Following support for venues, appliances and wedding packages,
Seoul Metropolitan Government extends its 'More Beautiful Wedding' program to include bridal jewelry for next year's registrants.
Applications open through Nov. 30; winners cover 1.1 million won in taxes.
Seoul Metropolitan Government will offer engaged couples support covering not only wedding venues and home appliances but also studio photography, dresses and makeup — and now wedding rings.
The average combined contract amount for a wedding venue and studio, dress and makeup packages came to 21.12 million won ($15,900) last month, according to the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal. That means couples spend more than 20 million won on venue and package contracts alone before the wedding day. The city's latest initiative aims to ease that financial burden.
Seoul announced Sunday that it is partnering with bridal jewelry brand Orsia to provide one pair of wedding rings worth 5 million won to each of 10 engaged couples who have booked its "More Beautiful Wedding" program for next year.
Couples can apply through the program's official website through Nov. 30 by submitting their story. Winners will be responsible only for taxes and fees of about 1.1 million won, equivalent to 22 percent of the rings' value.
The initiative expands the city's wedding culture support project beyond venue provision to cover the full range of wedding preparations. Seoul already offers home appliance purchase discounts in partnership with Samsung Electronics and financial consulting through Samsung Life Insurance. A separate campaign with Nongshim provides 13 couples with 3 million won each toward studio, dress and makeup costs.
The More Beautiful Wedding program opens public spaces across Seoul — including parks, hanok (traditional Korean houses) and museums — as wedding venues. It currently operates 67 sites, among them Seongbuk Yehyangjae, Seoul Forest Poplar Garden and Yongsan Family Park, and provides 1 million won toward venue and equipment costs.
Demand has grown steadily. The program hosted 75 ceremonies in 2023, rising to 155 in 2024 and 280 last year. As of September this year, 563 ceremonies have been booked, and reservations for next year have already reached 631.
Seoul is also expanding venue options and hours, offering evening weddings at six historic and cultural sites including the Seoul Museum of Craft Art and Unhyeongung Palace.
"From home appliances and wedding packages to rings, Seoul is working with businesses to lift the burden of wedding preparations one step at a time," said Ma Chae-suk, head of the city's Women and Family Bureau. "We will keep broadening our private-sector partnerships so that Seoul can be a reliable partner for couples at every stage — from choosing a venue to getting fitted for rings."
ken@heraldcorp.com
