If you’re a millennial like me and you’re thinking about the costs of getting married, look no further as I have all the details here for you!
I consider myself extremely prudent when it comes to spending. Before I buy anything, I usually watch Youtube videos where the vlogger would compare prices and specs against other similar products. One evidence of how thrifty I am is that I learnt to built my own computer (to save money) and gathered almost six quotations (both online & in-shop) for my computer parts.
However for my wedding, I didn’t really set a strict budget. After all, this should be a one-off expense that I would only incur once in life.
In this article, I’ll share the major expenses which I incurred during my wedding, which was held recently. I’ll be as specific as I can with the figures but I won’t disclose the names of the vendors/wedding suppliers.
No judgment here, but I would encourage the readers to share your thoughts, and whether you think the budget I allocated for each segment was way too much or too little in the comments section. Let’s start!
How I approach budgeting
Some guidelines I set for myself regarding budgeting:
- Organise your expenses in an Excel sheet. Make sure to always keep track of big ticket items.
- Try not to borrow money for the wedding. Don’t spend beyond your means. Try not to use cash but instead use payment methods where you can get points or cash back.
- Don’t expect to earn money from your wedding dinner; we are not here to profit from friends & family.
- Going a little over-budget is fine. Meaning to say if it cost $80/day for a Honda Vezel, it’s okay to consider topping up a little more to $110/day for a BMW X1. But do think twice before spending $300/day on fancy supercars.
How much did I spent on my wedding?
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Wedding Package – Prewedding Shoot, Clothes, Make up | $4,500 |
| Wedding Ring | $2,000 |
| Venue, Accommodation & Decor | $35,000 |
| Actual Day Photography | $2,200 |
| Beauty & Wellness | $3,000 |
| Wedding Transport | $700 |
| Wedding Ang Bao | $4,000 |
| Total | Approx. $50,000 |
excluding – Honeymoon, Dowry & Engagement Ring
Wedding Package – Pre Wedding Shoot, Make Up, Gowns & Suits etc.
Total Budget – $4500 (Paid in 4 phases, 0% instalment, final phase paid before the Actual Day)
As for wedding packages, it’s usually quite straightforward. Most couples would head to a wedding fair or to Tanjong Pagar Road which houses one of the largest concentration of bridal boutiques in Singapore. Take note that wedding package vendors have indeed been notorious for overcharging in the past, so I would highly recommend you choose one which your family/friends have used before. For myself, I chose the studio which my sister used for her wedding.
Included in the Wedding Package would usually be the following:
- Gowns & Suits (Pre-Wedding Shoot & Actual Day Dinner)
- Photography Session for the Pre-Wedding Shoot (Outdoor & Indoor)
- Make-Up for the Bride (Pre-Wedding Shoot, Actual Day)
- Car Decorations for the Actual Day
- Bouquet & Flowers for the Actual Day
Wedding Ring
Total Budget – $2000 ($1000 per ring)
I won’t go into the details on the differences between wedding rings and bands as the budget you set aside for this is really up to you. There isn’t a “market rate” for wedding rings as each couple have their own preferences.
Venue, Dinner & Accommodation + Décor
Total Budget – approx. $35,000. (Paid in 4 phases, 0% instalment, final phase paid before Actual Day)
From what I gather, $30,000-ish is on the higher side of the budget for a wedding dinner for 100pax. Of all the expenses I incurred, I would say that the wedding dinner is the one which cost the most. And the final amount is on the upper range of what average couples would spend on their wedding.
As our wedding was held in line with Covid restrictions, my ‘package’ included the following:
- Wedding Dinner for 100pax
- Accommodations for the Couple & Wedding Party
- Additional Decor for Dinner Venue, Solemnisation Venue & Photo Table
Actual Day Photography
Total Budget – $2,200
This is the part of the wedding that couples could debate until the cows come home. For us, we kept it simple.
We had a videographer following us around – morning and night. He made one video of the morning ceremony highlights that was shown during the wedding dinner.
We also had one photographer who followed us the whole day.
Beauty & Wellness Vendors
Total Budget – $3,000
This is an optional component where the bride would usually get spa facials, manicures etc. It’s a girl thing so I can’t comment much. All I know is that my hair wax + gel + hairspray costs around $12…but the most important thing is that the wife is happy. ^^
Wedding Transport
Total Budget – $700
You will need a car at least one day before the wedding if you’re heading to the Registry of Marriages at Fort Canning, as well as to run small errand like picking up clothes, dropping stuff off at the venue, etc.
If you can drive and don’t have a car then a rental would definitely be the most cost-effective option. If you have a family car, that’s also a good option but do note that you may be doing so at the convenience of your family. Personally, I’d rather spend money and rent a car than to inconvenience anyone, but to each his own.
I’m a noob when it comes to car rentals so I topped up a full tank of petrol on the BMW X1 that I rented. It cost $150 and by the end of the rental I only used about half of it. Please don’t follow my example if you are renting a car with a super large petrol tank.
Cost for this segment includes the following:
- Rental of BMW X1 for 4 Days
- Full Tank of Petrol
- Cash Card
- Car Wash + Shine
- Car Air Freshener
Wedding Ang Bao (Red Packets)
Total Budget – $4000
This is an extremely controversial topic which is also likely to be a topic of argument between the wedding couple. I personally believe that we should give more to show our appreciation to all those who have taken the time to bid us well on our new journey.
We divided the wedding angbaos into 4 categories:
- Essential Vendors – Wedding Planner, Florist, Solemniser, Make-Up Artist, Photographer etc.
- Family & Friends – Groomsmen & Bridesmaids, kids who open door etc.
- Staff – Banquet Chefs & Service Staff, Cleaning Staff etc.
- Others – Everyone Else
2 burning questions!
With all that was shared above, I bet you have 2 dying questions.
- Did we break even? – No, we did not. But that’s OK because if we earned a profit, I would honestly have no idea what to do with the “profits” because I really think its “wrong” to profit from our family and friends.
- Who paid for what? – My wife and I split all costs evenly as we believe that marriage should be equal.
Concluding thoughts
Although a wedding ceremony is a one-time event, I strongly believe that couples should spend within their means. My personal definition of that would be being able to pay off the entire wedding in cash without borrowing or getting in debt. This may differ from couple to couple, depending on your income and savings.
More often than not, the wedding couple is sure to argue about things during the preparation so don’t feel upset or discouraged. In the words of my sister, “My husband and I have been married for 5 years with 2 kids, and we still argue all the time.”
To conclude, if you’re reading up to this point and are preparing for your own wedding, a heartfelt congratulations from everyone here at Dr Wealth.
We wish you a lifetime full of gains, happiness and love!
