How much to give on wedding dinner guide

Recently, many of my friends (close to my age) are getting married and i am getting stressed out as well... both mentally and financially.

Mentally like i have really matured and its time for me to enter the second stage of my life - with my partner and many responsibilities will fall onto me as well.

Financially - The Ang Pows / Hong Bao that i will have to fork out regularly for all my friends holding their joyous once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thus, i went to research a bit and i remembered that i saw this table below somewhere and i found it! So decided to share with all my readers:

Besides the "how much to give for wedding" guide, here are also four handy tips to work out your hongbao amount.

The wedding banquet venue

If you’re unsure of how much to put in your red packet, call up the establishment hosting the event and ask for its table rates, then give 20 per cent more than what you’ve been quoted. 

So, if the meal costs $100 per head, be prepared to fork out at least $120. And don’t think outdoor wedding dinners cost the happy couple any less. These are more likely to have additional hidden costs, like fees for the tent’s set-up and insurance for the lawn in case it gets damaged by guests. Give the same amount as you would for an indoor affair.

You can check the table rate here.

The day of the week

The day on which the event is held makes a difference. If it’s on the weekend or a public holiday, the couple will have to pay about 10 to 20 per cent more for their dinner tables. 

So, inflate your hongbao accordingly. The time of the event matters too. If you’re headed for a lunch or afternoon tea, expect to give about half of what you’d normally pony up for a 10-course Chinese dinner.

Your relationship to the couple

The closer you are to the couple, the deeper you should dig into your purse. Those with a special role to play, like being one of the bride’s “sisters”, should cough up more. 

So, if you’re headed to a dinner banquet at a five-star hotel on a Saturday night, consider giving your colleague a $120 hongbao and a close friend $150. If you’re the bridesmaid, bump it up to between $150 and $200.

Numbers matter

A final hint: If you’re raking in big bucks at work, just shell out a little more. You wouldn’t want to be known as Amy’s cheapskate lawyer friend, would you? 

Trust us – word gets around. It’s also worth knowing that if you’re going for a Chinese dinner, auspicious red-packet amounts are $88, $108, $128 and $188.

Conclusion

On a closing note, I will be setting aside a regular pool of money to give out ang pow money from now on.. i believe things are going to be more "hectic" from now on... hahaha!