Breakfast Bites: Wedding Ang Baos - Has it gotten too calculative? - Let's Talk, Singapore

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[00:01]
A
Best of let's talk Singapore. Wake up to what's trending, what it means and why it matters. Breakfast bites on Money FM 89.3. It's a beautiful day. We're looking for something dumb to do. Hey, baby, I think I'm gonna marry you.
[00:29]
B
Yeah.
[00:30]
A
What a beautiful song. Marriage is a beautiful thing. And I dare say we've all been to at least a few weddings, all of us here in this room at least. And we know the drill, we know the invites, we know the gate crashing, the banquet dinner. But the one thing that sticks out to everyone is the ang baos. Oh, yes. I will be honest. I have received wedding invitations where my first thought is not, wow, how lovely they're getting married. It is, where's the wedding? How much is the ang bao? That is a real worry that a lot of people have today. Be honest. This is a safe space wedding. Ang pals, has it gotten too calculative? Because today's Breakfast Bites poll. We want to hear from you. 885-508-93. Have you seen those websites that details exactly if the wedding is at capella, you have to pay $788 per pax. Have you followed any of these market rates? And do you think that it's just too stressful now and it's just gotten too calculative? Neil?
[01:37]
B
Well, I'm going to pass the baton straight away to Trisha.
[01:40]
A
Are you nervous there?
[01:41]
B
No, not really. But it was Trisha who told us a story that inspired this Breakfast Bites segment. I am still on the floor stunned by what Trisha told us.
[01:52]
A
Stunned.
[01:53]
C
So I'm at the age where a lot of my friends are getting married.
[01:57]
A
Yes. Ka Ching to you.
[01:58]
C
Yep. Can't wait for my turn. So I went to a particular wedding and I will say it has become normalized now, where you go to the reception and there are a couple bridesmaids or groomsmen sitting there with a spreadsheet like an attendance sheet. And then they'll tick off that you've come. But now. Well, I went to one particular wedding where next to the ticking of attendance, there is a little ang pao section.
[02:28]
A
Okay.
[02:28]
C
Where they tick that you gave the okay. But obviously, I don't think they were trying to make it obvious, but I saw them put the figure the person gave.
[02:38]
A
Wait. So they take out the money that you put in and you count and
[02:40]
C
they count in front of you, but they sneakily do it.
[02:44]
B
So it's like a mafia wedding. It's like Goodfellas.
[02:47]
C
Yeah. I felt a Bit uncomfortable with that.
[02:49]
B
So you've got people opening their own baos in, not in front there, and then taking it out, counting it like mafia style and then writing the dollar amount down next to your name on a spreadsheet.
[03:01]
C
So I don't know what that is for. Is it for the bride and the groom to look and take account of? But yeah, a bit weird, I would say.
[03:10]
A
Wow.
[03:10]
B
Well, I was a good Singaporean at my wedding in the sense that I made a profit. I actually made a profit from my wedding, but that wasn't the intention. I only made a profit because I was a good working class kid. I paid for. I say, I, I take that back. My wife and I paid for everything.
[03:29]
A
Well done.
[03:29]
B
We got married in the UK for our parents and our families. As I say, we paid for everything. But our only priority was to have a laugh. So we got the venue near where I grew up in our housing estate. That cost me £100, so $165. And I got a venue that was a golf club. I can't stand golf. A knock on my wife. But it happened to be in the Essex countryside near the housing estate where we grew up. And you'll like this part. We had an entire banquet. It was a tribute to Singapore. It was only Chinese food at our wedding, which was hilarious because some of the aunties and uncles in my family had never had Chinese food before. They'd never even seen Chinese food before. So to watch them stare at this food going, what am I supposed to do here? Was one of the highlights of the wedding. So it was pretty cheap, pretty straightforward and because of that we never asked for anything. We never had a wedding list. But of course nobody turns up empty handed.
[04:26]
A
Yes.
[04:26]
B
So people gave us like £50, £100, £20. It wasn't a lot of money, but because our wedding was so inexpensive, we made a profit. But I would never, never, never demand anybody to give me anything at a wedding.
[04:41]
A
I'm going to show you this website now, it's called Singapore Brides. They have many now and it actually details how much you should put in your ang bao if the wedding was at any of these venues.
[04:52]
C
And I will say the minimum amount tends to be like $200 per person.
[04:56]
B
Can you go back a bit? I must say the one there, Beaulieu House is a lovely place. I didn't even know they did weddings. But Beaulio House is at Sembawang park and I've had Makan there before. It's a very nice place. But that's Quite high end as well. Is it?
[05:10]
A
So I guess Bolio park, not so bad. $120 on a Saturday per person. But I did accidentally say capella was seven, seven hundred something dollars. It's barracks. Barracks Hotel at Sentosa, I believe that is. I'm going to pull it up now, but you can find all of the going market rates for Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Whether it's lunch or dinner, everything's all laid out. Look at how much the Barracks Hotel Sentosa costs if you were to go
[05:38]
B
$780 if it's a weekend per person.
[05:41]
A
Per person.
[05:42]
B
So what do you guys think the poll question was?
[05:44]
A
The poll question was, do you think that we've gotten too calculative with the Ang Baos, the wedding app house? The options are A, yes, it's too stressful now, B, sometimes only for the expensive ones, or C, no, covering the cost is only fair. And I have to say we got a lot of responses on both our telegram as well as Instagram polls, and I have the results right here coming in very clearly. Number one is a, yes, it's too stressful. Now 72% of you have come out to say, that was me. It's just, it's too stressful. And now not only do you have to worry about whether you can afford to go to this wedding, but that you give enough. Because I've had friends who have gotten calls from the brides after the fact to say, hey, just wanted to say that I noticed that, you know, you and your plus one came, but I only got one Angbao. Right. And so I think that that floored me as well.
[06:47]
B
I agree. Well, we have members of our team who have said if they get an invite, they'll decide whether they can go on their own or bring their partner. Because if they bring their partner, that's double money. So sometimes they're making that conscious decision. I'll just go on my own to save money. What a calculation you have to make now to go to a wedding.
[07:07]
A
And Sultan now coming in voting for A. Aloysius with a very good suggestion. Aloysius. Yeah, Wedding Ang Bao is getting too calculative. Maybe next time they should just put the market rate on the invitation card so you can make it simple. You know, there's something about walking up to the reception and seeing the big QR codes.
[07:28]
C
Yeah, it's like if you forgot to bring cash scan, don't worry, we've got you covered.
[07:34]
B
Not me. I don't know how to use them, so I'll be fine. But call me naive and I've been called a lot worse. But isn't a wedding an act of love or has it become a business transaction?
[07:46]
C
I agree with you, Neil. It's supposed to be not so transactional but in practical, in a practical sense. In Singapore it has just gotten so expensive and it's not our fault.
[07:58]
B
So I'll jump in there and I'll ask this very sensitive question and I don't know the answer. I'd love our listeners to tell me. And it's a simple question of why. Why do you have to spend $100,000 on your wedding? I could see people shouting already. If you don't have the money, why do you have to get married at a Raffles or a Fullerton? The sort of example I will give. I went to some great brilliant void deck weddings that were so much fun. My kind of wedding food was all buffet, help yourself, eat what you want when you want equally, equally. I've been to some very high end weddings, some very atas weddings. 10 course meals. It was stiff, it was boring. I sat at a table with people I didn't know. He had none of that freedom and liberation that a fun void deck wedding can have. I'm not saying it's an either or. You do whatever you can afford. But why have a wedding that you can't afford if you can't pay for it yourself? It shouldn't be your guest's responsibility to pay for it for you.
[08:58]
A
I agree with you, actually. I agree. And many of our listeners now writing in to agree with you as well. Derek, Good morning. Derek Saying good morning. All couples should just organize a wedding at a venue they can afford and not expect any profits. That solves the issue that Derek, Derek, fantastic comment. A different Derek also now writing in to say writing down the amount next to the names is like attending a funeral, a Chinese funeral. And it does seem very. I can't believe that that those groomsmen and I know it's their job right to this is the task that they're given. But to do that in a spreadsheet. Yeah. And as the guests are walking in like that.
[09:37]
C
That's a little bit. That's the way you set the scene.
[09:40]
A
Yeah. Chiming in Good morning. Lim hope that you're doing well. He says a it's too calculative now I never bring my kids along. Sometimes my spouse and I also decide if both should go or not. Oh, by the way, I've seen weddings with pay now QR codes. I have seen that as Well, I have seen that as well.
[09:59]
B
That blows my mind. Terence says if you can't afford to pay for your own wedding, it means you are not ready for married life. Whatever comes in will be it. So Ang Paul is considered a bonus.
[10:12]
A
Yes. But a lot of couples do use it to offset the cost of their wedding. Because I agree with you, Trisha. I think that things are just so expensive nowadays if you choose it that way. Yeah. And back in the day, my parents used to say, it wasn't like this before. And I wanted to say, yeah, but it also wasn't as expensive before. And this is a fact. I think that if you just look blanket, of course, you know, looking at the Raffles Hotel, the capella, the barracks, it's a whole different level. But I think just baseline, even baseline hotels, it has gotten more expensive.
[10:42]
C
Yeah.
[10:43]
B
You know, I took my daughter, didn't I, recently, to Raffles Hotel. She walked around with me, and there was a wedding. This is true. There was a wedding happening on the lawn. Raffles Hotel.
[10:51]
A
Yes.
[10:51]
B
She said, I'd like to do that. Oh, good, good. Yeah, you're not. You're not. I'm telling you now, you're not. All right.
[10:58]
A
She would like to do that. Okay, so I do want to talk about what you guys think when it comes to our money reality. In Singapore, banquet packages at HOT can easily run into hundreds of dollars per table seat, and couples often spend tens of thousands of dollars on venues, food, photography, and celebrations. But the question is, who should pay? Whose responsibility is it to pay? I want to give a shout out to those, the 24% who went with. It's only fair to cover the cost of your portion, and I think that's great. And I do think that if I were to go, I don't want to feel like I owe them something, you know, even though it's very nice that they invited me to their wedding.
[11:40]
B
But you could say that about anything if you went to a kid's birthday party.
[11:43]
A
Yes.
[11:43]
B
Sitting there calculating the cost of the cupcakes. I mean, at some point, you have to take responsibility for the event you are hosting. Alan nails it. Alan, you might be my favorite comment of the day. If a couple expects financial support for the wedding, says Alan, there should be a guaranteed refund for the divorce.
[12:05]
A
We are celebrating getting married today, not thinking about divorce, but that is a great. And James, I want to give the last word to James because I broke his heart with the Arsenal thing. And he says if couples choose an expensive banquet venue, they should be prepared to bear it, but if they expect the guests to cover it, then they shouldn't book that venue in the first place.
[12:25]
B
Couldn't agree more. And that, my friends, was breakfast bites.
[12:29]
A
For more conversations and podcasts, visit Money FM893SG.

Summary6 min read

Let's Talk, Singapore – MONEY FM 89.3
Episode: Breakfast Bites: Wedding Ang Baos – Has It Gotten Too Calculative?
Date: August 11, 2026
Hosts: Neil Humphreys (B), Audrey Siek (A), Guest: Trisha (C)

Episode Overview

This engaging Breakfast Bites segment tackles a hot-button social topic in Singapore: Are wedding ang baos (red packet cash gifts) becoming too calculative and stressful? Hosts Neil Humphreys and Audrey Siek, joined by Trisha, discuss the escalating expectations, social pressures, and awkward experiences tied to ang bao giving at weddings. With poll results and colorful listener comments, the episode explores whether the tradition has shifted from a generous gesture to a transactional headache.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Rising Stress of Wedding Ang Baos

Initial Reaction to Invitations
- Audrey admits, "My first thought is not, wow, how lovely they're getting married. It is, where's the wedding? How much is the ang bao? That is a real worry that a lot of people have today." (00:29)
- Poll launched: Have wedding ang baos become too calculative?
Spreadsheet & Amount Tracking at Weddings
- Trisha describes recent experiences where bridesmaids/groomsmen keep a spreadsheet not only for attendance, but also for tracking the amount each guest gives.
  - "I saw them put the figure the person gave... they count it, sneakily do it." (02:28–02:40)
  - Neil jokes, “So it’s like a mafia wedding. It’s like Goodfellas.” (02:43)

Personal Stories & Cultural Commentary

Neil’s UK Wedding & Pragmatism
- Neil shares: “We paid for everything… Our only priority was to have a laugh. Got the venue near where I grew up, cost me £100, so $165. We had Chinese food as a tribute to Singapore… Because our wedding was so inexpensive, we made a profit.” (03:10–04:26)
- “I would never, never, never demand anybody to give me anything at a wedding.” (04:41)

The Ang Bao "Market Rate" & Social Pressures

Websites Listing Venue-by-Venue Ang Bao Rates
- Audrey brings up the Singapore Brides site: “It actually details how much you should put in your ang bao if the wedding was at any of these venues.” (04:41)
- Trisha notes, “The minimum amount tends to be like $200 per person.” (04:52)
- Neil is surprised to see the high rates for certain venues—e.g., “Barracks Hotel Sentosa... $780 if it’s a weekend per person.” (05:37)

Listener Poll & Reactions

Poll Results Discussion (05:43)
- Main finding: 72% say ang baos have become “too stressful now.”
- Audrey cites pressure: “I’ve had friends who have gotten calls from the brides after the fact to say... I noticed that, you know, you and your plus one came, but I only got one ang bao.” (06:24)
- Listener strategies: Some choose to attend weddings alone versus as a couple to avoid doubling the ang bao (06:46).
Cashless Trends & Satire
- Jokes about putting the "market rate" on the invitation or using QR codes for PayNow—"Walking up to the reception and seeing the big QR codes..." (07:06)
- Neil quips, “Isn’t a wedding an act of love or has it become a business transaction?” (07:34)

Why the Pressure? Economic Realities and Expectations

Are Expensive Weddings Necessary?
- Neil challenges: "Why do you have to spend $100,000 on your wedding? ...Why have a wedding that you can't afford if you can't pay for it yourself? It shouldn’t be your guest’s responsibility to pay for it for you." (07:58–08:58)
- Listeners agree, advising couples to "organize a wedding at a venue they can afford and not expect any profits." (08:58)
Direct Tracking & its Discomfort
- Comparisons drawn to funeral customs and discomfort at seeing ang bao amounts written next to guest names. (09:37)
Rising Costs vs. Tradition
- Audrey notes that costs have increased dramatically: “Baseline hotels... it has gotten more expensive.” (10:11)
- Neil shares, even his daughter wanted a Raffles Hotel wedding: “She said, I’d like to do that. Oh, good, good. Yeah, you’re not. I’m telling you now, you’re not. All right.” (10:50)

Who Should Pay? Guests or Hosts?

Division of Responsibility
- 24% of poll respondents say it’s fair to cover the cost of your portion, though some hosts disagree.
- Neil: “At some point, you have to take responsibility for the event you are hosting.” (11:39)
- Comment from Alan: “If a couple expects financial support for the wedding, there should be a guaranteed refund for the divorce.” (11:43)
- James adds: “If couples choose an expensive banquet venue, they should be prepared to bear it, but if they expect the guests to cover it, then they shouldn’t book that venue in the first place.” (12:04)

Memorable Quotes

Audrey (Host), 00:29:
“I have received wedding invitations where my first thought is not, wow, how lovely they're getting married. It is, where's the wedding? How much is the ang bao?”
Trisha (Guest), 02:40:
“They count in front of you, but they sneakily do it... I felt a bit uncomfortable with that.”
Neil (Host), 03:10:
“I was a good Singaporean at my wedding in the sense that I made a profit... but that wasn’t the intention.”
Audrey, 06:24:
“I’ve had friends who have gotten calls from the brides after the fact to say... I noticed that, you know, you and your plus one came, but I only got one Angbao.”
Neil, 07:34:
“Isn’t a wedding an act of love or has it become a business transaction?”
Listener Alan, 11:43:
“If a couple expects financial support for the wedding, there should be a guaranteed refund for the divorce.”

Key Timestamps

00:29 – Opening on weddings/ang baos, real worries about cost
01:52 – Trisha’s story of “Goodfellas”–style ang bao recording
03:10 – Neil’s inexpensive wedding experience and philosophy
04:41 – Discussion on ang bao ‘market rates’ from online lists
05:43 – Results of listener poll: overwhelming stress
06:24 – Social pressure and post-wedding ang bao follow-ups
07:34 – Reflection: act of love or business transaction?
07:58 – Questioning the necessity of lavish, expensive weddings
08:58 – Listener comments: weddings within means, discomfort at recording
10:11 – Comparing rising costs to older generations
11:39 – Who should pay—guests or the couple?
11:43/12:04 – Strong listener opinions, satirical and practical advice

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The hosts combine wry humor, directness, and empathy to dissect a tradition under pressure. Listener stories and personal anecdotes give immediacy and nuance. The ang bao custom, once a heartfelt gesture, now frequently induces stress and calculation. The overwhelming sentiment: weddings should prioritize celebration within means—not transactional profit or costly obligation.

Summary Table

| Segment | Key Focus / Takeaway | Timestamps | |--------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Opening & Introduction | The ang bao dilemma: joy overshadowed by financial worry | 00:29–01:36 | | Guests’ Experiences | Personal stories of ang bao tracking and discomfort | 01:52–03:09 | | Personal Wedding Stories | Neil’s affordable wedding; the case for keeping things simple | 03:10–04:41 | | Ang Bao Market Rates | The stress of meeting ‘market rates’ driven by venue & online guides | 04:41–05:41 | | Audience Poll & Results | Most find it “too stressful”; guests strategizing attendance | 05:43–07:06 | | Social Dynamics | QR codes, calculation replacing warmth, listener suggestions | 07:06–07:58 | | Who Should Pay? | Debate over guest obligation vs couple responsibility | 07:58–12:04 |

In summary:
Wedding ang baos in Singapore have, for many, shifted from generosity to a source of anxiety, with guest obligations clearly mapped—and often tracked—at increasingly expensive venues. Listeners and hosts alike advocate for a return to intention, celebration, and financial sanity. If you haven’t listened, this episode offers both comic relief and a mirror to a modern Singaporean rite of passage.

Loading summary

Transcript54 lines

[00:01]
A
Best of let's talk Singapore. Wake up to what's trending, what it means and why it matters. Breakfast bites on Money FM 89.3. It's a beautiful day. We're looking for something dumb to do. Hey, baby, I think I'm gonna marry you.
[00:29]
B
Yeah.
[00:30]
A
What a beautiful song. Marriage is a beautiful thing. And I dare say we've all been to at least a few weddings, all of us here in this room at least. And we know the drill, we know the invites, we know the gate crashing, the banquet dinner. But the one thing that sticks out to everyone is the ang baos. Oh, yes. I will be honest. I have received wedding invitations where my first thought is not, wow, how lovely they're getting married. It is, where's the wedding? How much is the ang bao? That is a real worry that a lot of people have today. Be honest. This is a safe space wedding. Ang pals, has it gotten too calculative? Because today's Breakfast Bites poll. We want to hear from you. 885-508-93. Have you seen those websites that details exactly if the wedding is at capella, you have to pay $788 per pax. Have you followed any of these market rates? And do you think that it's just too stressful now and it's just gotten too calculative? Neil?
[01:37]
B
Well, I'm going to pass the baton straight away to Trisha.
[01:40]
A
Are you nervous there?
[01:41]
B
No, not really. But it was Trisha who told us a story that inspired this Breakfast Bites segment. I am still on the floor stunned by what Trisha told us.
[01:52]
A
Stunned.
[01:53]
C
So I'm at the age where a lot of my friends are getting married.
[01:57]
A
Yes. Ka Ching to you.
[01:58]
C
Yep. Can't wait for my turn. So I went to a particular wedding and I will say it has become normalized now, where you go to the reception and there are a couple bridesmaids or groomsmen sitting there with a spreadsheet like an attendance sheet. And then they'll tick off that you've come. But now. Well, I went to one particular wedding where next to the ticking of attendance, there is a little ang pao section.
[02:28]
A
Okay.
[02:28]
C
Where they tick that you gave the okay. But obviously, I don't think they were trying to make it obvious, but I saw them put the figure the person gave.
[02:38]
A
Wait. So they take out the money that you put in and you count and
[02:40]
C
they count in front of you, but they sneakily do it.
[02:44]
B
So it's like a mafia wedding. It's like Goodfellas.
[02:47]
C
Yeah. I felt a Bit uncomfortable with that.
[02:49]
B
So you've got people opening their own baos in, not in front there, and then taking it out, counting it like mafia style and then writing the dollar amount down next to your name on a spreadsheet.
[03:01]
C
So I don't know what that is for. Is it for the bride and the groom to look and take account of? But yeah, a bit weird, I would say.
[03:10]
A
Wow.
[03:10]
B
Well, I was a good Singaporean at my wedding in the sense that I made a profit. I actually made a profit from my wedding, but that wasn't the intention. I only made a profit because I was a good working class kid. I paid for. I say, I, I take that back. My wife and I paid for everything.
[03:29]
A
Well done.
[03:29]
B
We got married in the UK for our parents and our families. As I say, we paid for everything. But our only priority was to have a laugh. So we got the venue near where I grew up in our housing estate. That cost me £100, so $165. And I got a venue that was a golf club. I can't stand golf. A knock on my wife. But it happened to be in the Essex countryside near the housing estate where we grew up. And you'll like this part. We had an entire banquet. It was a tribute to Singapore. It was only Chinese food at our wedding, which was hilarious because some of the aunties and uncles in my family had never had Chinese food before. They'd never even seen Chinese food before. So to watch them stare at this food going, what am I supposed to do here? Was one of the highlights of the wedding. So it was pretty cheap, pretty straightforward and because of that we never asked for anything. We never had a wedding list. But of course nobody turns up empty handed.
[04:26]
A
Yes.
[04:26]
B
So people gave us like £50, £100, £20. It wasn't a lot of money, but because our wedding was so inexpensive, we made a profit. But I would never, never, never demand anybody to give me anything at a wedding.
[04:41]
A
I'm going to show you this website now, it's called Singapore Brides. They have many now and it actually details how much you should put in your ang bao if the wedding was at any of these venues.
[04:52]
C
And I will say the minimum amount tends to be like $200 per person.
[04:56]
B
Can you go back a bit? I must say the one there, Beaulieu House is a lovely place. I didn't even know they did weddings. But Beaulio House is at Sembawang park and I've had Makan there before. It's a very nice place. But that's Quite high end as well. Is it?
[05:10]
A
So I guess Bolio park, not so bad. $120 on a Saturday per person. But I did accidentally say capella was seven, seven hundred something dollars. It's barracks. Barracks Hotel at Sentosa, I believe that is. I'm going to pull it up now, but you can find all of the going market rates for Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Whether it's lunch or dinner, everything's all laid out. Look at how much the Barracks Hotel Sentosa costs if you were to go
[05:38]
B
$780 if it's a weekend per person.
[05:41]
A
Per person.
[05:42]
B
So what do you guys think the poll question was?
[05:44]
A
The poll question was, do you think that we've gotten too calculative with the Ang Baos, the wedding app house? The options are A, yes, it's too stressful now, B, sometimes only for the expensive ones, or C, no, covering the cost is only fair. And I have to say we got a lot of responses on both our telegram as well as Instagram polls, and I have the results right here coming in very clearly. Number one is a, yes, it's too stressful. Now 72% of you have come out to say, that was me. It's just, it's too stressful. And now not only do you have to worry about whether you can afford to go to this wedding, but that you give enough. Because I've had friends who have gotten calls from the brides after the fact to say, hey, just wanted to say that I noticed that, you know, you and your plus one came, but I only got one Angbao. Right. And so I think that that floored me as well.
[06:47]
B
I agree. Well, we have members of our team who have said if they get an invite, they'll decide whether they can go on their own or bring their partner. Because if they bring their partner, that's double money. So sometimes they're making that conscious decision. I'll just go on my own to save money. What a calculation you have to make now to go to a wedding.
[07:07]
A
And Sultan now coming in voting for A. Aloysius with a very good suggestion. Aloysius. Yeah, Wedding Ang Bao is getting too calculative. Maybe next time they should just put the market rate on the invitation card so you can make it simple. You know, there's something about walking up to the reception and seeing the big QR codes.
[07:28]
C
Yeah, it's like if you forgot to bring cash scan, don't worry, we've got you covered.
[07:34]
B
Not me. I don't know how to use them, so I'll be fine. But call me naive and I've been called a lot worse. But isn't a wedding an act of love or has it become a business transaction?
[07:46]
C
I agree with you, Neil. It's supposed to be not so transactional but in practical, in a practical sense. In Singapore it has just gotten so expensive and it's not our fault.
[07:58]
B
So I'll jump in there and I'll ask this very sensitive question and I don't know the answer. I'd love our listeners to tell me. And it's a simple question of why. Why do you have to spend $100,000 on your wedding? I could see people shouting already. If you don't have the money, why do you have to get married at a Raffles or a Fullerton? The sort of example I will give. I went to some great brilliant void deck weddings that were so much fun. My kind of wedding food was all buffet, help yourself, eat what you want when you want equally, equally. I've been to some very high end weddings, some very atas weddings. 10 course meals. It was stiff, it was boring. I sat at a table with people I didn't know. He had none of that freedom and liberation that a fun void deck wedding can have. I'm not saying it's an either or. You do whatever you can afford. But why have a wedding that you can't afford if you can't pay for it yourself? It shouldn't be your guest's responsibility to pay for it for you.
[08:58]
A
I agree with you, actually. I agree. And many of our listeners now writing in to agree with you as well. Derek, Good morning. Derek Saying good morning. All couples should just organize a wedding at a venue they can afford and not expect any profits. That solves the issue that Derek, Derek, fantastic comment. A different Derek also now writing in to say writing down the amount next to the names is like attending a funeral, a Chinese funeral. And it does seem very. I can't believe that that those groomsmen and I know it's their job right to this is the task that they're given. But to do that in a spreadsheet. Yeah. And as the guests are walking in like that.
[09:37]
C
That's a little bit. That's the way you set the scene.
[09:40]
A
Yeah. Chiming in Good morning. Lim hope that you're doing well. He says a it's too calculative now I never bring my kids along. Sometimes my spouse and I also decide if both should go or not. Oh, by the way, I've seen weddings with pay now QR codes. I have seen that as Well, I have seen that as well.
[09:59]
B
That blows my mind. Terence says if you can't afford to pay for your own wedding, it means you are not ready for married life. Whatever comes in will be it. So Ang Paul is considered a bonus.
[10:12]
A
Yes. But a lot of couples do use it to offset the cost of their wedding. Because I agree with you, Trisha. I think that things are just so expensive nowadays if you choose it that way. Yeah. And back in the day, my parents used to say, it wasn't like this before. And I wanted to say, yeah, but it also wasn't as expensive before. And this is a fact. I think that if you just look blanket, of course, you know, looking at the Raffles Hotel, the capella, the barracks, it's a whole different level. But I think just baseline, even baseline hotels, it has gotten more expensive.
[10:42]
C
Yeah.
[10:43]
B
You know, I took my daughter, didn't I, recently, to Raffles Hotel. She walked around with me, and there was a wedding. This is true. There was a wedding happening on the lawn. Raffles Hotel.
[10:51]
A
Yes.
[10:51]
B
She said, I'd like to do that. Oh, good, good. Yeah, you're not. You're not. I'm telling you now, you're not. All right.
[10:58]
A
She would like to do that. Okay, so I do want to talk about what you guys think when it comes to our money reality. In Singapore, banquet packages at HOT can easily run into hundreds of dollars per table seat, and couples often spend tens of thousands of dollars on venues, food, photography, and celebrations. But the question is, who should pay? Whose responsibility is it to pay? I want to give a shout out to those, the 24% who went with. It's only fair to cover the cost of your portion, and I think that's great. And I do think that if I were to go, I don't want to feel like I owe them something, you know, even though it's very nice that they invited me to their wedding.
[11:40]
B
But you could say that about anything if you went to a kid's birthday party.
[11:43]
A
Yes.
[11:43]
B
Sitting there calculating the cost of the cupcakes. I mean, at some point, you have to take responsibility for the event you are hosting. Alan nails it. Alan, you might be my favorite comment of the day. If a couple expects financial support for the wedding, says Alan, there should be a guaranteed refund for the divorce.
[12:05]
A
We are celebrating getting married today, not thinking about divorce, but that is a great. And James, I want to give the last word to James because I broke his heart with the Arsenal thing. And he says if couples choose an expensive banquet venue, they should be prepared to bear it, but if they expect the guests to cover it, then they shouldn't book that venue in the first place.
[12:25]
B
Couldn't agree more. And that, my friends, was breakfast bites.
[12:29]
A
For more conversations and podcasts, visit Money FM893SG.