Seoul to add 40 public wedding spots, from Mount Nam to Han River

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announces plans to expand support for weddings at public facilities at Seoul City Hall, Thursday. Yonhap

For 30-year-old office worker Lee Sang-jae, who got married in Seoul last month, the big day came with a hefty price tag.

“My wife and I spent just over 30 million won ($21,769) on the wedding,” Lee told The Korea Times. “It felt like a lot to pay for something that ends so quickly. That money could have gone toward better home appliances or a nicer place to live.”

Lee added that they had carefully compared the prices of each element of the ceremony. “Everything — from the wedding dress to the photo studio — is categorized as high-, mid-, or low-end packages. We opted for all mid-tier options, and still ended up spending this much.”

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has taken note of those with similar experiences, and is now expanding its efforts to ease the burden.

The city government announced plans Thursday to expand its network of public wedding venues, offering couples a more budget-friendly option if they feel they cannot afford to hold a wedding ceremony elsewhere. It currently operates 25 venues, including traditional Korean houses inside Dream Forest in northern Seoul, and aims to increase this number to 65, which will include five Han River ferry docks.

The Hills Namsan, which will be transformed into a public wedding hall this September from a former cafe, in Yongsan District, central Seoul / Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government

The number of marriages in Seoul is increasing. Last year, the city saw 42,471 marriages, which was an increase of 18.9 percent from 2022. Nevertheless, the high cost of weddings remains a major obstacle for many couples like Lee.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, couples planning to get married nationwide spend an average of 21.01 million won on wedding-related services as of April.

Wedding venues account for the largest proportion of costs, with a national median price of 15.55 million won. Prices vary widely by region, ranging from an average of over 31 million won in Seoul’s Gangnam District to just over 8 million won in Busan.

Catering is another major expense. Nationwide, the median cost of a meal per guest is 58,000 won, but in Seoul — excluding Gangnam — it can climb to 75,000 won, which is about 1.7 times higher than in the North and South Gyeongsang provinces. In Gangnam, the average cost per guest is 85,000 won.

Public wedding venues in Seoul are available to couples who reside, work or study in the city, or whose parents do. Most outdoor venues are free of charge, and indoor spaces are significantly more affordable than private wedding halls, with afternoon rental fees starting at 1.8 million won and hourly rates as low as 107,000 won.

The city government also plans to provide various support measures for couples using public wedding venues. This includes up to 1 million won in vouchers for household and child care purchases, along with up to 1 million won per couple to support health screenings.

City official Cha Mi-young told The Korea Times that the decision on whether couples will be able to receive all of the benefits or just one of them is still being reviewed.

The city will remodel public spaces recommended by citizens into new wedding venues, and in the second half of this year the public will be invited to suggest city-run facilities that could be used for weddings. Following a voting process and official review, five sites will be selected for renovation and conversion into public wedding halls by early next year.