Destination wedding ang bao: How much should you give? (2025 guide)
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PUBLISHED ONNovember 01, 2025 10:45 AMBYAudrey Ng
A grand chateau in the Tuscany countryside, a luxurious resort overlooking the sea in Bali, or a serene ryokan in the forests of Kyoto. Who wouldn't want a dream wedding overseas if money wasn't an issue?
About 70 per cent of Singaporeans want to have a destination wedding, or already had a wedding abroad, according to a survey by Skyscanner and One Poll in 2024. And while having one in a destination that has significant meaning to the couple would be one for the books, the guests attending have to consider travel costs and ang bao expectations.
If you're flying out, taking leave and paying for hotels, how much should you actually put in the red packet? We list out the various factors that affect the ang bao amount for consideration.
The basics: Ang bao etiquette in Singapore weddings
Giving wedding ang baos at Singapore weddings follow a pretty standard etiquette depending on several factors. At the very least, it should cover the cost of your meal at the wedding, be it a lunch at a restaurant or fancy hotel dinner.
Your relationship with the couple matters too. How close you are to them — is it family, best friend, distant school mate whom you only meet once or twice a year, or colleague who you have to see during the week?
Other factors come in too such as the time of day (dinner is more expensive than lunch), day of week (weekends cost more), level of customisation (e.g. special decor, wine, decorations).
All these may change when the wedding is overseas. Factors that affect the price include:
- Travel and accommodation costs for guests add up, so people often accept that the ang bao might be lower than what they'd give for a local banquet.
- Venue costs overseas might be lower (or higher) than in Singapore, depending on local price levels, popularity, and what's included.
- If one of the couple is from a different country, there may also be local gift-giving traditions to take into account
- The couple's expectations: some invitees are told no need for a gift or to just have their presence is enough especially for destination weddings.
Key considerations for destination wedding ang bao amounts
| Consideration | What to think about | How it affects ang bao rate |
| Location of wedding | Is it nearby, like Malaysia or Indonesia, or further like Japan, Europe, Australia? | Farther = more cost incurred by you, more justification to decrease the ang bao vs. local benchmark. But also, costly destinations may signal that guests expect more. |
| Type of venue | Luxury resort, full banquet, casual beach chapel, villa, etc. Is it all inclusive with the food + drinks + decor + lodging? | High-end vs all inclusive means per person cost may rival Singapore banquets or be even more. If the venue is modest, your ang bao may be lower. |
| Travel & accommodation costs | Flights + airport transfers, hotel, other travel necessities such as insurance or visa. If you’re spending a lot, you may scale down the ang bao accordingly or perhaps the couple may have secured favourable rates for the hotel | The more you spend getting there, the more acceptable to give less or adjust downward. |
| Relationship with couple | Close family vs best friend vs acquaintance vs colleague. | The closer you are, the more you may feel ok with giving a higher amount OR may feel more comfortable not giving so much |
| Local traditions | If the wedding is in country with its own gift expectations, you can do some research on what’s appropriate | If your friend explicitly states that only a gift is fine, you could give a smaller ang bao amount |
Estimated price range for a destination wedding ang bao
For reference, a regular Singapore wedding banquet at a hotel costs from $150 to $780.
Here are some estimated price ranges of a wedding package in several popular countries so you know roughly how much it costs the couple and can gauge your ang bao accordingly:
| Location | Estimated price range of wedding package (S$) |
| Nha Trang | $3,800 – $25,400 |
| Bali | $3,800 – $91,600 |
| Phuket | $5,200 – $20,500 |
| Australia | $6,200 – $9,200 |
| Malaysia | $7,400 – $18,500 |
| Koh Samui | $7,400 – $25,600 |
| Maldives | $10,300 – $34,200 |
| Greece | $10,900 – $23,500 |
*Prices are based on rates from My Overseas Wedding, inclusive of ceremony, reception, and F&B, for a group of 30 guests at a limited number of mid- to high-end hotels and resorts.
How to give and be financially responsible
So while you don't want to seem like a miser with a small ang bao amount, you don't want to blow your budget for the month either. Some considerations you can take:
- Set a travel-inclusive budget: Calculate what the trip could cost you (flight + hotel + insurance + other travel expenses). Then decide how much of that you're comfortable spending on the ang bao.
- Look for ways to reduce travel costs: deals, rewards, using miles, etc (we explain more below)
Alternatives when strapped for cash
Give a meaningful gift instead of cash, especially if gifts are customary.
Offer help: travel coordination, organising guest group transport, help with local arrangements. These can be valued by the couple.
Send the ang bao later or digitally, if the local custom or the couple permits.
Make the trip affordable for you
We know trips can be expensive and even more so when you're going for a wedding and you have to consider other costs. Here are some tips to keep things affordable so you can give an ang bao within your means:
1. Look for flight and hotel deals
This goes without saying. Since the wedding date is fixed, set alerts on Google Flights or Skyscanner to get promo prices. Book flights and hotels well in advance; or ask the friend getting married for special hotel rates as there are usually package deals for wedding guests.
2. Use cashback/miles credit cards
Pay for flight/hotel expenses with a card that gives rewards. Some cards have travel credit, bonus miles, or rebates.
Also check how much foreign transaction fees are for your card so you know which is the cheapest card to use. See which are the best multi-currency cards for overseas spending.
3. Compare travel insurance options
With flight delays, luggage problems and unpredictable incidents happening around the world, travel insurance is a must. To save costs, check out our travel insurance promotions for the most valuable plan for your needs.
4. Group bookings with other guests
As much as possible, it's always best to combine bookings with friends to share car transfers or hotel bookings to get a discount.
At the end of the day, it's the thought that counts. If you're already close enough to get invited overseas, you know your friend and it's more about how much you want to contribute meaningfully.
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This article was first published in MoneySmart.