A whopping S$76,000 is what you need if you want to get married in Singapore

[EunoiaJAYCEE]

According to a recent study conducted by ValueChampion, the average cost of wedding banquets in Singapore has swelled considerably in the last eight years.

Taking into account prices of 55 venues, the study revealed that in 2011, the average cost per table for a weekend dinner was just S$923 (US$681). This year, it skyrocketed to S$1,392, a sharp increase of 50.8% in just 8 years.

Price exceeds MAS core inflation rate
The study also covered a wide analysis of the average prices of 102 wedding venues, based on available data for the period of 2018 to 2019. It showed that the rate at which wedding banquet prices have increased is faster than inflation. From 2011 to 2019, the overall price of all types of wedding banquets increased by approximately 54%, significantly exceeding inflation of 14% from January 2011 to January 2019.

When compared to 2018, the average price of a weekend dinner table was up from S$1,319 last year to S$1,337 this year.

The report also showed that in its entirety, the average price of 102 venues went up by more or less 2.6%, outdoing the 1.7% Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) core inflation for January 2018 to January 2019 period.

According to the study, the average total cost of getting married in Singapore – from dowry to honeymoon – ranges from around S$33,000 to approximately S$76,000, depending on factors such as the number of guests, and venue.

Trends on the rising cost of weddings
Although the actual causes of the rising cost cannot be ascertained, there are a few trends worth probing into as possible factors. Firstly, Singaporeans are getting married much later in life. The median age of first marriage for grooms increased gradually from 30.2 in 2007 to 30.8 in 2016. For brides, the median age for first marriages increased from 27.6 to 28.7 in the 2007-2016 period.

In the same way, the average ages of all brides and grooms have increased. In 2016, 41% of all brides and 60% of grooms were over 30 years old compared to just 33% and 56%, respectively, being older than 30 in 2007.

This trend could have an influence in the escalating cost of weddings, or perhaps a symptom of this rise. Since Singaporeans are getting married later in life, they are more capable and willing to pay for an expensive wedding. On the other hand, it is also possible that the significant cost of marriage is compelling couples to postpone their wedding plans in order to save up for their dream wedding ceremony and feast.

Wedding-made-in-heaven ended up in hell
In 2012, a Singaporean couple had wanted to pamper themselves and had planned for a dream wedding. But, the plan proved to be lavishly expensive for them. As a result, the 32-year-old insurance agent is still stuck in the debt he incurred for the nuptials.

The husband confided that they regretted their over-expenditure so much, as they struggled from month to month just to make ends meet.

The couple borrowed $45,000 from a financial institution with a repayment period of two years. They also borrowed $4,000 from a licensed moneylender and $11,000 from a relative. On top of that, they pumped in their entire savings of $20,000.

They also used their individual credit cards and estimated charges came up to $30,000. All in all, they spent $110,000 for that wedding and were indebted to a lot of people.

More at A whopping S$76,000 is what you need if you want to get married in Singapore

 

[laksaboy]

Just wait till you get to the (inevitable) divorce. $76k would be peanuts by comparison.

 

[eatshitndie]

for less than $69k can have a colorful and sumptuous void deck wedding.

http://ricemedia.co/understanding-the-void-deck-wedding/

"Most families rent the void deck for at least 2 days because vendors need time to set up the decorations. Because there’s no online booking system, you have to personally head to the town council, where the booking of void deck space can only be done 5 months in advance at the earliest. There’s a $300 deposit, and it costs $12 per electricity point and $8 per water point. For her wedding, these ‘utilities’ came up to a total of $64. After this, costs start to skyrocket.

The cheapest decoration package out there, Sheila says, costs $2500. But the average price is between $3000 to $5000. For her wedding, she hired a vendor who provided an all-in-one package which included food, decorations, photo services, bridal outfits, make-up, and door gifts. This set them back $21,888. And it was just for her side of the family.

That said, it’s far more common for couples to spend up to $40,000 to $50,000 for such void deck festivities. Chegu tells me that bridal outfits often cost at least $3000, and for food catering, it’s an average of $18 to $25 per head. You can do the math yourself for what 1000 guests would then cost.

At Malay weddings, the couple is considered the King and Queen for the day, and so wedding decorations often include a dais—essentially an elevated platform with a throne on which the couple sits to receive blessings and well-wishes. It’s also known as a gazebo or pelamin, and depending on how elaborate this is, it can cost up to $5000 or more."

 

[laksaboy]

The Malays who are more atas would have their weddings at a more posh location than at a void deck.

 

[batman1]

Simple catering and tentage at HDB void deck for simple folks should be enough,then go for overseas holiday.

 

[PTADER]

More at A whopping S$76,000 is what you need if you want to get married in Singapore

Marriage can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.

If the dumb Sinkie fools cannot afford a $76,000 wedding, the simple solution is not to have a $76,000 wedding.

If the dumb Sinkie fools cannot afford a $76,000 wedding but still want "face" by hosting a $76,000 wedding, then they should not complain about the "high cost" of marriage.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

The article is wrong. To get married at ROM, registration cost is 42 bucks. Need to dress appropriately n get 2 witness. Can use existing suit and tie. Maybe get a nicer dress for bride. Add in few hundred bucks plus make up.

Perhaps the dumbass author meant, Cost of Wedding. Wedding is for a day. Marriage is as long as it should be.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

According to a recent study conducted by ValueChampion, the average cost of wedding banquets in Singapore has swelled considerably in the last eight years.

Taking into account prices of 55 venues, the study revealed that in 2011, the average cost per table for a weekend dinner was just S$923 (US$681). This year, it skyrocketed to S$1,392, a sharp increase of 50.8% in just 8 years.

Price exceeds MAS core inflation rate
The study also covered a wide analysis of the average prices of 102 wedding venues, based on available data for the period of 2018 to 2019. It showed that the rate at which wedding banquet prices have increased is faster than inflation. From 2011 to 2019, the overall price of all types of wedding banquets increased by approximately 54%, significantly exceeding inflation of 14% from January 2011 to January 2019.

When compared to 2018, the average price of a weekend dinner table was up from S$1,319 last year to S$1,337 this year.

The report also showed that in its entirety, the average price of 102 venues went up by more or less 2.6%, outdoing the 1.7% Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) core inflation for January 2018 to January 2019 period.

According to the study, the average total cost of getting married in Singapore – from dowry to honeymoon – ranges from around S$33,000 to approximately S$76,000, depending on factors such as the number of guests, and venue.

Trends on the rising cost of weddings
Although the actual causes of the rising cost cannot be ascertained, there are a few trends worth probing into as possible factors. Firstly, Singaporeans are getting married much later in life. The median age of first marriage for grooms increased gradually from 30.2 in 2007 to 30.8 in 2016. For brides, the median age for first marriages increased from 27.6 to 28.7 in the 2007-2016 period.

In the same way, the average ages of all brides and grooms have increased. In 2016, 41% of all brides and 60% of grooms were over 30 years old compared to just 33% and 56%, respectively, being older than 30 in 2007.

This trend could have an influence in the escalating cost of weddings, or perhaps a symptom of this rise. Since Singaporeans are getting married later in life, they are more capable and willing to pay for an expensive wedding. On the other hand, it is also possible that the significant cost of marriage is compelling couples to postpone their wedding plans in order to save up for their dream wedding ceremony and feast.

Wedding-made-in-heaven ended up in hell
In 2012, a Singaporean couple had wanted to pamper themselves and had planned for a dream wedding. But, the plan proved to be lavishly expensive for them. As a result, the 32-year-old insurance agent is still stuck in the debt he incurred for the nuptials.

The husband confided that they regretted their over-expenditure so much, as they struggled from month to month just to make ends meet.

The couple borrowed $45,000 from a financial institution with a repayment period of two years. They also borrowed $4,000 from a licensed moneylender and $11,000 from a relative. On top of that, they pumped in their entire savings of $20,000.

They also used their individual credit cards and estimated charges came up to $30,000. All in all, they spent $110,000 for that wedding and were indebted to a lot of people.

More at A whopping S$76,000 is what you need if you want to get married in Singapore

The author should learn to differentiate Wedding Vs marriage. The cost highlighted is for the Wedding.

Marriage vs. Wedding
A marriage is a long term relationship between two individuals. A wedding, on the other hand, is the ceremony of getting married.

Therefore, “You are invited to my wedding.” is correct and “You are invited to my marriage”. is incorrect usage.

“Their marriage was a disaster.” implies that the couple was not happy in their life together and are probably separated or divorced. On the other hand, “Their wedding was a disaster.“ implies that something happened during the wedding and that the ceremony did not go smoothly. The couple can go on to have a long and happy marriage even after a disastrous wedding.
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Marriage_vs_Wedding

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Just wait till you get to the (inevitable) divorce. $76k would be peanuts by comparison.

Wat a lousy deal. Organise an elaborate wedding .pay upfront. Divorce pay alimony. Like paying mortgage. Go high class pro only pay upfront. No subsequent expenses.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

I am starting to feel sorry for the m&ds. In a similar position to the Cina.

Beyond The Hijab
The Price of Love

beyondhijabsg
1 year ago

by Zubaida Ali

My son has found his one true love at the age of 28. She is a delightful young university graduate, who is the perfect match for him. There is talk of marriage and the traditional ‘masuk meminang’ event that has become part of our Malay culture. With it, is the inevitable discussion of the hantaran that is the amount that we, the groom’s side is willing to set as the dowry for her. Her family decided that $10,000 is a good sum that goes with the prevailing market rate as she is, after all, a graduate. As the mother of the groom I find the concept of ‘paying’ for a daughter-in-law disturbing and against my values of equality and feminism. While the young woman in the center of this is inclined to agree with these values, she is caught in the filial piety she has for her parents. She will not broach the subject of breaking away from such norms.

What is the dowry meant for anyway? To compensate for the expenses that the parents have invested in the person we are marrying into our family? To give the couple a positive head start in life? If that is the case, then the couple should get to keep the hantaran but that is unheard of. Usually the hantaran goes into a black abyss and is pocketed by the bride’s parents. Apart from the hantaran or dowry, there is the mahar or maskahwin, in the form of a piece of gold, like a ring or chain, as a symbol of their marriage. This is sunnah, just like what the Prophet has encouraged Ibn Ali to give to his daughter Fatima before marrying her. And finally the wedding expenses itself, that the wedding couple is supposed to bear. Since the bride has only recently graduated and is jobless, the task of coming up with the wedding expenses falls on the groom, a bill that comes up to $40,000 for a typical Malay void deck wedding.

So far this is what the costs look like:

Wedding expenses

Dowry/Hantaran: $10,000
Mahar/Maskahwin: $2,000 (est.)
Wedding expenses: $40,000
Mak Andam (makeup artist) and costumes: $5,000

Total: $57,000

This does not include the romantic honeymoon that the soon-to-be-wedded pair would like to go to after their wedding ceremony, another bill that could come up to $5,000. Neither does it include the token sum to the kadhi for performing the nikah ceremony. Gifts in the form of money to the ‘pengapit’, groomsmen or wedding party before getting on the pelamin or wedding dias and so on.

A financial output of between $50,000 to $60,000, three times the cost of a degree education is what it needs just to get married in Singapore.

Of course, the couple need not go through such financial hoops to get married. A simple nikah ceremony in a mosque with a modest reception for family members, with a mahar of a few recitations of the Al Quran will do too. However, the family my son is marrying to, is one steeped in local Malay culture and “it is what we are used to” has been set up front during the wedding negotiations attended by delegations of aunts and uncles from both sides.

My heart goes out to the young people from our society today faced with these challenges in order to start a family. This pressure is worrying and has the element of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ that has become prevalent in our culture today. It is time for members of our society to speak out against such trends and emphasise what really matters — the overall readiness and wellbeing of couples intending to set off on this marital journey together and the support that the community could give. Now that will be a wedding gift worth giving.

__

Zubaida Ali is a community worker, mother of four grown up children and activist on social issues. She occasionally writes on relevant issues pertaining to the Muslim community.

Illustration by Ishibashi Chiharu

Categories: Blog Series, Filial Piety, Relationship, Stories
Tags: family, islam, muslim, religion, singapore, weddings
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[JohnTan]

for less than $69k can have a colorful and sumptuous void deck wedding.

View attachment 56221http://ricemedia.co/understanding-the-void-deck-wedding/

"Most families rent the void deck for at least 2 days because vendors need time to set up the decorations. Because there’s no online booking system, you have to personally head to the town council, where the booking of void deck space can only be done 5 months in advance at the earliest. There’s a $300 deposit, and it costs $12 per electricity point and $8 per water point. For her wedding, these ‘utilities’ came up to a total of $64. After this, costs start to skyrocket.

The cheapest decoration package out there, Sheila says, costs $2500. But the average price is between $3000 to $5000. For her wedding, she hired a vendor who provided an all-in-one package which included food, decorations, photo services, bridal outfits, make-up, and door gifts. This set them back $21,888. And it was just for her side of the family.

That said, it’s far more common for couples to spend up to $40,000 to $50,000 for such void deck festivities. Chegu tells me that bridal outfits often cost at least $3000, and for food catering, it’s an average of $18 to $25 per head. You can do the math yourself for what 1000 guests would then cost.

At Malay weddings, the couple is considered the King and Queen for the day, and so wedding decorations often include a dais—essentially an elevated platform with a throne on which the couple sits to receive blessings and well-wishes. It’s also known as a gazebo or pelamin, and depending on how elaborate this is, it can cost up to $5000 or more."

Spending an average of $40k on a void deck wedding is too extravagant. $100 should suffice.

 

[bushtucker]

The article is wrong. To get married at ROM, registration cost is 42 bucks. Need to dress appropriately n get 2 witness. Can use existing suit and tie. Maybe get a nicer dress for bride. Add in few hundred bucks plus make up.

Perhaps the dumbass author meant, Cost of Wedding. Wedding is for a day. Marriage is as long as it should be.

An ROM wedding would be fine by me. Imagine all the $$$ saved, can be put into proper investments. just need to convince the wife and the in-laws only

 

[Hypocrite-The]

An ROM wedding would be fine by me. Imagine all the $$$ saved, can be put into proper investments. just need to convince the wife and the in-laws only

If yr wife n in laws to be demand an expensive wedding. U are with the wrong woman

 

[attaphouse]

If yr wife n in laws to be demand an expensive wedding. U are with the wrong woman

some female side also make unreasonable demands like cash or gold for the bride's family...

 

[Hypocrite-The]

some female side also make unreasonable demands like cash or gold for the bride's family...

As I said, you got the wrong woman if tat is the case

 

[sweetiepie]

Spending an average of $40k on a void deck wedding is too extravagant. $100 should suffice.

KNN they can even save the $100 if do it using outside and inside space of their hdb unit KNN

 

[ToaPehGong]

Just shoot inside, give birth stay together without marriage. AMDK always do that to enjoy non commitment fucks

 

[red amoeba]

Don’t get married the best.

 

[laksaboy]

Just shoot inside, give birth stay together without marriage. AMDK always do that to enjoy non commitment fucks

Stay together vs non commitment... choose one.

By the way, there's a proliferation of single mothers now.

 

[bobby]

The Malays who are more atas would have their weddings at a more posh location than at a void deck.

Yes...i noticed too.

Usually at best, the community centre function hall.