"Group Photo Without Masks, First Spring"
Major Hotels Over 90% Booked for the Year
Department Store Wedding Fairs in Full Swing Starting This Month
Park Ji-eun, a bride-to-be preparing for her wedding this April, sighed with relief as she recalled last spring. Although she had planned her wedding for this spring and started looking for venues a year ago, she was not in a position to leisurely compare and choose her preferred location and date. At Lotte Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, where her wedding is scheduled, there were only one available date in January, two in February, and one in April for the first half of this year as of last spring. Park said, "It was fortunate if we could at least choose the desired season rather than the exact date," adding, "Among engaged couples, there was even talk that 'the auspicious date is decided by the hotel.'
After passing through the COVID-19 tunnel, the first spring when group photos can be taken without masks at wedding venues is approaching. As couples who postponed their weddings due to COVID-19 begin serious preparations, the wedding market is welcoming spring earlier than usual.
Hotel Weddings Fully Booked This Year... Consultations for Over 300 Guests Increase
According to the hotel industry on the 3rd, major hotels in Seoul have already completed most of their wedding bookings for this year and are now accepting reservations for next year. Seoul Shilla Hotel has virtually closed bookings for this year’s weddings, except for a few days when some food and cost adjustments are being made. The Westin Chosun Seoul has also completed over 90% of its wedding bookings for this year. InterContinental, both the Grand and COEX branches, have mostly finished their reservations as well. The hotel stated, "We launched a royal wedding concept inspired by the grandeur of the British royal family this year, and since its first reveal in November last year, over 90% of bookings through the second half of this year have been completed within two months."
The scale of weddings is also increasing compared to the COVID-19 period. The Westin Chosun Seoul said, "Last year, consultations and events were mainly for around 200 guests, but inquiries for medium to large-scale weddings are gradually increasing," adding, "This year, weddings with 300 guests are the most inquired about." Lotte Hotel Seoul also said, "Last year, there were many inquiries for small, luxurious weddings with fewer guests, but this year, large-scale weddings with over 300 guests are gaining popularity," adding, "Reflecting this trend, we are diversifying options by introducing new concepts such as the Crystal Ballroom (large-scale) weddings." The demand for elaborate decorations has also increased. Seoul Dragon City explained, "There has been a rise in demand for weddings with colorful floral decorations and lighting options," adding, "The contract rate for large-scale weddings this year is over 90%, and wedding consultation bookings have also increased to the extent that consultations for next year can only be scheduled a month later."
Wedding Preparations: "Reducing Items but OK to Spend on What You Want"
The wedding gift trends have also changed after COVID-19. Unnecessary items are boldly omitted, while more emphasis is placed on desired items. Accordingly, department store wedding demand and sales are on the rise. The number of new members of Lotte Department Store’s Lotte Wedding Members increased by 20% compared to the previous year, and the average purchase amount per person rose by 30%. The proportion of luxury goods in sales also increased by 5 percentage points, exceeding half of total sales.
Department stores have started full-scale wedding customer engagement from this month ahead of the spring wedding season. Lotte Department Store is holding a wedding fair from today until the 12th. With the increasing demand for high-priced wedding gifts this year, the wedding mileage additional accumulation includes luxury brands such as Prada, Saint Laurent, Roger Vivier, and luxury beauty brands like Chanel, Dior, Sulwhasoo, and Est?e Lauder. They also differentiated by offering newlyweds free use of the 'BMW Airport Service' preferred by couples when purchasing BMW cars.
Shinsegae Department Store is running a promotion where customers using affiliated cards who spend between 2 million and 10 million KRW or more on furniture, beds, and other living categories receive gift certificates worth 9.5% to 14% of the purchase amount. Customers purchasing watches and jewelry receive 5% gift certificates. Hyundai Department Store also offers up to 5% reward benefits on purchase amounts to 'The Club Wedding' members. From the 10th to the 19th, they will hold a digital signage proposal event and plan to conduct a wedding fair with various promotions next month.
An official from the distribution industry said, "As couples who postponed weddings during COVID-19 proceed with their ceremonies this year, the distribution industry is expanding promotions to meet the increased demand for wedding gifts," adding, "Since benefits increase when purchases are concentrated in one channel, marketing efforts to attract newlyweds in February and March will be intensified."
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