Wedding Banquet

I am not sure about you, but I have always wonder why Chinese wedding seem to be more complicated and is always about "FACES". What does I mean by "faces"?? It mean your parents invited those long distance relative or friends or colleagues, whom do not even know you and your partner to YOUR wedding. It look more likely to be a gathering ceremony for your parents. This wedding ceremony to me sound like an announcement of "I AM FINALLY MARRIED! HAHAHA!!"

How much will a wedding cost you?

Let say Couple A(Low Budget) and Couple B(High Budget) planning to throw a banquet of 25 tables in 1 Mar 2014 (1314, Chinese people you should know what this number mean).

Couple A Choose the location at Peach Garden
Banquet - $678/table x 25 = $16,950 ($20K after GST)
Rings - < $3,000
Honeymoon (Asia-Japan) - < $5,000
Wedding package - < $3,500
(Actual Photo + video Shoot + Gown + Suit + Make up + Hairdo)


Couple B choose the location at Grand Hyatt
Banquet - $1388/table x 25 = $34,700 ($40K after GST)
Rings - $15,000 = $10,000 (Engagement Ring) + $5,000 (Wedding Rings)
Gown - $12,000 (Designer Gown, eg, Tan Yoong )
Actual Photo + video Shoot - <$3,500
Honeymoon (Euro) - <$10,000

Comparing both couples, the range can go as low as $30K to $80K (this is not accurate, it is an estimation), SEE what I mean. All those monkey show (banquet) which is not necessarily at all. You are spending $20K-$40K for a wedding banquet mostly with people whom are by passers in your life.


What I am been trying to emphasize is banquets is totally a waste of money! If it is me, I rather take those cash and spend on my families treating them to travel with us for our ROM. Enjoy our joy with our loves one (families and BFF), these people are those whom stay in your life and be there for you all time. We can save the rest of the cash for renovating our love nest. Ain't that sound much better?

Recently I participated my Aunt wedding as one of the seven sisters, a very Simple Wedding. Morning - Gatecrushed, Noon - wedding photoshoot, Night - wedding banquet. All in 1 day, ush rush rush. Rush for makeup, hairdo, photoshoot, rush for changing from wedding gown to evening gown, rush from table to table to entertain guest/photo taking. Does all this worth it?? It is really depend on individual.

Estimating cost ($20K+-):
Banquet - $678/table x 20 = $13,560 ($16K after GST)
Gown - $500
Makeup + Hairdo Artist  - $500
Photo + videography - RM2999 (SGD$1,300)
I have not  include rings, flower, and etc.

I have questioned most of my friends and colleagues surround me. Why are they willing to spend so much on throwing a wedding to invite those they barely even know? Guess what! In conclusion their answer is "Because my parents ....". Is it necessary to spend so much to invite those Old schoolmates, ex colleagues, relatives (whom you hardly contact) to attend your wedding? I do not know about you, but to me NO WAY. It gonna be my wedding, my BIG DAY, I am in control of the wedding of where i wanna it to be, how i wanna it to be, not my parents. Not saying that I will not listen to their decision, I will still respect them, however my partner and I will still make the last call.

Most of the young couples want to have a simple ROM ceremony/party/dinner with both parents, siblings and BFF. Save up those banquet expenditure on honeymoon or purchasing a car/house. Sadly to mention most of the time the Parents WIN.

This young couple, I known of many year. Mentioned that they rather save from banquet and spend on renovating their new house. Spending water flowing money on throwing a time wasting wedding banquet which the couples hardly even manage to enjoy a proper meal, they have to walk around the banquet tables to entertain and take picture with the guests whom are mostly invited by the couple parents. Ain't it feel like a "Monkey in the Circus".

Finally the BIG SHOW came to the end, the couples cannot rest yet, they have to stand at the entrance and thanks each of the guests whom attend their wedding as a "blessing" (I bet those Uncle and Aunt also don't really know whose wedding they have attended). What an exhausted day.

The show really end when the couple finally reaches the rest destination.
My conclusion is Wedding banquet is a wasted of TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY!!!

P.S. For me, my dream wedding will be a extreme wedding like SKYDIVING or DIVING under the sea  which is impossible for this to even happen. My BF have a heart condition (Due to the air/water pressure). I do not wanna to lose a Husband just to fufilling my personal dream. >.<

But I believe i partner will not mind if I invite a few good friends of ours to travel with us during our honeymoon period, the more the merrier. :D