Vendors
Twelve kinds of vendor, what each costs in Singapore this year, and what we check before we introduce one. We take no commission from any of them, so an introduction is only ever on merit.
S$3,000–8,000 full day
Ten to twelve hours, one or two shooters, an edited gallery in six to ten weeks. We look at full galleries, not portfolios, because the portfolio is the best forty frames of a career.
We check Low-light work in real ballrooms. How they handle a tea ceremony. Turnaround in writing.
S$2,500–7,000 full day
A highlight film of three to six minutes, a longer documentary edit, and a same-day edit if you want to play it at dinner. Audio is where cheap film falls apart.
We check Separate audio recording of vows and speeches. Delivery format. Who owns the raw footage.
S$4,000–15,000 ballroom
Stage, aisle, centrepieces and the reception table. Imported blooms and tall installations push the number; a strong concept with local greens brings it down without looking like it.
We check A mock-up table before the day. Strike included. Substitution policy when a flower is unavailable.
S$85–420 per guest
For venues without a kitchen: galleries, houses, gardens. The range covers a canapé reception through to a plated, wine-paired dinner from a private chef.
We check Halal and dietary handling. Service ratio. What the kitchen tent needs from the venue.
S$900–6,500
A string trio for the march-in, a jazz quartet through dinner, a band that can get a Singaporean ballroom onto the floor. Also DJs, a pianist, a Chinese ensemble for the tea ceremony.
We check A recent live recording, not a studio one. Set lengths. Their own sound or the venue's.
S$3,000–25,000
The line that most changes how a room feels and the one people cut first. A lighting plan drawn with the supplier is included in our design work.
We check Whether the venue forces its in-house crew. A technical director on the night. Rigging points and power.
S$800–3,000
Invitations, menus, place cards, the seating chart, signage. One typographic system across all of it is the difference between styled and stylish.
We check Proofs on the actual paper. Lead time for foil or letterpress. A reprint plan for the inevitable late RSVP.
S$1,200–3,500
Two looks for the day, an early call, and someone on hand for touch-ups through the evening. A trial is not optional.
We check Trial included. How they photograph in flash. Whether they stay past the march-in.
S$600–2,800
Most hotel packages include a cake; it is not always one you want. A dessert table or a favours station for a house party is a different brief.
We check Tasting. Delivery and set-up in an air-conditioned room. A display cake with a kitchen cake behind it if numbers are large.
S$800–2,500
A bilingual emcee who can hold a room of two hundred without shouting is rarer than it should be. Solemnisers are licensed and booked far ahead for popular dates.
We check Video of them working a real room. Their script process. Language balance for both families.
S$500–1,800
A bridal car for the morning, a coach or two between a church and a ballroom, a driver for the grandparents. Small money, large consequences when it is late.
We check Buffer time built in. A named driver contact. Decoration rules on the car.
S$1,500–20,000
For gardens, houses and blank rooms: tables, chairs, linen, glass, a marquee, a dance floor, generators. The unglamorous line that makes an outdoor event possible.
We check Wet-weather deployment time. Damage terms. Whether the venue allows pegs or needs weights.
How introductions work
We do not publish a vendor list, because the right photographer for a two-hundred-guest ballroom is not the right one for a dinner for twelve. Once we understand your event, we introduce two or three people per line, with the quote and the reason.