Amid COVID-19 Pandemic... Newlyweds Postpone Weddings and Honeymoons One After Another

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] "We can't even get married"... Because of COVID-19

Choi In-seo (31, female, pseudonym), a bride-to-be getting married on the 29th, has been unable to sleep for several nights. As the COVID-19 situation worsens, the wedding, a moment of celebration, is at risk of being drastically scaled down. Originally, she expected 300 guests and had reserved a wedding hall and restaurant, but acquaintances have been dropping out one after another, saying they will "only send congratulatory money and not attend" due to concerns about COVID-19 infection. Choi said, "I asked the vendor to adjust the amount since the number of attendees decreased, but they said they could only reduce it by about 10%," adding, "I have to pay for all the meals calculated by multiplying the predetermined number of guests, so the loss is significant."

The COVID-19 crisis is also dealing a heavy blow to the "wedding season" starting in March. Since couples have already booked wedding halls months in advance and sent out invitations, it is difficult to cancel the ceremonies, causing headaches with cost settlements and honeymoons. According to the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards announced by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, in the case of food service businesses, if the consumer requests cancellation less than a week before the event, they must pay a penalty of 10% of the contract deposit and the total usage amount (the guaranteed number of guests multiplied by the meal price).

Meanwhile, some couples who still have flexibility are postponing their weddings to the second half of the year. According to the wedding industry, as of the 27th, the N Wedding Hall in Gangnam has only two weddings scheduled for next month. This is due to a series of requests to postpone weddings since early this month. Normally, this wedding hall held 3 to 4 weddings each day over the weekend.

Deciding on a honeymoon destination is also a challenge. Many countries around the world have imposed entry restrictions on Korean travelers, or some countries are considered as risky as Korea in terms of infection, making departures undesirable. Bride-to-be Kim Sung-kyung (32, female) said, "Our wedding is this week, and we planned to go on a honeymoon to Paris, France, but hearing news about ongoing entry refusals worries me," adding, "Canceling would be too costly, so I have many concerns." Kim's worries became a reality after hearing recent news that the authorities of Mauritius, an African island nation, refused entry to 18 Korean newlywed couples.

Lee Ji-bin (32), who is scheduled to marry next month, hurriedly postponed her wedding to June after learning that the wedding hall in Daegu, visited by the 31st confirmed COVID-19 patient, was booked. Daegu was designated as a special infectious disease control area, so there were no additional costs. However, she is struggling to change her honeymoon reservation in Saipan one by one. Lee said, "Communication with overseas hotels is not smooth, and some places have yet to respond whether postponement is possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.