A 27 Million Won Wedding? No Thanks, I'd Rather Buy a Home

In Seoul's Gangnam area, wedding costs average 33.36 million won... 'No Wedding' trend grows due to financial burden

Lee Jiwon (30), who is set to get married next year, has decided not to hold a wedding ceremony. She made this decision because of the financial burden of wedding costs and her belief that a formal wedding holds little meaning. She said, "Rather than having a wedding in the same way as everyone else, I think it's more important for the couple to celebrate together," adding, "I decided to invest the wedding budget into a house or home appliances instead."

An increasing number of newlyweds are choosing the 'No Wedding' route, opting to skip the ceremony due to the burden of costs that can reach tens of millions of won.

Wedding costs can reach tens of millions of won, so practicality is considered more

Boldly omit what holds no value to oneself, focusing spending on houses or cars

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on September 11, as of June this year, the nationwide average cost for wedding services was 20.74 million won. Wedding service costs are the combined total of wedding venue fees and 'Studio, Dress, Makeup' (Sudeume) expenses. Costs are even higher in the Seoul metropolitan area, with the average in Gangnam reaching 33.36 million won and other areas of Seoul averaging 27.03 million won.

A 27 Million Won Wedding? No Thanks, I'd Rather Buy a Home

Growing aversion to formal ceremonies... Announcing marriages with notification cards instead of invitations

Some people, feeling uncomfortable with weddings held in banquet halls, are creating 'notification cards' instead of traditional wedding invitations. Song (32), an office worker who got married this year, said, "The system at wedding halls felt like a factory, with one wedding ending and another beginning with only the people changing." She continued, "Fortunately, both sets of parents were understanding, so we simply gathered with our families for a meal. We made the notification cards to inform those we couldn't meet in person about our marriage."

Lee Eunhee, a professor at Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies, explained, "Wedding costs can reach tens of millions of won, so practicality is considered more." She added, "People are boldly omitting what holds no value to them and focusing their spending on things they consider more important, such as houses or cars."