There is no official figure for the cost of a wedding in Singapore. The number swings most with one choice: the banquet. On our own illustrative budget, a 25-table hotel dinner with the usual extras comes to about S$69,500. After an assumed $30,000 in ang bao, the couple’s share is about $39,500.
That share is what to plan for. This guide breaks the wedding cost down line by line, shows where the money really goes, and how the bills line up with ang bao and a first home. Borrowing has its own page: our wedding loans comparison.
What a Wedding Costs in Singapore: An Illustrative Budget
These are our own assumptions for an illustrative couple, not market averages. Replace each line with the quotes you receive.
| Item | Assumed cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner banquet, 25 tables of 10 | $45,000 | $1,800 a table, including service charge and GST |
| Bridal package (gowns, suits, make-up, pre-wedding photos) | $6,000 | Read what the package excludes |
| Photographer and videographer on the day | $3,500 | |
| Rings | $4,000 | |
| Solemnisation, decorations and stationery | $2,000 | ROM fees: marriage fees and process |
| Customary gifts and ceremonies | $3,000 | Varies widely by family and tradition; see wedding customs costs |
| Honeymoon | $6,000 | Can be moved to later; see honeymoon budget |
| Total | $69,500 | |
| Less ang bao, 250 guests at an assumed $120 | −$30,000 | Uncertain until the night |
| Couple’s share | $39,500 |
Illustration only. Your ang bao total may be higher or lower than the banquet cost per head, and it arrives after most bills are paid. Our ang bao and banquet maths shows how to estimate it cautiously.
Where the Money Really Goes
The banquet is usually the largest single cost, so it is where choices matter most.
- Minimum tables. Many venues require a minimum number of tables. Count your guests before signing.
- Deposits and schedules. Venues and bridal studios typically ask for deposits months ahead and the balance near the date. Read the cancellation and postponement terms.
- What “package” means. Ask what is excluded: extra tables, corkage, overtime, extra outfits, prints.
- Timing. Weekday or lunch events, and dates away from peak periods, may cost less. Ask for quotes.
Saving for the Wedding Cost in Singapore
Our illustrative couple need $39,500. If they start 18 months before the date, that is about $2,200 a month between them. With 12 months, it is about $3,300.
Pay deposits from savings rather than a card balance you carry, and keep your emergency fund separate: a wedding is not an emergency. Our monthly plan for saving for a wedding splits the target between two incomes, the wedding budget plan maps when each bill falls due, and the budget planner sets the amount alongside rent, CPF and other goals.
If the Bills Come Before the Ang Bao
The most common real gap is timing: the banquet balance is due before ang bao arrive. That is a cash-flow problem, not a budget problem, and it is the only gap worth borrowing for. Our wedding loan comparison works through a $15,000 gap route by route, from a short balance transfer to a personal loan, with each bank’s published fees. If the shortfall would take years to clear, the cheaper fix is a smaller guest list.
The short version: Build the wedding budget from quotes, plan your share after a cautious ang bao estimate, and save for it monthly. If you must borrow, borrow only the timing gap and clear it within weeks.
Wedding Costs and Your First Home
Many couples marry and buy a flat within the same year or two, so the two decisions meet.
- The BTO deadline. Couples who applied for a BTO flat as fiancé and fiancée must solemnise their marriage within three months of collecting the keys, according to HDB.
- HDB loan assessment. HDB considers current loans and financial commitments, such as card bills and car loans, when deciding how much to lend, and reviews your position before disbursing. See HDB’s loan guide.
- Bank loan assessment. MAS’s Total Debt Servicing Ratio caps all monthly debt repayments at 55% of gross income, so any wedding instalment still running reduces the home loan a bank can offer.
- Cash for the flat. Downpayment, stamp duty and legal fees fall due around the same time as the wedding bills. The BTO money plan for couples sets the two side by side.
If a flat is part of the plan, read how to buy a house in Singapore and check the numbers in our home affordability calculator.
What To Do Next
- Collect written quotes for the venue, bridal package and photography, and fill in your own version of the table above.
- Set a monthly saving target and a separate account for it.
- Decide your ang bao estimate cautiously, and plan to cover the bills without it.
- If you need a short bridge, compare the routes in our wedding loan comparison; for anything longer, see the personal loans hub.
- If debts are already hard to manage, MoneySense’s guide to managing debt lists free help.
