8 alternative wedding venues in Singapore that don't cost a bomb (2019)

If we’re going to be totally honest, hotel wedding venues in Singapore are a snore for everyone but the happy couple.

In between the Powerpoint presentation, the champagne tower, the swirling dry ice and the Ed Sheeran playlist, there is little that hasn’t been reduced to a cliché. And they’re overpriced to boot. 

1. REGISTRY OF MARRIAGES 

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The ROM office isn’t just some government office where you go and sign the documents legalising your marriage, while secretly fretting about the actual wedding banquet.

For those Singaporeans who are too lazy to hold an actual wedding banquet, you can turn that visit to ROM into a mini celebration.

You can get a solemniser to come to your wedding venue and solemnise your marriage at the wedding ceremony.

Or… you can just hold your entire marriage ceremony at ROM.

You’re allowed to bring up to a 20 people to attend your solemnisation.

Afterwards you can head out to a restaurant or bar for a post-wedding celebration, smug in the knowledge that you’ve saved yourself a five figure sum.

Address: 7 Canning Rise, S179869

Venue cost: $42 marriage fee*

*If at least one of you is Singaporean or PR. If both of you are foreigners, the marriage fee is $380.

2. HORTLAWN

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Take partying in the park to a whole new level by holding your wedding lunch or dinner at one of Singapore’s many parks and gardens.

If you’re holding your wedding outdoors, you can usually arrange for a temporary gazebo to be set up to protect your guests from the sun or rain.

One of the more popular wedding venues right now is HortPark, which is pretty yet affordable.

It has several event spaces for rent including the HortLawn, which costs $1,070 (inclusive of GST) to rent for a full day on Fridays to Sundays.

Not all parks and gardens are affordable though, the “usual suspects” like Botanic Gardens get really pricey – think $6,000 per day.

Also, take note that if you are renting the venue, you also have to think about other things like floral arrangements, catering and seating, which may add on to the venue rental cost.

Most of the parks governed by NParks have on-site venues that can be booked for events. You can do the venue booking online through their portal.

Address: 33 Hyderabad Road, S119578

Venue cost: Varies, see NParks venue rental rates

3. TANJONG BEACH CLUB SINGAPORE 

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Why go all the way to Bali or Phuket for your wedding when Singapore is an island with its own beaches?

There are several venues (usually a beach bar or restaurant) at Sentosa and East Coast Park where you can hold a wedding ceremony and dinner.

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For instance, Tanjong Beach Club has wedding packages that enable you to host a lunch or dinner at their in-house restaurant with a capacity of up to 200 guests.

The starting price for a solemnisation package (up to 35 guests) costs $3,288 (excludes alcohol, only includes 1 glass of Prosecco per guest), which is cheaper than most hotel wedding banquet tables.

The good thing about a package like this is that it includes floral arrangements, a wedding arch, chairs and even an audio system.

Address: 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, S098942

Venue cost: Varies – enquire at the bar or restaurant

4. GARDENASIA AT KARNJI COUNTRYSIDE

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Many brides dream of getting married in the lavender fields of Provence or something.

But don’t forget that Singapore technically has its own countryside too (sort of).

Yes, you can get married in our very own Kranji Countryside.

You’re more likely to see a monkey than a white horse, but that’s part of the charm of the tropics, right?

Gardenasia has several wedding venue options. For instance, their Kranji Loft venue, which can accommodate up to 500 people, consists of a canopy surrounded by greenery.

Address: 240 Neo Tiew Crescent, S718898

Venue cost: Prices upon request

5. PULAU UBIN

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Since we’re on the subject of holding weddings in nature, you should know that organising a wedding on Pulau Ubin is technically possible — this couple pulled off an Ubin wedding earlier this year.

However, you’ll have to be prepared to DIY this wedding venue a lot, anything from liaising with Ubin residents to arranging for your own seating, catering and so on.

Still, this is a great budget option if you’re prepared to have a small indie wedding without any of the atas trappings of more traditional nuptials.

You can book the sheltered Assembly Area on Pulau Ubin via NParks’ booking portal.

Address: It’s Pulau Ubin! Take a ferry from Changi Point Ferry Terminal (51 Lorong Bekukong).

Venue cost: $150 for the whole day on Fri, Sat, Sun and public holidays (including GST)

6. VOID DECK/CC

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Get married close to home by holding your wedding at a void deck, community centre or other public space in your neighbourhood.

One big advantage is that by keeping things local, you can nip home to catch forty winks or freshen up if you get tired, instead of being stuck in town or having to rent a hotel room.

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Your town council can advise you as to how much it will cost to rent a void deck.

This is usually fairly inexpensive, like $30 or $50 per day, but be prepared to pay for catering, decorations and entertainment, which can really add up if you don’t want to DIY.

An alternative is to rent a function room at a community centre in your neighbourhood.

Multi-purpose rooms or halls can be booked online at the OnePA website and decorated as a wedding venue.

Address: Depends on which void deck/CC.

Venue cost: Up to $50/day for void deck. Prices vary for CC spaces.

7. THE POD AT NATIONAL LIBRARY

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Are both of you bookworms? Did you get to know each other over long study sessions at the library?

Then you might want to consider getting married at the National Library.

The National Library Building has a couple of spaces for rent, including The Pod at the rooftop, which is a function room that can be booked for weddings, amongst other things.

As an added bonus, it offers great views over the city.

This wedding venue can accommodate over a hundred people.

Address: 100 Victoria St, Singapore 188064

Venue cost: $3,240 to $3,466.80 for full day rental at The Pod, excluding GST

 8. NOM BISTRO & BAKERY

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If you have a big family and foresee that there will be many children running around at your wedding, a spacious and casual space may be better than a formal banquet.

Their space is light-filled with a big play area decorated with a dragon playground replica.

It looks like the perfect location for a wedding with a heartland nostalgic theme.

The bakery does western cuisine, cakes and they can even make a wedding cake for your event.

Address: 400 Paya Lebar Way, Macpherson Community Club Level 1, S379131

Venue cost: $1,200 nett on weekdays and $1,700 nett on weekends for 3-hour usage, up to 110 guests. Buffet packages are separate, starting at $19 nett per guest.

This article was first published in MoneySmart .