The expense of holding a wedding ceremony has been found to exceed an average of 20 million won. This amount includes costs associated with studio photography, wedding dresses, makeup, and usage fees for the wedding venue.
According to a report released on the 29th by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA), an average wedding expense of 20.74 million won was calculated from a survey conducted last month (16th to 30th) involving 515 wedding-related service providers in 14 regions across the country. This is a slight decrease compared to April (21.01 million won) and May (20.88 million won).
By region, Gangnam in Seoul had the highest average expense at 33.36 million won, which was about three times that of Gyeongsang-do (11.53 million won). The cost of the wedding venue (including rental fees, meal expenses, and basic decorations) was reported to be 15.6 million won based on the national median, with Gangnam at 28.9 million won and Busan at 7.75 million won, recording the highest and lowest respectively.
The meal cost per guest nationwide averages 58,000 won, with the Gangnam area being the most expensive at 83,000 won. Following that, other areas in Seoul (72,000 won) and Gyeonggi Province (62,000 won) were surveyed. Overall, meal costs in the metropolitan area were more expensive than those in rural areas.
In contrast, the prices for the studio photography, wedding dress, and makeup package (known as 'SdeM') tended to be higher in rural areas. The national median price is 2.92 million won, with Gwangju (3.46 million won), Jeollado (3.43 million won), and Busan (3.34 million won) being the most expensive. The cheapest location was Incheon at 2.22 million won. Gangnam was at 3 million won, and areas outside Gangnam in Seoul were at around 2.64 million won.
Among the wedding options, 'ceremony photography' was the most frequently chosen, with the median price for this service being 800,000 won. Additionally, switching the venue decorations to fresh flowers would incur an additional expense of about 2 million won compared to the basic decoration.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) noted, "We plan to continue conducting monthly price surveys on wedding services and strive to provide practical information to help engaged couples prepare for their weddings reasonably."