Cost Guide to Weddings in Singapore 2022

You can tie the knot from as cheap as S$42 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on how extravagant you’d like your wedding to be. 

Congratulations! You’ve asked your significant other for their hand in marriage. Now, what? 

In Singapore, an average wedding is expected to set couples back by at least S$30,000 to S$50,000, excluding the cost of their honeymoon. 

Unless you’re rolling in cash, one of the biggest factors a couple must keep in mind when planning for their big day is how much it is all going to cost. From booking your photographer to buying the perfect gown and suit to choosing your wedding venue, every little bit adds up.

It can get especially tricky when you have other financial commitments as well, such as raising kids and paying off your BTO.

Obviously, coming up with a budget and figuring out how to stick to it is no mean feat. You'll need to draw up excel spreadsheets (oh, the horror!) and prepare for unexpected costs, which we would touch on later in this cost guide. We know, it’s hard work. But precise planning not only ensures that you’ll get the wedding of your dreams, but also emerge from it debt-free. 

Here's the ultimate cost guide to weddings in Singapore, and how much you should expect to pay for each service. 

Table of contents

• ROM and solemnisation
• Engagement ring and wedding bands
• Wedding gown and suit
• Make-up and hair styling
• Transportation on wedding day
• Photography and videography
• Wedding invitations
• Venue rental
• Wedding banquet including food and drinks
• Flowers
• Entertainment
• Pre-event COVID-19 testing
• Miscellaneous
• Apply for a credit card that gives you rewards/cashback/miles
• Taking up a personal loan for your wedding

ROM and solemnisation

The simplest and cheapest way to make it official is to go to the Registry of Marriages (ROM) and get legally binded. Cost? S$42. After that, you can treat your family to a good meal with these 1-for-1 buffet promotions and still have spare cash to splurge on your marital home. 

Engagement ring and wedding bands

These rings can range from a couple of hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on how much you want to spoil your partner. But if your SO really loves you for who you are, then the cost of the ring doesn’t really matter, right? They would say yes, even if you proposed with a ring pop. 

Ultimately, the appropriate price is the one you can pay and not be in debt afterwards. 

Pro tip: however much the engagement ring costs, use a credit card so you can earn rebates/rewards/cashback/miles and recover some of the cost. Also, check out 9 Ways to Save Money on Engagement Rings in Singapore. 

Wedding gown and suit

You’re probably not going to wear your wedding dress twice, so there’s really no use splurging thousands of dollars on a gown. Keep it pocket-friendly by opting to rent, or buy online from shops such as SHEIN, ASOS and Zalora, from S$56. For the guys, it’s probably more value-for-money if you can buy a suit that doubles up as formal wear you can wear multiple times for different occasions. 

According to Wonderwall, suit rentals in Singapore start from about S$200 and increase in price based on customisation and brands. Branded suits might cost you S$500 and above for one-day rental. 

If you choose to tailor your suit, there are two options: made-to-measure (MTM) and bespoke. MTM is pre-cut and adjusted according to your body measurements, while bespoke creates your entire suit from scratch.

As you might’ve guessed, an MTM suit is cheaper than a bespoke suit. The cost of an MTM suit starts from S$500 onwards, while a bespoke suit may set you back around four figures. 

Besides the bride and groom, also remember that you’ll have to pay for your bridesmaids’ and groomsmen’ outfits, which can cost around S$50 to S$100 per person. 

Make-up and hair styling

Looking your best can cost quite a pretty penny, especially if you’re changing up dresses and looks for the night. It will cost you even more if you need make-up and hairstyling services for your bridesmaid and family.

You can expect to fork out around S$350 (one look) to S$758 (three looks) on actual-day wedding make-up and hairstyling, according to local make-up artist (MUA) Yuki Lee. If you want to doll up your female family members as well, it will cost an additional S$150 per person. 

For pre-wedding shoots, it will cost you around S$350 for one look, S$450 for two looks, and S$500 for three looks. 

Pro tip: It’s your special day after all, so just get a MUA for yourself and your partner. The rest can do their own make-up. If you’re on a tight budget, just DIY. 

Transportation on wedding day

We would recommend you to do away with wedding car rental, if you already own a car. But if you have a couple of hundred to spare and want to impress your guests with a luxury ride, you can consider renting this Jaguar XF starting from S$388 for four hours, which includes petrol, parking and ERP costs, as well as an experienced driver. 

Photography and videography

This will probably be one of the biggest costs of your wedding. Because this event usually happens only once in a lifetime, many people choose to splurge on a photographer and videographer to commemorate the occasion.

Local pre-wedding shoots (half-day) typically cost S$350 to S$800, while actual-day wedding photography and videography can and will set you back around S$2,000 to S$4,000 each. 

For more in-depth costs including live-streaming and Instagram takeovers, check out our Cost Guide To Wedding Photography In Singapore. 

Wedding invitations

I hate to be a party pooper, but wedding invitations, no matter how intricately designed, usually end up in the trash faster than you can say “I Do”. Sure, it sets the initial mood for your wedding, but really, no one will care or judge your choice of font (just don’t use Comic Sans, please) or paper stock. 

Let’s do our part for the environment and go digital. There are tonnes of free online templates that you can use, and it’s also easier to keep track of your invite list if they RSVP via Google Docs. 

Venue rental

There are so many wedding venues out there that are more fun — and cheaper — than hotels.  Some very affordable, unique and memorable locations are:

Little Island Brewing Co
Cost: S$18 to S$92 per pax (inclusive of meals)
Capacity: Up to 472

Lewin Terrace
Cost: S$51 to S$161 per pax (inclusive of meals) / Up to S$33 per pax (inclusive of canapés)
Capacity: Up to 100 guests

Tanjong Beach Club
Cost: S$26 to S$126 per pax (inclusive of meals) / S$38 to S$63 per pax (inclusive of canapés)
Capacity: Up to 300 guests

Click here to discover more Affordable Wedding Venues in Singapore. 

Wedding banquet including food and drinks

It all depends on where you want your wedding to be held. At five-star hotels, it can cost you around S$200 per person. On the flip side, holding your wedding at a restaurant would cost you around S$100 or less per person. 

It is cheaper to host your wedding dinner on weekdays, or a luncheon on weekends. If you are holding it at a hotel, bargain with the vendor and ask them to throw in another free night’s stay or waive corkage fees should you choose to opt out of unnecessary inclusions such as physical invitation cards and wedding favours. 

Also, don’t forget to shop around suppliers for individual items/services and attend wedding trade shows for package discounts. 

Flowers

Let’s face it, flowers are really expensive. However, you can’t deny that they are an important part of weddings — you’ll never see a wedding venue without floral arrangements of some kind. 

As you might expect, decorating your venue with blooms can eat into your budget, especially if you’re using fresh flowers or want a flower arch. A mini hand bouquet costs between S$30 to S$200, while table centrepieces cost around S$100 to S$200 per table.

For cheaper options, consider fake flowers (they’ll last forever, just like your love) or ask your florist for alternatives.

Entertainment

Music and entertainment, just like flowers, is a major part of a wedding. If you have friends that are talented in hosting or playing an instrument, you can enlist their help. Just don’t forget to give them a red packet after that!

But if you don’t want to trouble your friends, you can always hire a live band and an emcee. However, these costs don’t come cheap — according to theweddingvowsg.com, live band rates start from as low as S$450 for a solo performer performing for one set for 45 mins to S$4000 for performances by Sparkle Live Music, founded by homegrown singer Tay Kewei. 

Pre-event COVID-19 testing

In light of tightened COVID-19 restrictions, pre-event testing (PET) is compulsory for: 

• Bride and groom for solemnisations involving more than 50 attendees
• All attendees (including wedding couple) for receptions involving more than 50 attendees

Only attendees who completed their COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore at least two weeks before the wedding will be exempted from pre-event testing.

According to CNA, wedding receptions can still proceed with more than 50 people and up to 250 attendees, but PET would be required for all unvaccinated attendees. They will also have to be separated into zones or time slots of 50 people each.

This means that, if you want to forgo the hassle of PET, you can only invite a maximum of 50 people, down from the previous limit of 100. Should you decide to stick to your original guest list of more than 50 attendees, not only will you have to convince your guests to go for PET, but also fork out an extra cost to pay for the tests.

Needless to say, this will incur additional hefty costs of around S$5,000 to S$6,000 for 100 guests. Do check with your event organiser to enquire if PET costs are included in the price or will require additional payment from attendees.

Also, take note that guests will also need to allocate extra time for the testing, and they’ll be quarantined in a room while awaiting their test results. 

Miscellaneous

Quite a number of red packets will be given out on your wedding day to the people who made the whole shebang possible, such as your bridesmaids and groomsmen, wedding coordinator, flower girls as well as the ushers. 

As the list is pretty long, prepare extra red packets containing a token sum between S$10 to S$20 just in case. The total amount you should have in cash? A few thousand dollars.

According to The Smart Local, here’s a general breakdown of the market rate:

Wedding coordinator: S$68 to S$108
Maid of honour/best man: S$68 to S$248
Bridesmaids/groomsmen: S$28 to S$148
Emcee: S$38 to S$68
Officiant: S$88 to S$588
Flower girl: S$28 to S$48
Ushers: S$18 to S$28

Apply for a credit card that gives you rewards/cashback/miles

Your wedding is probably going to be the biggest and priciest party you ever host. Don’t spend your money without getting something in return! If you’re signing up for a package, ask the banquet manager about credit card promos — who knows, they might also recommend which card to use for maximum effect.

If you’re new to a bank, sign up with Singsaver to get various perks like cashback, a staycation at Andaz and the latest gadgets, including a free Dyson AM07 tower fan, Apple Watch Series 3 and AirPods Pro.

Click here for the Top Credit Card Promotions And Deals On SingSaver.

Taking up a personal loan for your wedding

As nobody should start their married life in debt, we don’t really recommend taking up a loan for your wedding. But if you need your disposable income for whatever reason, here are the best personal loans in Singapore, some with instant approval.

Read these next:
Planning A Wedding? Here’s How To Earn The Most Miles Possible
How to Be Budget Smart When Planning Your Wedding
Cost Guide To Wedding Photography In Singapore
Ang Bao Rates For Singapore Weddings
5 Unique Wedding Banquet Venues In Singapore