Wedding Ang Bao Rates in Singapore 2023—How Much Should You Give?

Wedding dinners in Singapore can sometimes be a mercenary affair. Don’t be fooled into thinking that wedding ang baos (red packets) are purely a gift from the heart. In Singapore, your ang bao symbolises your well-wishes as well as covers the cost of your seat at the banquet table.

Though the couple might not admit it, in their heart of hearts, they’ll probably be praying that you at least cover the cost of your meal to offset their wedding expenses. On your part, that means shelling out a 3-figure sum whenever someone you know gets married.

While we certainly don’t want to give too little, most of us usually also don’t want to give too much. Admit it—you feel the pinch, especially after a couple of weddings! So here’s a cost guide on how much to give for a wedding dinner or lunch at hotels, restaurants and more.

Content:

1. How do you decide how much to put in a wedding ang bao?
2. Wedding ang bao rates for Singapore hotels (2022)
3. Wedding ang bao rates for Singapore restaurants and other venues (2023)
4. How much money should you give at Malay weddings?
5. How much money should you give at Indian weddings?
6. How much money should you give at church weddings?

 

1. How do you decide how much to put in a wedding ang bao?

The first thing you need to do is to calculate the cost of your seat. This can vary greatly, depending on factors such as how swanky the wedding venue is. Here are some factors you should consider when trying to figure out how much your meal costs:

1. The hotel or restaurant—Wedding banquets in hotels generally tend to be fancier and pricier than weddings held in a nice restaurant. In fact, hotel wedding prices are only getting higher—some hotels are raising prices by up to 10% in 2023! *gulp* We’ll go into the rates at specific hotels and restaurants in the next section.
2. Whether it’s a lunch or dinner—In general, lunch is cheaper than dinner.
3. The day of the week—Mondays to Thursdays are more affordable than Fridays or the weekend. While Saturday and Sunday are usually the same or similarly priced, Saturday night dinners may cost more.
4. Package add-ons—A wedding package covers the basics, but the happy couple might want something more unique. These can include things such as special floral decorations, a fancy three-tiered wedding cake, and additional or more “atas” wine. If each table was made merry by an unusually fine bottle of red, you can expect that the couple probably paid a little extra.

Image: GIPHY

Once you’ve guesstimated the cost of your seat, you have your base ang bao amount. If you’re not close to the couple, you can stop here—it’s considered socially acceptable for your ang bao to just cover the cost of your seat.

But if you’re close to the couple, you’re generally expected to add a little extra (and, if you’re close enough, wouldn’t you want to?). Topping up your ang bao isn’t just a gesture of kinship or friendship—you’re also covering additional wedding costs for things outside the food, such as the cost of wedding decorations. By no means is covering these expected of normal guests, but besties go beyond for each other, right?

Image: GIPHY

 

2. Wedding ang bao rates for Singapore hotels (2023)

Disclaimer: All prices below are adapted from SingaporeBrides.com, updated Mar 2023 and inclusive of GST. They’re meant only as a rough guide to the cost of the meal, excluding any wedding package add-ons like fancy wine.

The rates in the section below are costs for a single seat assuming a table of 10, which is the norm for most hotel weddings. However, do note that these might be different if the wedding you’re attending seats guests in smaller groups. Rates will also be affected by what’s on the menu—if you see abalone being wheeled out of the kitchen, you might want to make your ang bao a little fatter.

Hotels	Saturday Lunch	Sunday Lunch	Saturday Dinner	Sunday Dinner
Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa	$200 to $240	$200 to $240	$240 to $250	$230 to $240
Amara Singapore	$150	$150	$170	$170
Andaz Singapore	$240	$240	$260	$260
Capella Singapore	$250 to $410	$250 to $410	$280 to $410	$280 to $410
Carlton Hotel Singapore	$150 to $180	$150 to $180	$170 to $180	$170 to $180
Concorde Hotel Singapore	$140	$140	$170	$160
Conrad Centennial Singapore	$200 to $210	$200 to $210	$230 to $250	$210 to $250
Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore	$140	$140	$150	$150
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport	$160 to $170	$160 to $170	$170 to $180	$170 to $180
Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore	$220 to $250	$210 to $250	$220 to $250	$210 to $250
Equarius Hotel At Resorts World Sentosa	$230 to $240	$220 to $240	$240 to $250	$230 to $250
Fairmont Singapore And Swissôtel The Stamford	$190 to $210	$190 to $210	$210 to $240	$210 to $240
Four Points By Sheraton Singapore, Riverview	$160 to $180	$160 to $180	$160 to $180	$160 to $180
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore	$180 to $360	$180 to $360	$210 to $360	$210 to $360
Furama City Centre Singapore	$150	$150	$160	$160
Furama Riverfront, Singapore	$140 to $160	$140 to $160	$160 to $180	$160 to $170
Genting Hotel Jurong	$100	$100	$110 to $130	$110 to $130
Goodwood Park Hotel	$180	$180	$210	$210
Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel	$170 to $180	$170 to $180	$200 to $210	$200
Grand Hyatt Singapore	$180	$180	$230	$220
Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy	$120	$120	$130 to $150	$130 to $150
Grand Park City Hall	$160 to $170	$160 to $170	$160 to $170	$160 to $170
Hilton Singapore Orchard	$230	$230	$250	$230
Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium	$130	$130	$150	$150
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre	$170	$170	$190	$180
Hotel Fort Canning	$190	$190	$220	$220
Intercontinental Singapore	$230	$230	$260	$240
Jen Singapore Tanglin By Shangri-la	$170 to $190	$170 to $190	$180 to $190	$180 to $190
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach	$250	$250	$290	$280
Mandarin Oriental Singapore	$230	$230	$250	$250
Marina Bay Sands	$210 to $230	$210 to $230	$210 to $230	$210 to $230
Mercure Singapore Bugis	$160 to $220	$160 to $220	$160 to $230	$160 to $230
M Hotel Singapore City Centre	$150 to $170	$150 to $170	$160 to $180	$160 to $180
Novotel Singapore On Stevens	$160	$160	$180	$180
Oasia Hotel Downtown	$180	$180	$200	$200
Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore	$180	$180	$190	$190
Oasia Resort Sentosa	$240	$240	$240	$240
One°15 Marina Sentosa Cove	$170 to $230	$170 to $230	$170 to $240	$170 to $230
One Farrer Hotel	$170	$170	$200	$180
Orchard Hotel Singapore	$180	$180	$230 to $280	$210
Pan Pacific Singapore	$180 to $200	$180 to $200	$210 to $230	$210 to $230
Paradox Singapore at Merchant Court	$160 to $210	$160 to $210	$190 to $230	$180 to $230
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore	$200	$200	$230	$230
Parkroyal Collection Pickering	$190	$190	$220	$190
Parkroyal On Beach Road	$180	$180	$210	$200
Parkroyal On Kitchener Road	$160	$160	$170	$170
Peninsula.excelsior Hotel	$160	$160	$170	$170
Raffles Hotel	$280	$280	$320	$320
Ramada By Wyndham Singapore At Zhongshan Park	$140	$140	$180	$180
Regent Singapore	$150	$150	$180	$160 to $170
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore At Bras Basah	$130 to $160	$130 to $160	$140 to $170	$140 to $170
Royal Plaza On Scotts	$170 to $190	$170 to $180	$170 to $190	$170 to $190
Shangri-la Hotel	$210 to $240	$210 to $240	$240 to $310	$240 to $310
Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa, Singapore	$240 to $280	$240 to $280	$250 to $300	$250 to $300
Sheraton Towers Singapore	$180	$180	$210	$200
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel	$150 to $180	$150 to $180	$160 to $210	$160 to $210
Sofitel Singapore City Centre	$210	$180	$220	$190
Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa	$210 to $260	$210 to $260	$230 to $310	$220 to $290
The Barracks Hotel Sentosa	–	–	$340	$340
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore	$250	$250	$290	$290
The Chevrons @ Jurong East	$130 to $180	$130 to $180	$130 to $180	$130 to $180
The Clifford Pier @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel	$360	$360	$360	$360
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore	$250	$250	$250	$250
The Outpost Hotel Sentosa	$240	$240	$240	$240
The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore	$230 to $250	$230 to $250	$280 to $350	$280 to $350
The St. Regis Singapore	$220 to $240	$220 to $240	$260 to $290	$250 to $290
The Westin Singapore	$190	$190	$210	$210
Village Hotel Albert Court	$70	$70	$70	$70
Village Hotel Bugis	$130 to $130	$130 to $130	$130 to $130	$130 to $130
Village Hotel Changi	$160	$160	$180	$180
Village Hotel Katong	$160	$160	$180	$180
Village Hotel Sentosa	–	–	$220	$220
Voco Orchard Singapore (former Hilton Hotel)	$160	$160	$190	$170
W Singapore Sentosa Cove	$220 to $250	$220 to $250	$260 to $280	$240 to $250
York Hotel	$130	$130	$130	$130

The most expensive wedding ang bao rate is up to $410 per pax at Capella Singapore, followed by up to $360 at The Clifford Pier @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel. On the other end of the spectrum, the most affordable wedding ang bao rate is at Village Hotel Albert Court, where prices are only $70 per pax. 

 

3. Wedding ang bao rates for Singapore restaurants and other venues (2023)

	Saturday Lunch	Sunday Lunch	Saturday Dinner	Sunday Dinner
Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant	$80 to $130	$80 to $130	$80 to $130	$80 to $130
Ban Heng @ Orchard Central	$80 to $130	$80 to $130	$80 to $130	$80 to $130
Ban Heng @ Orchid Country Club	$90 to $140	$90 to $140	$90 to $140	$90 to $140
Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine	$110 to $210	$110 to $210	$110 to $210	$110 to $210
Empress At Asian Civilisations Museum	$130 to $150	$130 to $150	$130 to $150	$130 to $150
Faber Peak Singapore	$160 to $170	$160 to $170	$190 to $250	$190 to $250
Fu Lin Men (Chinese Swimming Club)	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Fu Lin Men (National Service Resort & Country Club)	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Fu Lin Men (Orchid Country Club)	$90 to $160	$90 to $160	$90 to $160	$90 to $160
Fu Lin Men (Singapore Recreation Club)	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Grand Shanghai	$170 to $210	$170 to $210	$170 to $210	$170 to $210
Lingzhi Vegetarian (Liat Towers)	$60 to $90	$60 to $90	$60 to $90	$60 to $90
Orchid Country Club	$130	$130	$140	$130
Peach Garden @ Hotel Miramar	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150
Peach Garden @ OCBC Centre	$150 to $170	$150 to $170	$150 to $170	$150 to $170
Peach Garden @ The Metropolis	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150
Peach Garden @ Thomson Plaza	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150	$140 to $150
Qian Xi Bountiful Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Eternal Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Farrer Park	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Hilltop Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Jubilee Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Paya Lebar	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Pearl Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Qian Xi Summer Garden	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170	$110 to $170
Raffles Marina	$150 to $160	$150 to $160	$150 to $160	$150 to $160
Red House Seafood	$170 to $240	$170 to $240	$170 to $240	$170 to $240
Resorts World Sentosa, Convention Centre	$220 to $230	$220 to $230	$230 to $240	$220 to $240
Resorts World Sentosa, S.E.A. Aquarium	N/A	N/A	$350 to $360	$320 to $360
Seletar Country Club	$150	$150	$150	$150
Sentosa Golf Club	$200	$200	$200	$200
Serangoon Gardens Country Club	$100 to $170	$100 to $170	$100 to $170	$100 to $170
Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant (UOB Plaza)	$160 to $240	$160 to $240	$160 to $240	$160 to $240
Sinfonia Ristorante	$150 to $220	$150 to $220	$230	$230
Sky Garden Sentosa	$190 to $240	$190 to $240	$190 to $240	$190 to $240
The Great Ballroom	$120 to $140	$120 to $140	$120 to $140	$120 to $140
The Joyden Hall	$150 to $150	$150 to $150	$180 to $170	$180 to $170
The Villa At Singapore Botanic Gardens	$160 to $200	$160 to $200	$160 to $200	$160 to $200
The Westin Singapore	$190	$190	$210	$210
Tung Lok Heen	$180 to $230	$180 to $230	$180 to $230	$180 to $230
Tung Lok Seafood (Orchard Central)	$90 to $130	$90 to $130	$90 to $130	$90 to $130
Tung Lok Seafood (Upper Jurong)	$90 to $170	$90 to $170	$90 to $170	$90 to $170
Tung Lok Signatures, Antica Ballroom @ Orchard Rendezvous Hotel	$130 to $140	$130 to $140	$130 to $140	$130 to $140
Yàn 宴	$170 to $200	$170 to $200	$170 to $200	$170 to $200

For many restaurants, the prices are the same for both days, lunch and dinner. The exceptions are those mainly at country clubs and hotels. The most affordable option is $60 per pax at Lingzhi Vegetarian.

 

4. How much to give at Malay weddings?

While an appropriate contribution will vary according to the cost of the venue and how “atas” your friends are, traditional Malay weddings tend to be a bit more relaxed. However, don’t assume that wedding costs are low at HDB locations. Malay weddings are splendid affairs, and the venues are often adorned with beautiful decorations that can rack up $30,000 to $60,000 if they’re very elaborate.

Generally, a contribution of $50 to $100 is the minimum. Of course, on the other end of the scale, the sky is the limit if you are close to the couple.

 

5. How much to give at Indian weddings?

This depends on the venue and where the reception is being held. The standard format for an Indian wedding is for the actual wedding to take place at a temple, and a reception to be held later on at a hotel, function hall or restaurant.

You should generally budget for a contribution of at least $50 to $80 for receptions at temples and function halls.

If they’re held at high end hotels, you’ll have to give similar amounts to the rates quoted for wedding banquets above.

You should also add a $1 coin to your contribution, as offering a sum that ends in 1 is seen as auspicious.

 

6. How much to give at church weddings?

If the wedding is held at a church, there may or may not a follow-up lunch or dinner banquet at a hotel or restaurant. If there is no banquet, there will usually be some kind of reception on the church premises.

If the entire wedding takes place at the church, you can get away with contributing about $40 to $50.

If there is also a banquet, refer to the ang bao rates in the table above.

 

Share this article with blur friends who aren’t sure how much ang bao money to give at weddings.