hey Cher!
glad to share with you. my colleagues are generous ppl coming with $100 each for most of them, except for clerical staff who came with like $80. I don't blame them cos' their income cannot be compared to the rest. I already find $100 generous. If your table is more than $1k, you sure lose le.
Relatives... they all give my dad face cos' my dad's their eldest brother. So I would say generally can earn a bit. Mum's side... my aunties are well known as stingy people. uncles are super close to me, just like friends so they gave me very big Angpow, really big, write cheque one! but you think of it, these relatives ang pow goes to my parents...
Considering this, u already lost all ur relatives' table upfront.
My hubby's side worst... his relatives all don't know market rate de. we have 5 in a family coming with $100 ang bao... we also have relatives coming without ang bao. Most of his colleagues & friends are not very 'generous'. Hubby's side total we got 13 tables... we lose 6 tables money. We also have nameless angbao with $20... can't match the names cos' many people din write their names. cant be helped. If u give a $20 angbao, will u write ur name???
Ultimately, I think it boils down who u invite. u will noe ur relatives/frens/colleagues the best. Judging from previous weddings u attend with ur colleagues, you'll likely know. many people feel that it's not to help u cover ur wedding expenses but it's just a tot. A tot that counts...
And u r right... many people don't know wedding tables are so costly. We heard people saying aiyah at most $800 only ma... give $88, they earn $8 can le. Ever since I started looking for wedding tables, I never attend weddings with less than $100 ang baos regardless how not-close I am to the bride/groom. Cos' I believe this kind of thing got karma de. My mum was telling me next time we just give back the same amt. If relatives come never give, next time we go also no need to give.
I really thank god I did not choose Oriental. We almost signed up with them at $1.3+k nett per table. I think if i did, I would have lost like $10k.
I mean not to scare u la. but be prepared...