Getting hitched? A look at wedding banquet price list in Singapore, including money-saving tips
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PUBLISHED ONApril 02, 2023 2:15 AMByJoanne Poh
Weddings are big business in Singapore. Some people spend enough on their wedding photoshoot, gown and ring to buy a house in other countries.
But the real killer is definitely the wedding banquet. And hotels know people are willing to pay big bucks to impress their relatives. So every so often, they dutifully hike up their prices, telling themselves these couples will make back that money when they receive their Baby Bonus.
With prices always changing (almost always upward), it's hard to know what the going rates are like for wedding banquets. To save you time-because planning for a wedding is hard enough — we've compiled a wedding banquet price list for hotels, restaurants and alternative venues. Plus, we'll also show you how much these prices have changed in 2023 since 2021.
Disclaimer: Do note that all prices were adapted from SingaporeBrides.com, using the prices for Saturday night, which is the most popular option. Prices reflected are for tables of 10.
Wedding banquets at 5 star hotels
| Hotel | 2021 lowest price per table ($) | 2023 lowest price per table ($) | Increase from 2021 to 2023 | 2023 highest price per table ($) |
| Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa | 1,987 | 2,352 | 18.37 per cent | 2,471 |
| Capella Singapore | 2,222 | 2,718 | 22.32 per cent | 4,015 |
| Conrad Centennial | 1,916 | 2,233 | 16.54 per cent | 2,471 |
| Four Seasons | 1,963 | 2,065 | 5.20 per cent | 3,540 |
| Goodwood Park | 1,963 | 2,005 | 2.14 per cent | 2,005 |
| Grand Copthorne Waterfront | 1,516 | 2,148 | 41.69 per cent | 2,267 |
| Grand Hyatt | 2,095 | 2,243 | 7.06 per cent | 2,243 |
| Hilton Singapore | 1,669 | 2,481 | 48.65 per cent | 2,481 |
| InterContinental Singapore | 2,222 | 2,590 | 16.56 per cent | 2,590 |
| JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach | – | 2,827 | – | 2,827 |
| Marina Bay Sands | 1,634 | 2,005 | 22.71 per cent | 2,243 |
| Pan Pacific Singapore | 1,904 | 2,086 | 9.56 per cent | 2,266 |
| Parkroyal Pickering | – | 2,160 | – | 2,160 |
| Raffles Hotel | – | 3,184 | – | 3,184 |
| Shangri-La | 2,222 | 2,362 | 6.30 per cent | 3,075 |
| Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa | – | 2,471 | – | 2,946 |
| Swissôtel The Stamford | – | 2,100 | – | 2,362 |
| The Fullerton | 2,104 | 2,471 | 17.44 per cent | 2,471 |
| The Ritz Carlton | 2,448 | 2,709 | 10.66 per cent | 3,421 |
| The St. Regis | 2,213 | 2,599 | 17.44 per cent | 2,837 |
| The Westin | – | 2,065 | – | 2,065 |
Wedding banquets at 4 star hotels
| Hotel | 2021 lowest price per table ($) | 2023 lowest price per table ($) | Increase from 2021 to 2023 | 2023 highest price per table ($) |
| Amara Singapore | 1,610 | 1,625 | 0.93 per cent | 1,625 |
| Concorde Hotel | 1,481 | 1,661 | 12.15 per cent | 1,661 |
| Copthorne King’s | 942 | 1,435 | 52.34 per cent | 1,471 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview | – | 1,530 | – | 1768 |
| Furama City Centre | 1,222 | 1,530 | 25.20 per cent | 1,530 |
| Furama Riverfront | 1,222 | 1,530 | 25.20 per cent | 1,740 |
| Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy | 1,104 | 1,283 | 16.21 per cent | 1,402 |
| Jen Singapore Tanglin By Shangri-La | 1,530 | 1,768 | 15.56 per cent | 1,887 |
| Parkroyal on Kitchener Road | – | 1,696 | – | 1,696 |
| Ramada By Wyndham Singapore At Zhongshan Park | 1,316 | 1,708 | 29.79 per cent | 1,708 |
Wedding banquets at restaurants
| Restaurant | 2021 lowest price per table ($) | 2023 lowest price per table ($) | Increase from 2021 to 2023 | 2023 highest price per table ($) |
| Ah Yat Seafood | 688 | 799 | 16.13 per cent | 1,299 |
| Ban Heng @ Orchard Central | – | 758 | – | 1,258 |
| Ban Heng @ Orchid Country Club | – | 818 | – | 1,318 |
| Lingzhi Vegetarian | 586 | 592 | 1.02 per cent | 829 |
| Qian Xi Joy Garden | 748 | 1,068 | 42.78 per cent | 1,688 |
| Tung Lok Seafood (Orchard Central) | 629 | 851 | 35.29 per cent | 1,283 |
| Yàn 宴 | – | 1,639 | – | 1,987 |
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWn2P7nbpOA[/embed]
Wedding banquets at alternative wedding venues
| Wedding venue | 2021 lowest price per table ($) | 2023 lowest price per table ($) | Increase from 2021 to 2023 | 2023 highest price per table ($) |
| CHIJMES Hall | 1,928 | 2,172 | 12.66 per cent | 2564 |
| ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove | 1,516 | 1,696 | 11.87 per cent | 2,352 |
| Orchid Country Club | 1,186 | 1,388 | 17.03 per cent | 1,388 |
| Panamericana, Sentosa Golf Club | – | 5,000 | – | 5,000 |
| Raffles Marina | – | 1,411 | – | 1,530 |
| SEA Aquarium, Resorts World Sentosa | – | 3,421 | – | 3,540 |
| Serangoon Gardens Country Club | 688 | 984 | 43.02 per cent | 1,649 |
| Sky Garden Sentosa | – | 1,877 | – | 2,352 |
| The Great Ballroom | – | 1,188 | – | 1,388 |
| The Joyden Hall | – | 1,706 | – | 1,706 |
How do 2023 wedding banquet prices compare to 2021?
From 2021 to 2023, wedding banquet prices increased across the board for hotels, restaurants and alternative venues. That's not surprising, considering the fact that Covid-19 restrictions on large gatherings such as weddings were removed in mid 2022.
The result: An onslaught of couples long ago ready to tie the knot, and a spike in wedding banquet bookings due to the release of this pent-up demand. Some hotels have even reported an up to 30 per cent increase in demand for weddings since the restrictions were relaxed.
The most affordable 5-star hotels for weddings in Singapore
If you're looking for the most affordable five-star hotel, surprisingly, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Goodwood Park Hotel are your top picks. Their prices start at $2,005 per table. While the MBS prices go up to $2,243, this is still more affordable than the lowest priced tables at Hilton, Shangri-La, and St Regis.
Among the five-star hotels, Hilton Singapore saw the greatest jump in wedding banquet prices from 2021 to 2023 — a diabolical almost 50 per cent increase! It's also one of the pricier options on the list, at $2,481 per table.
The most affordable 4-star hotels for weddings in Singapore
On our list of four-star hotels, the most affordable is Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy, which will set you back $1,283 to $1,402 per table. This, despite the fact that they increased their prices by 16 per cent from 2021 to 2023.
The four-star hotel with the most dramatic increase is Copthorne King's by a whopping 52 per cent. However, that increase can be partly attributed to the fact that they dropped their prices by 19 per cent from 2020 to 2021, during the thick of the pandemic. As of 2023, their most affordable table will cost you $1,435.
The most affordable restaurants and alternative venues for weddings in Singapore
Generally speaking, restaurants are more affordable than alternative wedding venues such as ballrooms, country clubs, and even the SEA Aquarium (the latter is actually one of the most expensive wedding venues across all categories, and will cost you more than a wedding in Raffles Hotel!).
The most affordable restaurant to hold a wedding in Singapore is Lingzhi Vegetarian, which costs $592 per table. We're impressed — this is as affordable as a Chinese New Year reunion dinner! If vegetarian food does nothing to feed your carnivorous soul, your next best bet is Ban Heng @ Orchard Central, which prices start at $758 per table.
If you fancy a wedding venue more off the beaten path, Serangoon Gardens Country Club is your most affordable option. Despite the fact that they increased their lowest-priced table by 43 per cent since 2021, it's still the lowest among other alternative wedding venues, at $984 per table.
More tips to save on your wedding banquet
For couples about to tie the knot (or guests attending their weddings, ang bao in hand), you're probably going to feel the pinch a little more this year due to hotels, restaurants and other wedding venues hiking their prices up post-Covid.
Here are a few ways you can save on your banquet package.
Don’t have a wedding banquet on a Saturday night
It's no secret that Saturday night is the most popular time of the week for wedding banquets. But because the demand is so high, the prices are also the highest.
If you don't mind, almost every other time slot is cheaper. Weekdays (with the occasional exception of Friday) are usually more affordable than weekends, and lunch is cheaper than dinner.
Customise your package to suit your needs
Most wedding banquet packages come with the following:
- Food tasting
- Wedding favours
- Car park coupons
- A holding room for your wedding coordinators
- A bridal suite for the wedded couple (for hotels)
All these are bundled in for your convenience. But if you're a bridezilla who's already got your fancy wedding invitations and favours settled elsewhere, then you can definitely negotiate to have these taken out of the package.
You're unlikely to get a direct discount for taking stuff out, but you may be able to swap them for other stuff that you need. Some of these include extra car park coupons or more free beer for your guests.
Do also note that things like a wedding cake and wedding invitation cards are typically not included in wedding packages. On the plus side, that means you can source for the most economic option for you. Alternatively, you could also forgo these entirely — not all weddings have wedding cake these days, and most wedding invitations are sent as e-invites.
Negotiate for a payment schedule that works for you
Most hotels will tell you that they have a fixed payment schedule, but if you have any special requests, feel free to let them know. Usually there is about a 20 per cent first deposit upon confirming your date.
Assuming your banquet costs $50,000, your downpayment will be about $10,000.
Use the right credit card to pay for the banquet
If you're hoping to maximise your credit card's cashback, you can be sure that even a $10,000 downpayment will burst all rebate caps.
So instead of swiping the whole downpayment like you're supposed to, you can try requesting to stagger the payments.There's no guarantee the hotel can accommodate, but let's just say that it's not impossible.
Ideally, the amount you pay per month should be just enough to hit your monthly spend to get maximum cash back.
Then, depending on the agreed payment schedule, pick a suitable credit card to pay for it.
For example, if you have the UOB One card, you can ask to pay a $12,000 downpayment instead, splitting it into 30 x $400 payments. Each month, you can pay 5 x $400 = $2,000. Do that for two quarters and you'll get a total of $600 cash back.
ALSO READ: Couple holds wedding banquet in Bukit Merah coffee shop
This article was first published in MoneySmart.