A recent survey reveals that couples married within the last two years spent an average of 18.42 million won on wedding-related expenses, including venue rental, photography, wedding dresses, and makeup. The venue rental alone made up 14.01 million won, or 76%, of the total cost. The high cost of wedding venues has become a growing concern, with many couples calling them “too expensive.”
In response, local governments are finding creative ways to ease the financial burden by offering free or low-cost wedding venues. For instance, some municipalities are repurposing cafes or public outdoor spaces for weddings, allowing couples to allocate their savings toward other wedding necessities.
In Seoul’s Seocho District, 16 couples set to marry this year will receive free wedding venue rentals. Two local cafes, each with space for 50-100 guests, will serve as wedding venues, with the district government covering the entire cost. This initiative is part of a broader effort to address South Korea’s declining birth rate, with district officials hoping it will help encourage marriage.
Seoul also offers 25 public wedding venues, including parks and traditional hanok houses, as part of its “Birth Support Seoul Project” introduced in 2022. These venues are mostly free to use, with some already fully booked through 2026.
In Gwangju, the city hall has opened its outdoor and indoor spaces for weddings this year. The first outdoor ceremony took place on April 12, with more weddings scheduled for May and September. Renting the outdoor space costs just 10,000 won per day, while the indoor space is available for 10,000 won per hour, excluding heating and cooling fees.
Wedding venue costs have skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent report by marriage information service Duo found that the average venue rental fee has surged to 14.01 million won, based on a survey of 1,000 newlywed couples. In comparison, the same survey in 2021 reported an average rental fee of 8.96 million won.
This surge in costs can be attributed to the closure of many wedding venues during the pandemic. The number of venues dropped from 890 in 2019 to 714 in 2024. However, with marriage rates climbing again, the demand for wedding venues is on the rise. Last year, 2024 saw more than 220,000 marriages, surpassing the 2020 figure and marking a significant recovery from the annual 190,000 marriages seen between 2021 and 2023.
