'This cost 80,000 won?' — as wedding catering bills soar, 100,000-won gift envelopes feel stingy

Average per-person catering fee in Seoul hits 80,000 won

Wedding venues fund operating costs largely through food charges

Rising wedding costs expected to push gift envelopes higher still

A catered wedding reception spread. [Getty Images Bank]

"This is what 80,000 won gets you?"

Wedding season is back, and for those receiving invitations, the joy comes with a familiar sting: the cost of the gift envelope. The days of slipping in 50,000 won are long gone. The unspoken minimum has crept up to 100,000 won, and anyone attending three or four weddings in a month can expect a tight budget for the rest of it.

The culprit behind rising gift expectations is the soaring cost of wedding catering. According to the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal, the average per-person catering fee at wedding venues in Seoul stood at 80,000 won ($60) as of August. At some upscale venues in Gangnam and other premium areas, the per-person charge already exceeds 100,000 won.

Guests puzzled by the price tag relative to what ends up on their plates are not wrong to wonder. But the wedding industry says the food charge cannot be judged by the same standard as a restaurant meal — the high per-person fee is not simply a reflection of ingredient costs. A significant share of a venue's operating expenses and labor costs are bundled into the catering line.

A wedding reception hall. [Getty Images Bank]

In short, catering fees effectively subsidize the venue's overall operations — staffing, facilities and all. That is why food charges make up the bulk of what couples actually pay.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, wedding venue costs are broken down into hall rental, basic decoration and catering. Of these, catering carries by far the largest weight. As of June 2026, catering accounted for 61.4 percent of the total average contract amount for wedding services.

On top of that, venues impose a minimum guaranteed guest count. The median minimum across venues nationwide is 200 people, according to the agency's price data. Even if fewer guests show up than expected, couples are contractually on the hook for the full guaranteed headcount. At 80,000 won per person, feeding 200 guests alone comes to 16 million won. The more guests attend, the faster that bill climbs.

Wedding guests at a reception. [Getty Images Bank]

With venue contract costs rising sharply, catering fees are expected to keep climbing — and gift envelope amounts will likely follow. A new norm of 200,000 won may not be far off.

The average venue contract amount for weddings this October reached 17.88 million won, up 1.82 million won, or 11.3 percent, from 16.06 million won in the same month last year. The median also rose 7.0 percent, from 14.2 million won to 15.2 million won.

Couples planning weddings for next year face an even steeper climb. The average contract amount — covering the venue and the standard photography, dress and makeup package — for those with October 2027 ceremonies already booked stands at 22.14 million won, some 1.02 million won, or 4.8 percent, above this October's figure. Compared with October 2025, that represents a 2.68 million won increase, or 13.8 percent, over two years, underscoring a sustained upward trend in wedding preparation costs based on contracts signed to date.

123@heraldcorp.com