Offering 50,000 won for the wedding gift is considered impolite to not attend... Due to the financial burden, even 'No Wedding' has appeared.
2024.07.08 13:58
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CNBC reported on the 6th (local time), citing Natt's 2023 report, that the average cost of a wedding and reception in the United States last year was $35,000 (approximately 48 million won). This is about a 16.7% increase from the previous year, amounting to an additional $5,000 (approximately 6.9 million won).
As wedding costs increased, couples preparing for marriage responded by reducing the number of guests. According to Wedding Report, the number of wedding guests in the United States has been steadily decreasing since 2006. The average number of wedding guests, which was 184 in 2006, dropped significantly to 107 in 2020, the year the pandemic occurred. Shane McMurray, co-founder and CEO of Wedding Report, stated, "In 2021, it increased slightly to 124, but this was because people had a strong desire to meet after the lockdown measures," and he predicted, "Due to the significant rise in wedding costs, the scale of weddings will decrease."
According to the wedding report, weddings with 25 to 50 guests accounted for 15% of all weddings last year, and weddings with fewer than 25 guests accounted for about 2%. This is a higher proportion compared to previous years.
The marriage market in Korea is no different from that in the United States. As living costs soar and the burden of wedding preparation expenses increases, the trend has shifted from 'small weddings' to 'no wedding,' where couples skip the wedding ceremony altogether and focus on self-arranged arrangements.
The average wedding cost at wedding halls in Seoul city is around 80,000 won, while hotel wedding halls typically charge between 130,000 and 200,000 won for the meal alone. When adding the hall rental fee and flower costs, the total cost for a single wedding can reach hundreds of millions of won. The increase in wedding expenses has placed a burden on guests.
Recently, online forums and cafes discussing wedding preparations have suggested that if the congratulatory money is below the cost of a meal, it is polite not to attend. In the past, it was common to give congratulatory money in the range of 30,000 to 50,000 won, but recently, many people have adopted the perception that "if you attend, give 100,000 won; if you do not attend, give 50,000 won."
According to a survey conducted via email from October to November last year by Shinhan Bank, among 10,000 economically active individuals nationwide aged 20 to 64, the most common response was that 52.8% of people would give 50,000 won as a congratulatory gift if they did not attend a friend's wedding. Following that, 36.7% said they would give 100,000 won, and 3.3% said they would give 200,000 won.
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람라미정말 축의금 어마어마하지요 그래도 당연히 내야하고.. 언제쯤 없어지련지 ㅎㅎ