Korea's wedding trends are changing. Small weddings where only close acquaintances and family members are invited are being held frequently, not large weddings that invite many acquaintances. Small weddings have been popular in Korea since the 2010s, and more couples have recently been having small weddings. The original meaning of the small wedding is "a wedding held by inviting a small number of guests in a small place, not a wedding hall," but is known to more people as "a frugal wedding that reduces wedding costs." The two meanings are slightly different. However, in common, neither are a large-scale wedding but are a relatively simple wedding. Then, let's learn more about why small weddings became popular and the problems that arise from the difference in interpretation of small weddings with CAH.

Introduction of Small Weddings

In Korea, the small wedding culture initially began to gain attention as several celebrities had small weddings. In 2013, Korean singer Lee Hyo-ri drew a lot of attention by holding a small wedding ceremony with her husband, Lee Sang-soon. Unlike many celebrities holding luxurious weddings at hotels, they invited only close acquaintances and family members to their homes on Jeju Island. In 2015, actors Won Bin and Lee Na-young also invited only 50 people, most family, to their wedding in a small village in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. Korean actor Kim Tae-hee and singer-actor Rain also held a wedding ceremony in a cathedral in 2017. Likewise, they invited only close acquaintances and family members to their wedding. In addition, Kim Tae-hee wore her own wedding dress and Rain also wore his own suit instead of renting, so their wedding cost was only about 1.3 million won, which was very frugal. Thanks to the small wedding culture of celebrities, the concept began to be gradually spread among the public.

The Reason Why Small Weddings Became Popular

COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 is the most decisive cause for more people to hold small weddings than before. In Korea, the social distancing policy has made it difficult for many people to gather in one place. Fewer than 50 people have been allowed to gather at indoor weddings and no more than 100 people have been allowed to gather outdoors under the social distancing policy over the past two years. In addition, if the quarantine rules were violated, a fine of 3 million won could be imposed on both the wedding organizer and their guests. Eventually, those who were preparing for the wedding had to postpone or cancel the wedding, and in order to proceed, had to invite only a small number of guests to their wedding. However, this small wedding culture has been settled due to COVID-19, and in fact, in October, Westin Chosun Hotel Seoul announced that the number of small weddings has tripled compared to 2019, before COVID-19. As such, small weddings have settled themselves as a wedding trend due to COVID-19.

Burden of a Big Wedding

Big weddings put a heavy burden on couples. In fact, according to the "2021 Marriage Cost Report" released by the marriage information company Duo in March last year, the total cost of the marriage reached KRW 236.18 million. The amount includes 192.71 million won in housing costs, and on average, about 70 million won is spent on weddings, excluding housing costs. A big wedding is burdensome not only for the wedding couples but also for the guests. In a survey of office workers conducted by the employment portal Incruit, 92.*-3% of the survey respondents said, "I feel burdened to attend an acquaintance's wedding." 45.6% of them said it was an "economic burden." In the case of big weddings, it is common to have 500 to 600 guests because not only close acquaintances are invited, such as small weddings, but also distant relatives, coworkers, and people they don't see often. As more people take part in such big weddings, more and more individuals have to attend wedding ceremonies to give congratulatory money, and the burden of expenses increases. On the other hand, small weddings accept only 50 ~ 150 guests in common, so if the small wedding trend continues, the number of weddings one person has to attend may be reduced and the cost of congratulatory money paid may be lowered. The younger generation, who feel burdened by big weddings, seeks efficiency by simplifying weddings.

Problems Arising from Differences in Interpretation of Small Weddings

There is also a problem that comes from the difference in interpretation of small weddings. Small weddings have been popular in society in the sense of "a frugal wedding," but some point out that the purpose of a frugal wedding hass waned. Some people prefer a small wedding because the cost of the wedding is burdensome. However, as more and more people want small weddings, the hotel industry is introducing new products and the meaning of frugal weddings is fading. The hotel industry is introducing various small wedding packages in line with the small wedding trend. Famous hotels such as Four Seasons Seoul Hotel, Glad Yeouido, and Courtyard Marriott Seoul have offered a variety of options for those who prefer small weddings, including 20 person packages, 30 person packages, and 50 person packages. These small weddings have only a small number of guests, but are equivalent to the cost of holding a large-scale wedding. In addition, it is said that the process of preparing for small wedding is too cumbersome, so it is more convenient to hold it at a regular wedding hall. If people get married at a regular wedding hall, a wedding planner prepares everything they need for the wedding. However, small weddings prepared by the wedding couples themselves have many things to prepare themselves, such as lighting, decorating, and casting places, so it can be ironic that they try to reduce the cost of weddings, but rather incur more costs. In an interview with a couple who had a small wedding with The Kyunghyang Shinmun, the couple said that free wedding spaces such as the National Library of Korea and the Seoul Citizens' Office were already closed, and it was not easy to find even outdoor spaces such as Yangjae Citizens' Forest. It is also said that in the process of renting dresses for weddings, it was difficult to obtain information about brands and market prices by themselves.

Small weddings became trendy with the public after some celebrities’ small weddings, and the small weddings quickly gained popularity due to the changing society after COVID-19. In addition, the burden of big weddings has increased among the younger generation, and the popularity of small weddings has accelerated further. There are also problems arising from differences in interpretation of small weddings, such as expensive small hotel wedding packages and cumbersome small wedding preparations. However, Lim Woon-taek, a professor in the Department of Sociology at Keimyung University, said, "The traditional culture such as congratulatory money and marriage expenses has become a burden for the younger generation, and COVID-19 has accelerated the spread of small weddings. In the future, you will be able to see more various wedding types." Therefore, the small wedding trend is expected to be popular even after COVID-19 ends.