What’s the price of official, government-certified, family witnessed, full-banquet wedding love?
A lot in Hong Kong, it seems.
Like many other things here by the so-called Fragrant Harbor, tying the knot ain’t cheap.
Couples here now expect to spend an average of HK$360,577 (US$46,000) on their big day, according to a survey by wedding website ESDlife released this week.
That figure is a 9 percent increase from 2017’s average expenditure, which was itself a 10 percent jump from 2016.
The figures were based on interviews with 1,116 people planning to tie the knot before 2020.
The costliest part of the service, according to the survey, was the wedding banquet, at an average of HK$178,368 (US$22,700).
Next, it’s rings and jewelry, with couples dishing out an average HK$68,811 (US$8,700) on bling — an 18 percent rise on the 2017 results.
Coming in bronze-medal third place is…. THE HONEYMOON, on which newlyweds expect to drop HK$40,275 (US$5,100).
The fourth-biggest expenditure was wedding photography at about HK$25,491 (US$3,200). Gotta look good, we suppose.
But while the costs of weddings have increased for two consecutive years, according to the survey, the generosity of guests appears to have plateaued.
The average “lai see” — or cash gift in a red envelope — for a wedding held at a quality hotel remains unchanged at HK$1,200 (US$153), HK$1,000 (US$127) for standard hotels, and HK$800 (US$102) for a Chinese restaurant banquet, according to the research.
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