- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Yam sengs are just as special on weekdays
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Cheaper wedding dinners on weekdays a strong pull factor for couples </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Yeo Sam Jo
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>
Mr Alex Lee and his bride Kim Gan are among a rising number of couples who are hosting their wedding dinners and lunches on weekdays instead of the more traditional weekends. -- PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX LEE
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->BANK officer Alex Lee and his wife Kim Gan had their wedding dinner at the Hilton Hotel two weeks ago - on a Wednesday.
If it had been the weekend, the 47-table banquet would have been $9,000 more expensive. Plus, a check of geomancy sites on the Internet showed that March 11 was a 'lucky date' for the couple, he said.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->RELATED LINKS
<!-- Audio --><!-- Video --><!-- PDF -->
COST OF A WEDDING BANQUET
<!-- Photo Gallery -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'It doesn't have to be on a weekend to be special,' said Mr Lee, 35.
More couples would agree.
About half of the 23 hotels The Straits Times spoke to said that while the majority of newly-weds still prefer traditional weekend dinners, an increasing number of couples are opting for weekend lunches or weekday dinners instead.
At both the M Hotel and Swissotel Merchant Court, three in every 10 couples are opting for these cheaper banquets, up from one in 10 couples in previous years.
Mr Rainer Tenius, general manager of Swissotel Merchant Court, put it down to the 'market situation'. Couples are anticipating smaller red packets, 'thus it seems far more viable to opt for the cheaper packages'.
Depending on the package, menu and venue, a typical hotel wedding dinner on weekends can cost between $700 and $1,200 per table. By comparison, lunches and weekday dinners are generally cheaper by about $100 to $400 per table.
Even five-star hotels like Marina Mandarin and The Regent Singapore are reporting a rise in lunch and weekday dinner bookings.
'Couples have become more savvy,' said Miss Chayapha Asawachinda, director of catering at The Regent. 'Many are also on the lookout for extra perks such as complimentary wine and better prices at wedding shows.'
But there are some couples who feel the wedding lunch is not so much about saving costs as of preference and convenience.
Ms Teria Kim-Wong, a 31 year-old bride-to-be, said: 'I'm considering a weekend lunch banquet because it is not so formal and the atmosphere is more relaxing. My guests also won't have to rush home for work the next day.'
But frugality appears to be the watchword these days, and there are those who are going one step further by postponing their marriage plans.
Business development executive Yvonne Low, 25, plans to tie the knot next year. 'This year's economy is very bad for throwing a wedding. I think it's better to play safe now and save up for bad weather.'
At Hotel Rendezvous, the number of wedding bookings for the first two months has gone down by about 50 per cent, from 15 last year to seven this year.
Others like the Grand Hyatt and Copthorne Kings have also reported a 10 per cent dip over the same period, but would not disclose any figures.
Still, most hotels are optimistic when it comes to incoming bookings for the year ahead.
Said Mr Ho Mun Hoong, director of catering at the Four Seasons: 'No matter the times, people are still getting married. Be it lunch or dinner, banquets are their way of making this important milestone memorable.' [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Cheaper wedding dinners on weekdays a strong pull factor for couples </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Yeo Sam Jo
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Mr Alex Lee and his bride Kim Gan are among a rising number of couples who are hosting their wedding dinners and lunches on weekdays instead of the more traditional weekends. -- PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX LEE
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->BANK officer Alex Lee and his wife Kim Gan had their wedding dinner at the Hilton Hotel two weeks ago - on a Wednesday.
If it had been the weekend, the 47-table banquet would have been $9,000 more expensive. Plus, a check of geomancy sites on the Internet showed that March 11 was a 'lucky date' for the couple, he said.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->RELATED LINKS
<!-- Audio --><!-- Video --><!-- PDF -->
<!-- Photo Gallery -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'It doesn't have to be on a weekend to be special,' said Mr Lee, 35.
More couples would agree.
About half of the 23 hotels The Straits Times spoke to said that while the majority of newly-weds still prefer traditional weekend dinners, an increasing number of couples are opting for weekend lunches or weekday dinners instead.
At both the M Hotel and Swissotel Merchant Court, three in every 10 couples are opting for these cheaper banquets, up from one in 10 couples in previous years.
Mr Rainer Tenius, general manager of Swissotel Merchant Court, put it down to the 'market situation'. Couples are anticipating smaller red packets, 'thus it seems far more viable to opt for the cheaper packages'.
Depending on the package, menu and venue, a typical hotel wedding dinner on weekends can cost between $700 and $1,200 per table. By comparison, lunches and weekday dinners are generally cheaper by about $100 to $400 per table.
Even five-star hotels like Marina Mandarin and The Regent Singapore are reporting a rise in lunch and weekday dinner bookings.
'Couples have become more savvy,' said Miss Chayapha Asawachinda, director of catering at The Regent. 'Many are also on the lookout for extra perks such as complimentary wine and better prices at wedding shows.'
But there are some couples who feel the wedding lunch is not so much about saving costs as of preference and convenience.
Ms Teria Kim-Wong, a 31 year-old bride-to-be, said: 'I'm considering a weekend lunch banquet because it is not so formal and the atmosphere is more relaxing. My guests also won't have to rush home for work the next day.'
But frugality appears to be the watchword these days, and there are those who are going one step further by postponing their marriage plans.
Business development executive Yvonne Low, 25, plans to tie the knot next year. 'This year's economy is very bad for throwing a wedding. I think it's better to play safe now and save up for bad weather.'
At Hotel Rendezvous, the number of wedding bookings for the first two months has gone down by about 50 per cent, from 15 last year to seven this year.
Others like the Grand Hyatt and Copthorne Kings have also reported a 10 per cent dip over the same period, but would not disclose any figures.
Still, most hotels are optimistic when it comes to incoming bookings for the year ahead.
Said Mr Ho Mun Hoong, director of catering at the Four Seasons: 'No matter the times, people are still getting married. Be it lunch or dinner, banquets are their way of making this important milestone memorable.' [email protected]