A growing number of engaged couples in Korea are choosing traditional weddings over standardized wedding hall ceremonies. By cutting costs while preserving individuality and Korean identity, the trend is emerging as a new wedding culture.
The national average cost of wedding services stood at 20.88 million won as of May this year, according to the Korea Consumer Agency on Monday. The figure has remained above 20 million won for two consecutive months, following 21.01 million won in April.
A survey of 1,000 married men and women who wed within the past five years, conducted by matchmaking firm Gayeon, found that the average cost of wedding preparations, excluding housing, reached 62.98 million won. The wedding package alone, covering studio, dress and makeup, averaged 4.79 million won, while venue costs amounted to 9.9 million won.
By contrast, traditional weddings are known to cost an average of 4 million to 5 million won, excluding catering. That is about a quarter of the cost of a conventional ceremony. A traditional wedding program run by a folk museum in Seoul holds three ceremonies a day, with demand so high that reservations sell out every week.
The benefits go beyond cost savings. Engaged couples are reinterpreting traditional weddings as "experiential weddings," in which guests enjoy tea ceremony experiences, traditional pattern decorations and hanok space staging.
A so-called "K-bridal shower" using hanbok and traditional props has also emerged. Beyond simply recreating tradition, demand is growing among couples who want to create memorable moments together with their guests.
This trend is also tied to the reality that the burden of wedding costs leads to avoidance of marriage. In the Gayeon survey, engaged couples most often cited "entrenched wedding procedures" (34.0%) and "the traditional mindset of both sets of parents" (31.7%) as the reasons it is difficult to cut unnecessary wedding preparation items.
Analysts say that a reaction against the structure in which multimillion-won ceremonies have become customary is driving demand for traditional weddings.
Traditional weddings are drawing attention as the next step beyond "small weddings," as they can capture individuality, practicality and Korean identity all at once. As social pressure surrounding wedding costs grows, the number of engaged couples choosing meaning over formality is expected to increase.
