"Downsized and Luxurious" InterContinental's House Weddings in H1 Increase Sixfold Year-on-Year

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Afternoon Wedding (Photo by Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas).

Smaller Scale, Shortened Time from Reservation to Ceremony
Wedding Trends Changed by COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas announced on the 31st that the number of house wedding reservations and ceremonies held in the first half of this year increased more than sixfold compared to the previous year.

A hotel official explained, "After experiencing COVID-19 for over a year, the hotel wedding market was stagnant for a long time as many customers postponed their ceremonies. However, since October last year, ceremonies have started to increase, centered on private small weddings called house weddings. As couples want to hold their ceremonies in more luxurious spaces while reducing the scale, the preference for house weddings at luxury hotels has risen."

The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas’s house weddings are conducted with guest numbers ranging from a minimum of 10 to fewer than 120, allowing for more detailed and diverse customer requests due to the reduced scale.

The hotel wedding manager noted that one of the significant changes is the shortened period from wedding reservation to the actual ceremony, which has decreased from about six months to two to three months. This is because it is difficult to predict the distant future amid COVID-19, and there is a risk of having to cancel the event.

House weddings in the first half of this year already recorded six times the number compared to the same period last year, surpassing the total number of house weddings from the previous year, and reservations for the second half of the year are steadily increasing. The hotel stated, "Although COVID-19 is not yet over, with continuous vaccination in the second half of this year, it is expected that couples will no longer postpone their ceremonies and proceed as planned."

Currently, the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas implements assigned seating for guests, social distancing between guests, and provides individual mask storage pouches during meals. For guests reluctant to dine, gift offerings are also available.

Meanwhile, the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas is the first in the industry to offer a private wedding promotion called 'Afternoon Wedding in Sky,' which provides afternoon tea instead of a meal. The ceremony can be held using the outdoor garden, and since it is conducted with about 10 guests, breaking away from traditional weddings, couples can freely style the event as they wish. This wedding package includes venue rental, flowers, refreshments, a two-tier cake, and one night in a junior suite, priced at 2.5 million KRW for 10 guests.

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