Average wedding costs in Gangnam reached 34.01 million won in July

Couples and guests alike feel the pinch as gift amounts also climb

Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

As autumn — the peak wedding season — draws near, the financial burden on couples planning to marry continues to grow. The combined cost of a wedding venue and the studio photography, dress and makeup package, commonly known as "seudeume," has already surpassed 20 million won ($14,700).

According to the Korea Consumer Agency's price-monitoring service, the average combined cost of venue rental and the studio-dress-makeup package rose from 19.62 million won in August to 21.74 million won in September — a jump of 42.9 percent compared with the same month last year. Costs are expected to remain elevated in October and November, at 21.09 million won and 20.89 million won, respectively.

Some regions have already crossed the 30 million won mark. While the national average for total wedding costs, including venue decoration, stood at 22 million won in July, the figure reached 34.01 million won in Gangnam and 31.03 million won in other parts of Seoul. In Gangnam, the average had surged as high as 34.54 million won in June.

Breaking down the July average, the largest share of wedding costs goes to catering. Food and beverage expenses averaged 13.5 million won, accounting for 61.4 percent of the total. Venue rental and the studio-dress-makeup package made up 21.1 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively.

Rising wedding costs are also pushing up the amounts guests give as cash gifts. According to Kakao Pay's "2025 Money Report," the average amount sent through its wedding gift envelope feature surpassed 100,000 won last year — roughly double the 50,000 won typical in 2019.

Perceptions of what counts as an appropriate gift amount are also shifting. A survey on wedding costs and gift-giving released last month by matchmaking firm Gayeon found that unmarried respondents considered 130,000 won appropriate when attending a friend's wedding in person, while married respondents put the figure at 290,000 won.

Wedding costs are expected to climb further amid persistently high inflation. Korea Consumer Agency data show that the average contracted amount for venue and studio-dress-makeup packages for weddings scheduled in November next year has reached 23.11 million won — the highest level in two years and seven months since April 2025, when it stood at 23.36 million won.

The government has moved to address what critics are calling "weddingflation." The Korea Fair Trade Commission revised its mandatory disclosure rules in November last year, requiring wedding venues and wedding-planning agencies to publicly disclose the contents and prices of their basic services, as well as cancellation penalties and refund policies. Compliance checks began last month. Businesses that fail to meet the disclosure requirements face fines of up to 100 million won.

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spa@heraldcorp.com