $25 per person—you won’t be worrying about not being able to recoup your cost in ang baos.
- Rasel Catering provides wedding buffet lunches that start from $23.54 per person, with some fantastic choices including a chocolate fountain!
- Gustos’ wedding buffet reception sets start from $30.82, as opposed to their sit down sets which start from $58.80.
Compared to hotel wedding banquets, which usually often cost $100 per person and upwards, catering is a steel.
Hit the heartlands
There is a huge gap between property prices in the heartlands and those in the city centre, so smart couples who choose to hold their weddings in more ‘ulu’ locations might experience a bit of grumbling from their guests, but will end up saving a ton of money. See for yourself:
- Pasir Ris Park’s viewing plaza can be rented for weddings at a fraction of the cost of a wedding reception at the Botanic Gardens.
- For a scenic solemnisation with a view of the sea, Village Hotel Changi offers better value for money than equivalent hotels in the CBD. Wedding dinners start at $788++ per table, a good $100 less than those at Rendezvous Hotel, another of Far East Hospitality’s establishments.
Party in the afternoon
Unless you’re tying the knot fresh out of school or university, you’ve probably reached the age where partying till 5am makes you feel more tired than thrilled. As such, organising a wedding lunch rather than a dinner shouldn’t sound like such a bad idea.
While opting to get married on a weekday rather than over the weekend will save you money, if you absolutely have to tie the knot on Saturday or Sunday, an afternoon celebration will be much less costly.
For instance, Shangri-La Hotel’s wedding lunch package costs $1,288 per table, while a wedding dinner on the weekend costs a heart attack-inducing $1,588 to $2,188 per table. Big difference.
Do you have any other tips for keeping the cost of your wedding down? Tell us in the comments!