Here’s how much you have to save before you can get married in S’pore

Last Updated on 2016-06-23 , 12:29 pm

Saying yes to marrying the love of your life is a joyous occasion and changing your status from boyfriend-girlfriend to husband-wife is a huge step. However, it’s not as easy as it seems.

Months of preparation all goes down to the big day, but before the big day arrives, a lingering factor remains in everyone’s happy but worried minds–money. Huge sums of money are needed to prepare a long list of things to do and get before the big day.

Wedding Planner
Everyone knows that after you happily scream yes to The One, the process of wedding plans come along. Some couples are usually swamped with work and choose to seek help from the professionals in the field instead: wedding planners.

Wedding planners aim to help the couple enjoy the fun and thrill of wedding preparation without actually getting frustrated and stress over every little detail. However, everything comes with a price right? In this case, packages for wedding planners typically start from $2000.

Wedding Planner: $2000

Pre-Wedding Photography
Hiring a professional photographer to snap your special moments is a part of the wedding plans as you would want your milestone to be captured and preserved forever. Some bridal stores provide packages that include a selection of gowns and suits to change, about 30 photos for the album, a range of soft copy shots and a wedding portrait. Depending on the photographers and the venues that you’ll like, they mostly range around $3000.

Pre-Wedding Photography: $3000

Actual Day Wedding Gowns & Suits
This is definitely an essential, ready to transform the bride and groom into a beautiful princess and prince ready to get up on their white horse and ride off into the sunset. Most couples usually rent their gowns and suits and that’s not a surprise. I mean, when else will you get to wear your beautiful jewelled ball gown in ivory right?

Groom’s tuxedos are typically more affordable than bridal gowns and usually cost up to $240 for an outfit. Bridal gowns packages usually provide at least 2 outfits for the bride to change as well costing up to $1500.

Actual Day Wedding Gowns & Suits: $240 + $240 + $1500 = $1980

Wedding Venue
A wedding venue’s usually based on the couple and their preferences. Some couples prefer a church, some choose to have it at a void deck, some at the temple while others at a restaurant. A typical 4-star restaurant would be priced at about $1000 per table of 10 guests. Depending on the number of guests that the bride and groom would like to invite, the price may cost up to $10,000 for 100 guests.

Wedding Venue: $10,000

Actual Day Photography
Not a chance for this to be missed as the couple will usually choose a professional photographer to follow them around for the day and capture precious memories of the day they officially become Mr and Mrs. Some couples choose to hire videographers as well and this would all add up to an estimation of $1800. Some photographers provide packages while others would actually charge extra for the early morning ceremonies and solemnization.

Actual Day Photography: $1800

Wedding Rings
If you like it, then put a ring on it. Depending on the couples and their love for their bling, a typical engagement ring with a 0.5 carat diamond would cost up to $4500. Wedding bands are also dependent on the design and may cost up to about $2000.

Wedding Rings: $4500 + $2000 = $6500

Wedding Invitations and Programmes Cards
Other than the bride and groom, the wedding is incomplete without their guests. Depending on the options that the lovebirds choose, some restaurants or bridal gown shops provides wedding invitations for the guests as well. But if you were to order them on your own, 100 wedding invitations and programme cards can be printed at about $80 and$84 respectively.

Wedding Invitations and Programme Cards: $80 + $84 = $164

Wedding Decorations 
Depending on how extravagant you would like your perfect big day to look, flowers, ribbons, satins and candles packages starts at about $300. Talk about that picture perfect scene!

Wedding Decorations: $300

Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are customizable to the couple’s liking and how many tiers they would like to have. However, not every couple choose to have the whole cake be cake. Some cake shops provide the option of allowing your cake to be one tier cake and other tiers dummy. A typical 3 tier cake with 2 tiers dummy would be priced at about $420.

Wedding Cake: $420

Wedding Transportation
A wedding car is usually rented, borrowed from a family member or friend or belongs to the bride and/ or groom. After the morning ceremonies and gatecrash, the bride and groom are usually transported to their next venue for the big day. Some couples choose to rent a sleek good-looking limo while others opt for a vintage automobile. Whichever the decision, it would cost them about $150 for the day.

Wedding Transportation: $150

Wedding Hair and Makeup
Aside from the transformation by donning on the gown, the bride’s look is completed with bridal hair and makeup done for her on that day. A session that starts at dawn, the makeup artist and hairstylist would cost the bride an estimation of $200.

Wedding Hair and Makeup: $200

Wedding Entertainment
Besides the typical baby to adult photo video, entertainers are usually hired to perform for the couple and their guests on that day. A live band playing romantic songs would be priced at about $200.

Wedding Entertainment: $200

Wedding Solemnizers
According to the Registry of Marriage website, solemnizers are volunteers and there will not be a fee involved. However, you may still give a fee out of goodwill to them. Some couples usually like to give an amount that is auspicious.

Wedding Solemnizers: $88

Home
Lastly, the biggest and most expensive factor to seal the couple’s marriage is usually a house. In Singapore, the standard of living is getting more costly and purchasing a house nowadays require both the bride and groom to save up as much as they can to build their love nest.

A 4 room flat under the Housing Development Board would cost from an estimation of to $260,00 to $400,000. A deposit of 10% would be needed while the rest of the sum would be divided into multiple payments payable for the next 15-20 years.

Home: 10% of $300,000 = $30,000

Total cost you’ll have to save up before marrying the love of your life: $57,402.

That is definitely a huge sum of money and I’m stressing over it already! But what is it compared to being able to spend the rest of your life married to that one special person, even if it means working extra hard just to be officially together!