Ang Bao Rates For Singapore Weddings 2021

Wedding dinners in Singapore can be pretty expensive. So we're here to help you track down the perfect banquet based on your budget.

You know the drill. The sound of your phone buzzing like crazy wakes you up from your Sunday nap. Bleary eyed, you reach for your phone to find yourself in a newly formed Whatsapp group. Squinting to read the chat group’s name, you barely make out the word ‘Wedding’ buried under the avalanche of emojis on your screen. Messages fly past so quickly it takes you a good five seconds to realise they are from people you haven’t contacted since... forever. 

Then it dawns on you. One of your long lost classmates is tying the knot, and the Whatsapp group was created to solicit RSVPs. You reply with a half-hearted ‘Hello… long time!’ while scrolling to find out where the banquet will be held – and how big a hole the customary wedding ang bao will blow in your pocket.

Last updated on 21 April 2021. Prices listed here are estimates and subject to change without prior notice.

Wedding receptions: COVID-19 restrictions and rules 

Before you go crazy with your planning and guest list, do take note that COVID-19 is still around and there are some restrictions in place.

From 24 March 2021, capacity limits will increase from 100 to 250 attendees for weddings. This includes the wedding couple and the guests, and excludes the solemniser and vendors. Guests must be put in zones or time slots of up to 50 attendees each.

With guests unmasked, eating, in close proximity and in prolonged contact with one another, there’s a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. Pre-event testing for all attendees (including wedding couple) will be required for receptions with more than 100 attendees. Only people who have been fully vaccinated and have had time to develop sufficient protection will be exempted from pre-event testing.

A social affair fraught by financial anxieties

While undoubtedly a happy affair, weddings can be a source of financial anxiety. The genuine desire to see your friends have a blissful start to married life is fraught with awkwardness when deciding how much you should put into your ang bao. Polite messages from the wedding couple to 'just come and enjoy yourself' only adds to the anxiety as you know they will be judging each and every red packet they receive (that’s what your name on the ang bao is for). 

Being ever pragmatic, Singaporeans have quickly formulated a rule of thumb: your ang bao should at least cover the cost of the banquet dinner per head to be considered respectable. Never mind you would almost never buy yourself an eight or 10-course meal for what amounts to two weeks’ worth of groceries for the privilege. For example, if the wedding banquet dinner costs $1,000++ per table of 10, then the cost per head = $1,000 divided by 10 = $100. With the '++', the expected price per seat on the table is around $120. Bear these rough stats in mind when settling on your ang bao rates.

That amount is only for the most lukewarm relationships – colleagues, ex-school mates, people you used to spend all weekend playing online games with and totally smashed the server record that one time. The closer you happen to be to the couple – like ride-or-die close back in the day – you’re expected to up the ante in the wedding ang bao stakes. God forbid if your spouse or partner is also invited – expect to pay double.

Gee, and here we thought marriage was an affair strictly between two people. 

How much should your wedding ang bao be?

Social conventions aside, if you really want to be there for your friend’s big day, just tick 'yes', and show up with your brightest smile and an ang bao that suits your finances. In the end, you actually being there is what truly matters. 

But just in case you want to be a good guest, we’ve compiled a list of popular wedding dinner banquets in Singapore. And to help you arrive at a thoughtful ang bao rate, we have sorted the banquets according to four different price ranges. You can track down the wedding banquet venue in the list, and have a look at the price of a table. Then, take an average and divide by 10 to work out the cost of the dinner per head – to derive the  'market rate' for your wedding ang bao. 

In general, lunch banquets tend to cost less than dinner banquets. Saturdays also tend to be the most costly for wedding banquets. For auspicious or popular dates, there could also be an additional surcharge per table.

Hotel wedding banquets at around $1,000 per table

If the wedding dinner you’ve been invited is at one of these hotels, breathe easy. The going rate for ang baos at these locations ranges between $100 and $120. 

Hotel wedding banquets at around $1,500 per table

Most of the hotels in this tier are located in the trendy CBD/Orchard shopping belt. As befitting their posh location, a wedding dinner here will set you back by $150 to $180 per wedding ang bao.

Hotel wedding banquets at around $2,000 per table

With five-and six-star hotels like The Westin and The Fullerton on the list, you’re playing with the big boys now. Pack between $200 to $250 per wedding ang bao, if you’ve been so 'lucky' to be invited. 

Hotel wedding banquets at above $2,000 per table

If you’ve been invited to a wedding dinner at one of these hotels, prepare to set aside a cool $250 to $280 for your wedding ang bao.

Popular Restaurants for weddings 

If you’re attending a dinner at one of these locations, a wedding ang bao of between $60 to $100 is acceptable (and an ang bao in this range is cheap is on the pocket too).

As popular as hotel wedding banquets are, some Chinese restaurants in Singapore still make a roaring trade as the venue of choice for some couples. These restaurants are also often picked for wedding banquets with smaller number of guests or tables.

How much ang bao to give at Malay or Indian weddings?

The ang bao rates we discussed above mostly applies to Chinese weddings, as it’s customary to hold a grand wedding celebration, especially if you’re the first-born in the family, or your family has a lot of business contacts.

That’s not to say that Malay and Indian weddings aren’t glorious affairs – they obviously are too in their own way. However, the differences in venue and wedding style can cost a lot less than Chinese weddings.

For example, Malay weddings are comparatively more relaxed affairs compared to the formal sit-down, 10-course dinners observed at Chinese weddings. With a focus on community and sharing, expect more of a buffet-style dinner with free seating. These are usually hosted at simple restaurants with large spaces, or at common facilities like community centre/function halls or HDB void decks. At Malay weddings, ang bao rates of around $50 per person are acceptable. 

Similarly, for Indian wedding dinners, take your cue from the location of the wedding reception for the ang bao you'd like to give. A typical Indian wedding takes place at a temple, with a reception to follow, which could be held at a temple, function hall or a similar venue. It’s also not unusual for Indian couples to host their wedding receptions at hotels. If that’s the case, it’s good manners to give an ang bao reflecting the prestige of the venue and cost of the meal per head.

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