Marriages Rise for 16 Consecutive Months... Meal Costs Surpass 60,000 Won, Venue Fees Up 500,000 Won

The median meal cost per person nationwide rises to the 60,000 won range
No significant change in studio, dress, and makeup package prices compared to June

Wedding image (photo to aid in article understanding). Asia Economy DB

As the number of marriages has recently increased, wedding costs continue to rise day after day. The median price for meals, which accounts for the largest portion of wedding expenses, has surpassed 60,000 won, and in particular, venue rental fees have seen a significant increase.

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency on September 30, which examined 504 wedding service companies across 14 regions nationwide, these trends were observed.

There was a notable difference between the Seoul metropolitan area and non-metropolitan regions. The total cost of wedding services in the Seoul metropolitan area was 26.65 million won, which is 11.54 million won higher than the non-metropolitan average of 15.11 million won. Among metropolitan areas, Seoul (Gangnam) recorded the highest cost at 35.09 million won, while Incheon had the lowest at 18.6 million won. In non-metropolitan regions, Chungcheong was the highest at 17.59 million won, and Gyeongsang was the lowest at 11.81 million won.

The rate of increase also differed. Compared to June, the cost in the metropolitan area rose by 4.3% (from 25.55 million won to 26.65 million won), while the non-metropolitan area actually saw a decrease of 1.9% (from 15.41 million won to 15.11 million won). The rise in costs in Seoul (Gangnam), which increased by 5.2%, appears to have influenced this trend.

The median meal cost per person nationwide rises to the 60,000 won range

The cost of meals, which represents the largest share of wedding expenses, also continued to rise. The nationwide median meal price per person at wedding venues reached 60,000 won, up 2,000 won from June. By region, Seoul (Gangnam) saw a 6.0 percentage point increase (5,000 won), recording the highest price among the 14 surveyed regions at 88,000 won.

The median venue rental fee also rose sharply, increasing by 500,000 won (16.7 percentage points) from 3 million won in June to 3.5 million won, driving up overall wedding expenses. Except for Ulsan and Jeju, all other regions either saw an increase or maintained the same price level.

An investigation into the reasons for price increases at 20 wedding venues that raised prices compared to the previous month found that the main causes were higher purchase costs for key materials such as food ingredients, decorations, and flowers, as well as increased labor costs. Each of these factors contributed independently to the price hikes.

No significant change in studio, dress, and makeup package prices compared to June

On the other hand, the median prices for the studio, dress, and makeup (commonly referred to as "Seudeume" packages) and individual services showed little change compared to June. Studio services remained unchanged at 1.32 million won, while dress prices increased slightly by 40,000 won (2.6 percentage points) to 1.55 million won, and makeup services rose by 40,000 won (5.5 percentage points) to 770,000 won.

Of the 54 optional wedding service items, 90.7% (49 items) remained stable with no price changes. However, the price of "fresh flower decorations" rose significantly by 620,000 won (31.0 percentage points) from 2 million won in June to 2.62 million won. This is believed to reflect the wide variety of decorative flowers and significant seasonal price fluctuations.

All wedding planning agencies found to have unfair contract terms

An analysis of contracts collected from 20 wedding planning agencies found that all agencies included unfair contract clauses. Nineteen agencies (95%) listed essential options such as "photo file purchase fees" and "dress fitting fees" as separate items rather than as part of the basic service, and thirteen agencies (65%) did not specify option prices in detail, only labeling them as "separate."

The Korea Consumer Agency plans to share the results of this survey with the Fair Trade Commission and will request improvements to unreasonable contract clauses from the 20 surveyed agencies, while also actively recommending the use of standard contracts.

Meanwhile, according to the "July Population Trends" released by Statistics Korea on September 24, the number of marriages in July was 20,394, an increase of 8.4% compared to one year ago (18,811). This is the highest figure for July since July 2016 (21,154) in nine years. The number of marriages has been rising for 16 consecutive months since April of last year.

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