Kwasaki Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 17 hours ago, medic5678 said: As far as paying for the wedding, if I drop 5k on this, that's peanuts to me. I'd rather she got the wedding she wanted than worrying about saving a measly 5 grand. 10 grand, maybe. Hoping for something in between. Budgeting no more than 10 grand out of pocket :). $5k or 5k baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 When you consider what people spend on weddings in America, I look at this as very cheap when you consider that I'm trying to have a couple of children with this lady. So I buy her 7 or 8 thousand dollars worth of gold, and she shows it off to her family. It's very important for her sense of well being. I see this as a small investment that will pay big dividends down the road. Maybe the whole thing costs me 20k. I am fortunate to have a very good job where I can hustle and make that back in a few months. I've been married in America too, and let me tell you.. this one is a bargain price by comparison. Not to mention that this is a very hardworking, sweet lady who takes care of me in ways no American woman would. Life is a gamble. To enjoy it, you've got to take some risks. I'm taking my chance with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 1 minute ago, medic5678 said: When you consider what people spend on weddings in America, I look at this as very cheap when you consider that I'm trying to have a couple of children with this lady. So I buy her 7 or 8 thousand dollars worth of gold, and she shows it off to her family. It's very important for her sense of well being. I see this as a small investment that will pay big dividends down the road. Maybe the whole thing costs me 20k. I am fortunate to have a very good job where I can hustle and make that back in a few months. I've been married in America too, and let me tell you.. this one is a bargain price by comparison. Not to mention that this is a very hardworking, sweet lady who takes care of me in ways no American woman would. Life is a gamble. To enjoy it, you've got to take some risks. I'm taking my chance with her. If you got the cash......Nooooooooooo ploblem............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) My Wife and I had quite an opulent Wedding Reception at the Oriental hotel Bangkok..... It was her dream. There were a few things I insisted on not doing, this was a joining of Cultures after all, not just me adopting 100% of Thai Culture. I specifically wanted to avoid the early start... It took MiL 3 visits to the Fortune Teller before 5pm was agreed upon... (the first 2 visits involved times to put on the ring at about 6am - no chance !). I asked my [future] Wife not to get upset with me if I put my foot down over anything / any decisions etc... I pointed out she may not understand why - but any time I do or don't want to do something there is a good reason behind it... any decisions I was to make also involve laying foundations for the future and how we will be respected and treated as a couple and what freedoms our inlaws will give us (i.e. how they will respect me and not interfere with our future decisions)... We had a Wedding Planner (an event organiser by profession) who negotiated hard on our behalf with the hotel... Realistically both he and my Wife planned most of the Wedding and I was the passenger (with a few exceptions). The Wedding Day itself: I picked my Wife up from her Parents house at 10am... I don't know the official name for this, I call it the 'kidnapping ceremony' where I hand over envelopes of cash to pass through the 'necklace blockade' of family. We had a smaller Engagement Ceremony at 5pm at the hotel - This was a more intimate affair, very close friends and family, but still about 100 ppl. The Wedding Reception followed straight on from the Engagement Ceremony starting at 6:30pm. We had about 1000 guests (Wife and I only knew about half of them - most were her parents friends). Total Wedding Budget was about 1.3 Million Baht for everything. - Small Ball Room (Engagement Ceremony) - Grand Ball Room (Wedding Reception - Cocktail style - No extra's flowers etc needed, cake included) - After Party (until 2am) + Overtime Tip for the Staff. - Band (DJ was a friend and came free) - Photographers & Video - Diamond Engagement Ring - 2x Wedding Rings - Wedding Dress - Makeup Artist - Suit - Invitations (x1000) - Guest Gifts (x800) - Prossecco & Wine (no corkage charge negotiated) - Lots (can't remember how much) - Whisky (no corkage charge negotiated) - Lots (negotiated free return of unopened bottles) - Sin Sot was 400,000 baht - Returned to us after the Wedding. - Envelope money amounted to approximately 1 MB and covered the Cost of the Wedding. With the Exception of a Diamond Ring - We pretty much broke even... Fortunately guests were very generous with the Envelope money... It was an excellent Day, an excellent evening and everyone loved the afterparty... ---------------- In theory you only do this once (I know, I know)... Do what you feel is right for both your Wife and Yourself... Budget carefully, as soon as people hear the word Wedding, prices (for invitation cards etc) triple !... OP: As you wrote, you can scramble for the next month or two to cover the costs, but this is no reason to allow yourself to be taken advantage of, hence - Budget carefully as you can see above, there are a lot of additional and unforeseeable costs which add up... do your best to stick to the budget to prevent costs escalating out of control. Many of my Friends (Thai and Western) have had similar Weddings at Large Bangkok Hotels - Naturally I'm not privy to the costs, but assume much of it was recovered from 'envelope money' donated by the Guests. As a Rule of Thumb: My Wife and I give between B2000 & B4000 envelope money (usually depending on what was given to us (which was recorded meticulously by my MiL). One potential issue: A Big Box of envelopes containing plenty of Cash is out on display... In our case my Brother in Law was responsible for it... It was locked up in his car for the night (and rest of the day while he slept off a hangover)... If I was a criminal, I'd target large large hotels and keep an eye on where this 'envelope money' ended up for the night !!!... Thus: Consider your security (its something not often thought about at all at a Wedding). Edited October 1, 2016 by richard_smith237 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said: My Wife and I had quite an opulent Wedding Reception at the Oriental hotel Bangkok..... It was her dream. There were a few things I insisted on not doing, this was a joining of Cultures after all, not just me adopting 100% of Thai Culture. I specifically wanted to avoid the early start... It took MiL 3 visits to the Fortune Teller before 5pm was agreed upon... (the first 2 visits involved times to put on the ring at about 6am - no chance !). I asked my [future] Wife not to get upset with me if I put my foot down over anything / any decisions etc... I pointed out she may not understand why - but any time I do or don't want to do something there is a good reason behind it... any decisions I was to make also involve laying foundations for the future and how we will be respected and treated as a couple and what freedoms our inlaws will give us (i.e. how they will respect me and not interfere with our future decisions)... We had a Wedding Planner (an event organiser by profession) who negotiated hard on our behalf with the hotel... Realistically both he and my Wife planned most of the Wedding and I was the passenger (with a few exceptions). The Wedding Day itself: I picked my Wife up from her Parents house at 10am... I don't know the official name for this, I call it the 'kidnapping ceremony' where I hand over envelopes of cash to pass through the 'necklace blockade' of family. We had a smaller Engagement Ceremony at 5pm at the hotel - This was a more intimate affair, very close friends and family, but still about 100 ppl. The Wedding Reception followed straight on from the Engagement Ceremony starting at 6:30pm. We had about 1000 guests (Wife and I only knew about half of them - most were her parents friends). Total Wedding Budget was about 1.3 Million Baht for everything. - Small Ball Room (Engagement Ceremony) - Grand Ball Room (Wedding Reception - Cocktail style - No extra's flowers etc needed, cake included) - After Party (until 2am) + Overtime Tip for the Staff. - Band (DJ was a friend and came free) - Photographers & Video - Diamond Engagement Ring - 2x Wedding Rings - Wedding Dress - Makeup Artist - Suit - Invitations (x1000) - Guest Gifts (x800) - Prossecco & Wine (no corkage charge negotiated) - Lots (can't remember how much) - Whisky (no corkage charge negotiated) - Lots (negotiated free return of unopened bottles) - Sin Sot was 400,000 baht - Returned to us after the Wedding. - Envelope money amounted to approximately 1 MB and covered the Cost of the Wedding. With the Exception of a Diamond Ring - We pretty much broke even... Fortunately guests were very generous with the Envelope money... It was an excellent Day, an excellent evening and everyone loved the afterparty... ---------------- In theory you only do this once (I know, I know)... Do what you feel is right for both your Wife and Yourself... Budget carefully, as soon as people hear the word Wedding, prices (for invitation cards etc) triple !... OP: As you wrote, you can scramble for the next month or two to cover the costs, but this is no reason to allow yourself to be taken advantage of, hence - Budget carefully as you can see above, there are a lot of additionally and unforeseeable costs which add up... do your best to stick to the budget to prevent it going out of hand. Many of my Friends (Thai and Western) have had similar Weddings at Large Bangkok Hotels - Naturally I'm not privy to the costs, but assume much of it was recovered from 'envelope money' donated by the Guests. As a Rule of Thumb: My Wife and I give between B2000 & B4000 envelope money (usually depending on what was given to us (which was recorded meticulously by my MiL). One potential issue: A Big Box of envelopes containing plenty of Cash is out on display... In our case my Brother in Law was responsible for it... It was locked up in his car for the night (and rest of the day while he slept off a hangover)... If I was a criminal, I'd target large large hotels and keep an eye on where this 'envelope money' ended up for the night !!!... Thus: Consider your security (its something not often thought about at all at a Wedding). I never did any of that shit............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 When you consider what people spend on weddings in America, I look at this as very cheap when you consider that I'm trying to have a couple of children with this lady. So I buy her 7 or 8 thousand dollars worth of gold, and she shows it off to her family. It's very important for her sense of well being. I see this as a small investment that will pay big dividends down the road. Maybe the whole thing costs me 20k. I am fortunate to have a very good job where I can hustle and make that back in a few months. I've been married in America too, and let me tell you.. this one is a bargain price by comparison. Not to mention that this is a very hardworking, sweet lady who takes care of me in ways no American woman would. Life is a gamble. To enjoy it, you've got to take some risks. I'm taking my chance with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, transam said: I never did any of that shit............ Marriage to a V8 doesn't count !!!... & donuts in a carpark doesn't count as an afterparty !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 She's getting this place quoted out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 2 hours ago, Scott said: Numerous off-topic, troll and inflammatory posts have been removed. Continue and you will receive a suspension. If you do not wish to address the questions in the OP, then please move on to another topic. Thank you for cleaning up this thread. This is what I hoped it would be when I started it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said: Marriage to a V8 doesn't count !!!... & donuts in a carpark doesn't count as an afterparty !!! I did all that marriage stuff in farangland, for sure wasn't going to do it here.....I don't eat doughnuts. But after a zillion weddings that cost blokes mega dosh here I know I was right.....I can go on with my wedding observations if you like.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 10 minutes ago, medic5678 said: She's getting this place quoted out now. But where do I sing......?...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 1 minute ago, transam said: But where do I sing......?...... It's possible we could make arrangements for you to sing in the parking lot. Certainly by the roadside. Paid with a bottle of MD 20/20. The good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 1 minute ago, medic5678 said: It's possible we could make arrangements for you to sing in the parking lot. Certainly by the roadside. Paid with a bottle of MD 20/20. The good stuff. You can still get Mad Dog 20/20 ?????... Now that would make a Wedding Party interesting... 11 minutes ago, transam said: I did all that marriage stuff in farangland, for sure wasn't going to do it here.....I don't eat doughnuts. But after a zillion weddings that cost blokes mega dosh here I know I was right.....I can go on with my wedding observations if you like.... DOH !!!... Donuts : Rear Wheel Spinning, not the dunkin' type ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, medic5678 said: It's possible we could make arrangements for you to sing in the parking lot. Certainly by the roadside. Paid with a bottle of MD 20/20. The good stuff. I will sing anywhere if the price is right...............And I will still be there after an hour.......THEN, we can have a farang knees up.....Done it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FinickyOne Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Geez, surprised you posted this question here - you are a brave guy... I think a lot of this question is going to be up to your wife... as to all the many many variables involved. Find out what is most important to her to have at her wedding and work from there. Are you paying sin sod to her parents? If it is a certain whiskey or a certain band or a special meal... let her decide. I left it all to my wife and she is quite thrifty... and since you do not have any family coming, it is really all about what will make her happy... All of the "upcountry" weddings that I have been to tend to be outside affairs, tents set up, in and around a family house - some get a little elaborate with food, or with a special band, but most are pretty simple gatherings with the ladies of the village cooking up a big meal together... How is your Thai coming along? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic5678 Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 She says the hotel is going to cost 150000 BHT. Not bad at all. This is going to work out fine :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 7 minutes ago, medic5678 said: She says the hotel is going to cost 150000 BHT. Not bad at all. This is going to work out fine :). ..........You've cracked it........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwpage3 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) 22 hours ago, medic5678 said: As far as paying for the wedding, if I drop 5k on this, that's peanuts to me. I'd rather she got the wedding she wanted than worrying about saving a measly 5 grand. 10 grand, maybe. Hoping for something in between. Budgeting no more than 10 grand out of pocket :). Edited October 1, 2016 by bwpage3 duplicate post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwpage3 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 4 hours ago, transam said: I never did any of that shit............ The largest room at the Oriental Hotel Bangkok is our Bangkok with room for 150 guests standing and 100 seated Not sure how you managed to get 1000 guests in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now