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Jo's Jumbled Jardinière

Jardinière, an ornamental stand for display of growing flowers... a metaphor for my flowering yet
muddled mind... an eccentric attempt for alliteration. How ineffable are our feelings, thoughts and
experience, yet what have we but our language to make sense of our senses stirred?

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Wedding Ang Pow Guide 2010 Search

Posted in wedding on Sunday, October 24, 2010 3:24 AM by Jo

I found this wedding ang pow guide from 8 Days magazine (Oct 7 2010; the one with
~♥about me♥~
Jacelyn Tay's wedding on the cover) really useful. I hope that my local blog readers who
Jo
don't read 8 Days would find this useful too. For my clueless non-Chinese international
readers, giving a red packet (ang pow) with a token sum is imperative when attending a The author's profile
was written in 2004
Chinese wedding. Ah, you learn something new today! =) and the interests have
not been edited since.
For keepsake, the author would leave
this profile page as it is. Instead, click on
the tabs on the pink menu bar to learn
more about her.
View my complete profile

ads & poll... pls click

The information is extracted from the magazine with minor expressions changed while
trying to retain its sense of humour. Words which are of my own are indicated clearly in ♥~my god daughter's blog~♥
brown italics.

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Venue & type:

Atas coz it's new or kinda new

For example:
Marina Bay Sands, Capella Singapore, St Regis Singapore

How much to give per person:

$170
(as it costs about $1700 per table)
capítulo
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
▼ 2010 (62)
Venue & type: ▼ October (9)
5-star hotel acting like 6
Halloween 2010 Preview
For example: Ba Ba Black Lips
Fullerton, Mandarin Oriental, Resorts World Convention Centre, Ritz Carlton, Shangri-la
Wedding Ang Pow Guide 2010
How much to give per person:
Dance when you feel like it
$130 -- $160
A typical morning...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Unfolding May's Folder -- Birthday

Venue & type: Blast

5-star hotel 外套 動力火車

For example: Universal Studios Again!

Conrad Centennial, Four Seasons, Fullerton Bay Hotel, Marriott, Grand Hyatt, Grand October is here
Copthorne Waterfront, Pan Pacific
► September (4)
How much to give per person:
► August (7)
$100 -- 130
► July (5)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ► June (4)

Venue & type: ► May (7)

4-star hotel ► April (5)

For example: ► March (8)

Furama Riverfront, Parkroyal on Beach Road
► February (7)

How much to give per person: ► January (6)

$80 -- $100 ► 2009 (72)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ► 2008 (78)

► 2007 (79)
Venue & type:
Lunch reception ► 2006 (57)

► 2005 (63)
For example:
church buffet, hotel buffet ► 2004 (47)

How much to give per person: categoría

$60 -- $80 (catered buffet) „ arts (12)
$80 -- $100 (hotel buffet) * „ beauty (17)
„ besties (51)
*Jo's views:
I've had friends holding wedding luncheons at hotels and such luncheons could cost as „ boh liao (21)
much as the dinner banquets. Not many people know this and make the mistake of „ celebrity (9)
giving too little. With that, I reckon it would be better for you to find out the rates and
„ clubbing (17)
give accordingly if you're the kind who follows the "market rate".
„ deardear (59)

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ „ decision (7)

„ family (25)
Venue & type:
Chinese restaurant „ fashion (35)

„ food (51)
For example:
„ friends (77)
restaurants under Tung Lok group
„ fun (53)
How much to give per person: „ godkids (38)
$70 -- $80 „ hair (14)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ „ halloween (10)

„ health (22)
Venue & type:
„ humour (8)
Others
„ jase (9)
For example: „ kids (17)
non-chinese restaurants or a rented venue with sit-down western meal
„ kids_works (2)
How much to give per person: „ letter (3)
$100 -- $120 „ make (1)
(These are generally ala carte, not package deals, which rack up costs)
„ make up (9)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ „ movie (12)

„ note (34)
Further notes
„ pets (13)

„ photos (75)

„ poem (2)
1. The above rates are based on banquets held from Friday to Sunday which is
„ random (63)
considered as prime period and thus more expensive.
„ reads (5)
2. Many hotels have a wide price range. The Ritz Carlton for example, has tables „ reflections (21)
costing from $1300 -- $1500. Since there is no way of knowing if a wedding couple
has opted for high or low-end menu, the calculations above are based on an „ review (24)
average. Whether you want to give a bigger ang pow or smaller one depends on „ sad (18)
your reationship with the couple and your um... generosity.
„ sentimental (11)

3. For the very kiasu/ kiasi, call the hotel to ask for rates when you get your „ shopping (22)
invitation cards. Prices are based on estimates; please take this guide with a „ simba (11)
pinch of soya sauce.
„ song (10)
„ stress (4)

„ tags (32)
Variable factors
„ travel (4)
Wedding is on Mon--Thur: „ tuition (5)
Give 90% - 95% of the weekend rate. „ tête-à-tête (2)

An immediate family or BFF: „ video (22)

Add 50%. „ wedding (34)
„ wishes (12)
A hated sibling or frenemy:
Subtract $50 but add $20 for his/ her other half since they're doing you a favour by „ work (39)
extracting that person from your life.
amigo
The wedding couple gave you peanuts for your wedding: „ angela
Return the favour but check the inflation rate. Upgrade from cashews to macademia if „ auuk
necessary.
„ canny
You're obviously a last minute, seat-filler: „ citrella
Deduct 30% and make sure you eat more „ deedee

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You RSVP-ed but can't make it at the last minute: „ elaine

Give the full amount -- ask a friend to deposit an ang pow on your behalf
„ florence

It's the wedding of your ex who got away: „ fran

Don't go. Add 50%, then send an ang pow as above. Keep yourself very occupied that „ gera blog
night
„ gera magicroom

It's the wedding of your ex who cheated on you: „ jasmine

Go but give nothing „ jiaqing

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ „ joanne blog

„ joanne loh
Other Things to Know
„ jodecro

What inflation? „ joel

We expected prices to have gone up this year. Surprisingly, they mostly stayed the same „ june
„ justin
$150 is the magic number
As a general rule, give at least $150. Anything below that might not cover for a wedding „ lian
dinner at a decent hotel, once you throw in other things such as photography, a good „ lydia
wedding band, and the premium tipper.
„ maggie
Write your name „ nadine
According to Chinese tradition, you're required to write your name on your ang pow, say
„ orion
wedding planners. It's also nice to write a simple wish, such as "Congrats! This is the end
of your life as you know it." „ raine
Don't think about slipping that anonymous red packet into the box at reception -- we „ regina
know brides who go through the ang pows and check who gave how much. She'll either
„ renzze
think you didn't give an ang pow, or figure out you're the one who gave the paltry 50
bucks. „ sherin

„ silver
Jo's views:
Since I'm at the age when people around me are all getting married, it would be good „ suyin
to use this as a rough gauge of how much to 包 for the wedding couple. „ tammy

„ tiffany
Of course, some of you may argue that it is the obligation for the couple to throw a
banquet and they should not be expecting the guests to help cover their costs/losses „ vivien
(whichever way you want to term it). However, I always believe that we should "懂得做 „ yizhen
人" and try as much as possible to help the couple cover their costs for at least the Please drop me a note if you have
banquet portion. linked me.

♥followers♥
I do take into consideration the financial status of the couple too. If they're rich enough
and could afford to throw their wedding at a 6-star hotel that costs a lot per head, I
feel that guests are not expected to give accordingly to cover their costs for the
banquet. Similarly, if a less well-to-do couple hold their banquet at a Chinese
restaurant or even cater for buffet in their homes, I wouldn't simply follow the rate
but to give more to them instead. Of course, relationship with either of the couple
counts so I tend to give more for good friends too.

I know of friends who have to attend so many weddings in a year that they think they
would go quite broke should they follow the market rate so closely. In cases like this, I
would always suggest giving within your means and not to worry so much coz really, it's
the thought that counts.

6 comments:

nadine said... Sunday, October 24, 2010 3:49:00 AM

well written cuz. haha. which is really helpful, too.

p/s: still haven't gotten photos (from zayden's party) from sis yet.

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Jo said... Sunday, October 24, 2010 3:54:00 AM

OMG! You're really fast, and why are you still awake at 4am? Haha... well-written but majority
of it isn't by me. =(

Oh, it's ok. Take your time, when it's time for me to update September then I'll bug you again.
=) =) =)

Serena said... Monday, October 25, 2010 12:26:00 PM

{*OMG!!... *WOW} I never knew it cost that much for a wedding banquet.

It took me awhile to understand what "ang pow" was until I read your note. I usually
pronounce it as "hong boa"; I speak Cantonese and understand a little bit of Mandarin.
{*hehe}

This was very VERY informative. I'm sure this will come handy when my friends start getting
married. {*AHH!} It's crazy to think that a lot of my friends are around that age group already.

<3s Serena.

Jo said... Tuesday, October 26, 2010 1:40:00 AM

*Heh* I'm not too sure if the same rates apply to California. Do the people around you hold
such Chinese wedding banquets?

Yup, "hong bao" in Mandarin and "ang Pow" is in Hokkien and/or Teochew. How do you say it
in Cantonese? I love how beautiful Cantonese sounds!

RicAdeMus said... Tuesday, October 26, 2010 6:40:00 AM

That's interesting. I've heard about the red packets for Chinese New Year, but didn't know
about the wedding tradition.

The last time I was invited to a wedding, I knew they didn't expect em to show up--they just
wanted a check. So I went to the wedding and gave them a toaster oven instead of money.
LOL

Jo said... Wednesday, October 27, 2010 1:08:00 AM

Yup, for us Chinese, red packets replace many things. It could be given out during Chinese
New Year. It could be given during weddings. It could be given as birthday gift to elders or
even to babies first birthday as money is the most practical gift. However, to keep up with
modernity, red packets have evolved aesthetically to include pink, maroon, gold etc though we
still term them as "red packets".

How horrid of the couple to invite you just for the cheque! You did the right thing. Haha... Tho I
dunno if you're on their backlist after that incident.

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