"Is 72 Million KRW Reasonable for Wedding Expenses Except Newlywed Home?"... Buzz Over Prospective Groom's Itemized List

"Appropriate" vs "Need to Cut Costs" Opinions Diverge
The Biggest Reason for Not Marrying: 'Lack of Marriage Funds'

A prospective groom preparing for marriage shared his concern about whether 72 million KRW is an appropriate estimated wedding cost, sparking divided opinions among netizens. Recently, on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind,' a male office worker posted a question asking if 72 million KRW is a reasonable amount for wedding expenses.

The author, Mr. A, who works for a foreign sports fashion company, began by saying he was taken aback when organizing wedding costs as the total exceeded 70 million KRW. Mr. A said, "I'm organizing the wedding expenses, but this amount is too large for me," and asked, "Is it normal for everyone to spend this much when preparing for a wedding?"

A groom-to-be preparing for his wedding shared his concern about whether 72 million won is an appropriate estimated wedding cost, sparking mixed opinions among netizens. Recently, on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind,' a male office worker posted a question asking if 72 million won is a reasonable estimated wedding cost.
[Photo by Dongmin Seo, Asia Economy]

Mr. A also attached a detailed breakdown of the expected expenses. According to the wedding cost details he shared, the wedding hall costs 23 million KRW, Jeju wedding snap photos (including photography, airfare, accommodation, etc.) 2.6 million KRW, wedding rings 2.3 million KRW, and studio, dress, and makeup (Sdeume) 3.6 million KRW. Additionally, for household goods, including electronics and furniture, he budgeted 23 million KRW, and for the honeymoon, 12 million KRW.

He expressed concern, saying he expects to spend a total of 72 million KRW on the wedding and added, "Although some of it will be offset by congratulatory money, I am worried." Among over 2,100 office workers who viewed Mr. A’s wedding expense breakdown and voted, 48% said "too much is being spent," 36% said "this is about right," and 16% said "people spend even more." Netizens responded with various opinions such as "This is why people don’t get married," "I recommend cutting costs and putting the money toward buying a house," "If you’re getting married in Seoul, the wedding hall cost is actually quite cheap," "Give up what you can," and "If you exclude the honeymoon and household goods, the amount is reasonable."

Illustration by Kim Dahee

Average Total Wedding Cost for Newlyweds Married Within the Last 2 Years: 297.48 Million KRW

According to the recently published 'Korean Social Trends 2023' by Statistics Korea, the biggest reason across all age groups for not getting married is 'lack of wedding funds.' While housing costs are the largest part, the burden of wedding and household goods expenses is also significant.

On the 28th, the marriage information company Duo released a 'Wedding Cost Report' based on a survey of 1,000 newlywed couples (500 men and 500 women) who married within the last two years. The total wedding cost for newlyweds within two years was found to be 297.48 million KRW. The breakdown includes ▲housing 242.99 million KRW ▲household goods 15.64 million KRW ▲wedding hall 12.83 million KRW ▲wedding gifts (Yedan) 7.58 million KRW ▲honeymoon 7.25 million KRW ▲wedding jewelry 6.73 million KRW ▲wedding package (studio, dress, makeup) 3.6 million KRW ▲wedding contributions (Ibaji) 860,000 KRW.

The total wedding cost for newlyweds married within the last two years was 297.48 million KRW.
[Photo by Duo, a marriage information company]

Both men and women chose wedding contributions (Ibaji) (26.4%) as the wedding item they most want to reduce. This was followed by wedding gifts (Yedan) (24.5%), wedding packages (13.1%), wedding jewelry (11.8%), wedding hall (10.4%), household goods (4.2%), and honeymoon (1.9%). The main reasons why it is difficult to reduce or omit unnecessary wedding preparation items were 'entrenched wedding procedures' (34.0%) and 'traditional mindset of both sets of parents' (31.7%). Other factors preventing wedding simplification included 'desire to follow etiquette and procedures' (16.8%) and 'concern about others’ opinions and reputation' (15.5%).

Regarding small weddings, 91.2% of all respondents viewed them positively. The biggest reason was 'cost reduction' (43.0%), followed by 'unique weddings' (21.2%) and 'private weddings' (16.6%). The average estimated cost of a small wedding was 7.58 million KRW. Compared to the actual newlyweds’ average 'wedding ceremony cost' of 16.43 million KRW, this represents a saving of 8.85 million KRW. Among all newlyweds, 57.5% said that if they were to prepare a wedding again, they would minimize the wedding ceremony costs. Additionally, 41.9% of all respondents believed that independent marriage without parental support is 'possible.' Others answered 'possible with some help' (22.8%), 'mostly need help' (18.6%), and 'absolutely impossible' (16.7%).