Wedding bliss, the notion of getting married and no cost spared is a fallacy! In today’s context with rising costs and the depreciation ringgit, every item on the wedding list seems to be shooting up by the week.
Investment expert, Ian Tai whom we often publish his financial and investment tips, finally tied the knot and generously also shared his wedding expenditure topping with 8 key areas one should know before the wedding.
For context, both Ian and his spouse are Christian Chinese and held their wedding in KL with a luncheon in Ipoh.
In his narration, Ian listed out 8 key expenditures the couple spent on their wedding and hopes this will give prospective couples an insight into the expenses of a modern-day wedding.
1. Proposal Ring + Wedding Bands
I purchased a diamond ring costing RM 2.5k for my wedding proposal. Then, we bought our wedding bands (white gold + diamond) for RM 900+. The rings were chosen based on our preference in terms of design, suitability, and … price. We knew that there are many nicer choices that are priced higher. But, we chose to save money as we are preparing for 7 other major expenditures listed below:
Side Note:
I didn’t host a separate event to propose to my wife. I had made my proposal in a quieter setting in Ipoh. It is at a spot where we confirmed our relationship. So nothing fancy, but yet, it is meaningful to us. No additional cost on this.
2. Dowry a.ka. Guo Da Li (GDL)
GDL is Chinese for dowry. There is no fixed rule to determine its amount. But, in my findings, I was “told” that the amount of GDL could range between RM 1-2k to RM 10k and to even as high as RM 20k. These are my reference points. So for us, we agreed on GDL, consisting of cash + gifts, worth RM 7+k. Here, as long as the GDL is presented sincerely, I think the bride’s family would be receptive to it (Context is more important than the content, I believe).
3. Photographers + Videographers
We engaged two separate vendors:
The first is for our pre-wedding photoshoot.
The second is to capture the moment on our big day in the Golf Club.
We had our pre-wedding photoshoot in Ipoh for RM 3+k. Considering our super hot weather, we had 1 outdoor shooting and 2 indoor shootings. In the end, we received a nice photo album and a huge photo printed which we’d used as “our banner” for both wedding events in the golf club and in Ipoh.
Next, we hired one photographer and one videographer to shoot and record all that happened at our wedding ceremony and dinner in the Golf Club. This costs RM 4k.
So in total, we spent RM 7+k for both photography and videography.
4. Wedding Gowns
My wife purchased a simple yet elegant wedding dress costing RM 159.. She wore it for our pre-wedding photoshoot. She had worn another dress for ROM at Plaza Shah Alam and our wedding luncheon in Ipoh. Now, as for the wedding ceremony + dinner in the Golf Club, she rented her gowns for a total of RM 2.7k. So in total, these gowns cost RM 2.8+k.
5. Make-Up and Hairdo
My wife hired make-up artists for all three occasions costing RM 2.5k in total.
6. Wedding Live Band + Emcee
We hired a wedding live band + emcee for an original price of RM 4.5+k. But, as a result of “under-deliverance” on the vendor’s part, we have settled at RM 3k+ and closed the file. So, don’t take our actual cost for this as most vendors in this field would quote around RM 4-6k. Of course, there are vendors that are priced at RM 10k-15k if you are willing to splurge on wedding entertainment.
7. Gifts
We owe big time to our family members, friends, pastors and church friends for assisting us in our wedding preparations. So, we spent RM 2-3k in ang paos and gifts as tokens of appreciation for all their efforts.
8. Wedding Venue + Food Costs
Now, time to reveal our big bills. Here, we’ll exclude the Pakistani restaurant for the cost is smaller (RM 700+).
As for the wedding ceremony + dinner (23 tables) in the Golf Club, we’d spent a total of RM 42k+. We also bought red wine costing RM 3k. Thus, in total, the cost for our big day is RM 45+k.
We spent RM 5.7k to host our wedding luncheon in Ipoh.
All in all, we spent RM 51+k on the wedding venue and food costs.
Others
In addition to the 8 main expenditures, there are many minor expenditures, like wedding cards, wedding attire, our hotel bookings, … etc that cost aboutRM 2k.
Finally, Our Total Wedding Cost
In total, we spent RM 87+k on our wedding.
Fortunately, we collected RM 60+k in ang pao and gifts. Some had given (KC Lau included) beyond our expectations. As such, we are super grateful. But if you’re planning for a wedding, it is prudent to not put unrealistically high expectations on the collection of ang paos.
This is because not all would contribute to “your expected amount”. If it occurs, you may feel disappointed. Also, it’s possible that you might overspend on your wedding if you place “higher expectations” on the ang pao collection. So here, I would say it’s best to be conservative and have adequate cash flow planning for your wedding. You don’t want to be starting off your marriage life with debts.
