Luxury Hotels Further Distinguish Status by Floor Numbers
"A Result of Combined Desire for Display and Social Reputation"
Average Wedding Costs for Newlyweds Reach 200 Million Won Over Three Years
A recent study has found that the proposal trends among the MZ generation (those born between 1980 and 2010) are shifting toward luxury hotels and high-end designer gifts.
On August 17, Yonhap News reported these findings, citing a research team led by Associate Professor Yang Sujin from the Department of Consumer Industry at Sungshin Women's University.
In a paper published in the latest issue of the academic journal Consumer Policy and Education Research, the team analyzed 128 Instagram posts. The analysis revealed that the most popular venue for proposals among young people was hotels (42%), with the majority of these being five-star hotels.
In particular, posts about the Signiel Hotel in Jamsil frequently highlighted specific floors, with phrases such as "93rd floor" and "99th floor" appearing often. The research team explained, "Even among luxury hotels, people distinguish by posting the floor number." When it came to proposals involving imported cars, there was a noticeable tendency to showcase high-end brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
As for proposal gifts, luxury handbags were mentioned most frequently, with nearly half of them being Chanel products. Among high-end jewelry, Van Cleef & Arpels necklaces appeared most often, with 13 mentions.
The research team assessed this trend as "proposals are evolving from simple marriage proposals into events that display social status."
They suggested introducing "SNS literacy education" to enhance critical awareness toward content that glamorizes conspicuous consumption, as well as "public marriage preparation education" policies to support the financial stability of young adults and engaged couples.
The trend toward luxury proposals is linked to the overall increase in wedding expenses. According to the Hana Institute of Finance's "Korea Financial Consumer Report 2025," the average wedding cost for newlyweds married within the past three years was approximately 200 million won. In addition, those planning to get married expected to spend an average of 230 million won, with the amount rising by about 10 million won each year.
Experts attribute this trend to the combination of the spread of social networking services (SNS), the desire for self-display among younger generations, and a culture that places importance on social reputation. They also warned that, amid the perception that one must be financially capable to get married, this could intensify feelings of relative deprivation for some. On the other hand, some argue that if one has the financial means, there is no need to view this trend negatively, as it can simply be a matter of personal satisfaction.
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