Young couples turn to DIY weddings amid soaring costs

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With the worsening economic downturn and inflation continuing to strain household budgets, young Koreans are taking matters into their own hands to have budget-friendly weddings, avoiding costly conventional wedding packages.

For years, the so-called "studio-dress-makeup" package, which includes pre-wedding studio photo shoots, bridal dresses and makeup arranged through wedding planning companies, has been one of the essential parts of wedding preparation in Korea. However, recently, more soon-to-be-wed couples are designing their weddings independently, organizing everything from attire to accessories in a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach instead of expensive packages costing tens of millions of won.

According to the online shopping platforms, searches for wedding-related keywords and sales have surged.

The local shopping platform 29CM announced that affordable wedding fashion-related searches more than doubled this March compared to the same period last year. Sales for dresses and blouses, often chosen as alternatives to gowns for wedding pictures, increased by 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively, from the same period last year.

"The DIY wedding trend that focuses more on practicality is spreading. So more brides-to-be prefer more affordable designer brand dresses instead of expensive dresses for wedding photoshoots,” the company explained.

“Recently, the costs to prepare for a wedding have increased to the point where the term 'wedding-flation' has been coined. More young people are seeking practical wedding dresses, guest outfits and anniversary attire that match their own tastes."

Reflecting this trend, 29CM is holding 29 CEREMONY, a wedding-themed special section, until April 13, introducing a new line of wedding-inspired looks for discounted prices.

Wedding dresses sold on Ably / Captured from Ably

Another fashion platform, Ably, shared that wedding-related keywords have been more searched since the spring wedding season last month. Searches for DIY wedding dresses and wedding reception dresses increased by 25 percent, and bridal shower attire by 15 percent.

Chinese shopping platforms like AliExpress and Temu have also been emerging as a good source to purchase cheaper dresses to be worn for receptions or photoshoots with people sharing reviews and tips for getting the attire on those platforms.

Along with gowns and dresses, demand for accessories like shoes, veils and bouquets has also increased as more affordable options to high-end designer wedding shoes or veils. Local shoe brands like Sappun and Shoes de Blanc are strengthening their wedding lines and releasing products that offer both design and comfort at much lower prices.

DIY wedding bouquets are also popular for couples looking to save money. Hashtags like #selfbouquet and #artificialflowerbouquet are trending on social media with thousands of posts. YouTube videos sharing tutorials and reviews of making one's own bouquet have also gained popularity.

Instagram posts with the hashtag #DIYbouquet / Captured from Instagram

This DIY wedding trend has been the result of inflation and the continually growing costs of planning weddings, leading people to be more reluctant to taking the conventional steps that wedding planning companies offer.

According to the Korean marriage consulting and wedding planning company Duo, the average cost for getting married within the past two years is 361.73 million won ($245,937).

The average wedding venue cost in 2024 was 12.83 million won, which was up 21 percent from 10.57 million won the previous year. The average cost of a studio-dress-makeup package also increased every year to 3.6 million won last year, which is 8 percent higher than the previous year. Compared to 2020, when it was about 2.35 million won, the cost surged 53 percent.

As wedding costs continue to rise annually, the government will conduct a nationwide survey of wedding venues and planning agencies to address information gaps in the wedding market and help consumers make more informed decisions. The Korea Consumer Agency will carry out monthly price surveys from April to December, inspecting 711 wedding venues and 1,500 wedding planning service companies. This initiative aims to tackle the issue of information asymmetry in the marriage industry.