27 June 2008

Tying the knot, Japanese-style

SINGAPORE - Information gathered from Conrad Hotels across Asia show that Japanese couples spend the most to entertain their guests compared to brides and grooms in other major Asian cities.

On average, a Japanese couple spends US$260 per guest compared to US$140 in Hong Kong and US$75 in Singapore.

However, getting on the guest list in Tokyo is harder work than in Hong Kong or Singapore, with on average just 80 people on hand to witness the nuptials compared with 300-400 in Hong Kong and 250-320 in Singapore.

Japanese couples are also most likely to have a wedding in the exotic destinations of Bali or the Maldives.

And most impressively, no matter where they choose to get married, Japanese couples are more likely to pay their own way, rather than looking to family to help them out.

With properties in the major cities of Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok as well as the romantic island retreats of Bali and the Maldives, ConradÃ¢â¬â¢s wedding planners have witnessed first-hand the change in Asian wedding ceremony trends and desire among couples for more flexibility. Other trends:

1. Conrad Hotels has seen the per-head spend for a wedding rise by approximately 10% over the past 3 years.

2. Conrad Hotels notes that couples from Australia and Japan are the most likely to pay their own way whereas brides and grooms from India and Indonesia are still likely to look to their families to cover costs.

3. The destination wedding is more popular than ever across the world. Research in the UK and US commissioned by online wedding planners Weddings Abroad shows that 16% of first weddings are in Ã¢â¬Ëœfar flungÃ¢â¬â¢ places.

Include second marriages in this and 60% of weddings held away from a coupleÃ¢â¬â¢s home town.