Wedding costs in Korea, including venue rental, catering and studio photography, dress and makeup packages, marked the highest in April, according to an analysis by the Korea Consumer Agency.
The agency analyzed wedding service contracts signed in 14 regions nationwide between April last year and June this year, finding that at the start of the second quarter, the average wedding cost 22.38 million won ($15,700).
It found that the total cost of a wedding varied by as much as 3.25 million won depending on the month of the ceremony.
The average wedding cost during the peak wedding seasons of March through June and September through December was 21.56 million won. That was 2.02 million won higher than the average of 19.54 million won during the off-peak months of January through February and July through August.
By month, April was the most expensive. That was 3.25 million won more than January, the least expensive month, when the average cost was 19.13 million won.
The median cost of venue rental and catering combined was 16.1 million won during the peak season, 3.6 million won higher than the offseason median of 12.5 million won.
More couples are also opting for dress-and-makeup services without studio photography during their wedding preparations. Traditionally, many Korean couples chose the "sudeume" package, a portmanteau of the Korean pronunciation for studio, dress and makeup.
Visitors at a wedding fair at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, look at wedding dresses on July 6, 2025.NEWS1
The share of dress and makeup contracts rose from 11 percent in April 2025 to 19.2 percent in June this year, a trend the agency attributed to the growing popularity of cost-conscious spending.
The median price of a dress and makeup package was 1.6 million won, 1.32 million won less than the 2.92 million won median price of a studio, dress and makeup package.
A survey of wedding service providers conducted in April also found price differences between peak and off-peak seasons, as well as between weekends and weekdays.
A total of 32.8 percent of providers said they require customers holding weddings on weekends during the peak season to purchase additional services, such as fresh floral decorations and ceremony assistants.
The Korea Consumer Agency advised couples planning weddings during the peak season to compare packages based on the final total price, rather than individual items, because venue rental fees are higher and mandatory add-on services may apply.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
