Wedding Ang Bao in 2024 & 2025 Guide: Wedding Venues in Singapore Ang Bao Rates

Attending a Chinese wedding means that you have to gift a wedding ang bao (red packet).

Some of us would’ve come across a story on how a Redditor did not give an ang bao at a friend’s 5-star hotel wedding banquet and was asked (by the bride) if said Redditor forgot about the ang bao a few days later.

There was a heated debate on this tradition of ang bao gifting and whatnot, but let’s not go into that.

But if you ask me, I believe that weddings are personal affairs and guests should not be expected and pressured to match the cost at all. If any, the matching should be done purely out of blessings for the couple and your intention to help the couple recover some costs that are within your means.

Likewise, if you can’t match the “market rate”, you should inform the couple before RSVPing, and if they still insist on you coming even without an ang bao, go ahead to RSVP ‘Yes’.

Relationships are complex, but a strong and true friendship wouldn’t be broken or altered just because you couldn’t afford to pay for the couple’s happy occasion.

That said, the ang bao rates below are calculated with the assumption that you intend to match the price per pax, including the infamous 9% Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2024 and beyond.

Check them out below 👇🏻

TL;DR: Wedding Ang Bao Rates 2024 & 2025

Saturdays are bound to be the most popular day of the week, hence the most expensive too.

Click here to jump:

• Hotel & Popular Venues Wedding Ang Bao Rates
• Country Club Wedding Ang Bao Rates
• Chinese Restaurant Wedding Ang Bao Rates
• Alternative Wedding Venue Angbao Rates

If you’d like a more cost-effective venue, you might want to consider a Kopitiam wedding.

Disclaimer: The prices listed in this guide are accurate as of 21 Dec 2023. Note that the prices are obtained from the hotels and venues and crowd-sourced from the community after verification. They include GST and are calculated based on the maximum capacity of the venue, on the pretext that everyone attended. Prices are updated every quarter and are subject to change by the venue without prior notice and may vary depending on the date booked, level of customisation, chosen menus, etc. If you have the latest information, we’re only an email away!

How Much Should You Give For Weddings in Singapore?

For this wedding ang bao guide, I’ll be looking at minimum rates of banquets.

There’s no telling of the actual rates as different levels of customisation and menus will be required. Other aspects, such as decoration and styling of the photo booths, are not typically included in a hotel package.

The cost per table includes service charge (10%) and Goods and Services Tax (9% in 2024) and is divided by 10 (since a standard banquet table seats 10 guests).

Rates are also rounded up to the nearest dollar.

Also, do note that within a hotel, there are multiple packages available; hence, some of the range you see has a huge difference of at least $100. In cases like this (and if possible), you can check with the couple the package they went for.

But we recognise that it can be difficult. So, give within your means.

Hotel Wedding Ang Bao Rates

After 10,349,665 million hours of painstaking calculation and dry eyes from looking at too many numbers, here it is for your ease of reference:

Just to clarify, Marquee @ The Barracks Hotel has a minimum spend of $130,000 for a maximum of 260 pax, and if we were to add in GST, it would be about $599.50 per pax.

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Country Club Wedding Ang Bao Rates

Country clubs are not just for recreation and golf, they cater to weddings too!

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Chinese Restaurant Wedding Ang Bao Rates

This will be for those with aunties and uncles who only love Chinese cuisine.

Just imagine the abalone, steamed fish, etc.

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Alternative Wedding Venue Ang Bao Rates

We have also carved out a list of alternative wedding venues that are modernised.

Young couples who deviate from conventional hotel and Chinese restaurant weddings will likely choose this type of venue.

Unlike hotels, free-flow alcohol at alternative wedding venues might not be part of the couple’s package, and they will have to top-up for it. The prices can vary — an open bar costs $12.50 – $20/pax at Haus217 and free-flow drinks costs $60 – $85/pax at Empress restaurant, on top of the basic packages:

Again, the expectations of both sides may or may not differ, and you should give within your means.

Note: These venues are highly customisable, and packages may differ from couple to couple. The 2024 rates stated here are for the bare minimum spend that couples are required to meet and do not include fees such as furniture renting, additional wine charges, etc.

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How Much to Give for a Church Wedding

While there is no ‘standard’ rate for church weddings, most church weddings I’ve attended so far did not charge the couples for venue booking.

Instead, couples were required to go through a marriage course, and upon completion of the course, they were allowed to book the church for the wedding.

In most cases, buffets were catered, and if you would like to, you can help the couple cover the cost, ranging from $50 to $80.

Do note that this is entirely based on my personal experiences.

How Much to Give for an Indian Wedding

Similarly, there is no market rate for an Indian wedding. If the wedding is not held in a hotel or restaurant, a sum of $100 or any sum with the denomination ending in 1 is considered auspicious.

How Much to Give for a Malay Wedding

The essence lies in the act of generosity and honouring the union of two individuals deeply in love.

As a general suggestion, an appropriate amount to give would range from $10 to $30 for weddings held at void decks, $30 to $50 for receptions at country clubs, and $50 or more for hotel weddings.

Other Factors Determining Your Ang Bao Rates

Besides using the rates as a guide, here are some other important factors to consider:

• How close are you to the bride and/or groom? You can probably give more than the listed rates if you’re close
• How much can you comfortably gift without living on instant noodles for the rest of the month? If you’re in a good place, then maybe you can afford to give more.

Factors which you shouldn’t consider include:

• Will I lose face if I give less than (insert name of colleague/friend/relative)?
• Should I put the money into a Regular Shares Savings Plan for the couple instead since they’re just gonna blow it on an expensive banquet… oh, never mind.

Remember, your wedding ang bao is given to bless the couple’s marriage.

So whatever amount you choose, the wedding ang bao should be given with sincerity and your wholehearted blessing.

Always gift your wedding ang bao amount in even numbers.

As much as possible, an amount with the number 8 is always appreciated as it is considered an auspicious number.

Here are some of my go-to wedding ang bao amounts: 68, 80, 88, 100, 120, 128, 168, 188, and 200.

You get the picture.

Also, avoid the number 4 because it sounds like the Cantonese word for ‘death’ – so adjust the figures if necessary.

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