New luxe wedding brand aims to change Korean wedding culture

When college exchange student Euna Lee went to her first wedding in Korea as a guest, she was taken aback at the businesslike atmosphere.

“Everyone lined up to give their chugigum [congratulations money] envelopes, and then a lot of people left immediately,” she says. “People were eating and talking during the ceremony, which lasted about 20 minutes. And apparently it was so expensive. When the bride told me how much it cost, I was shocked.”

Even though almost every other marriage in the country ends in divorce -- Korea’s divorce rate is the third highest among OECD members after United States and Sweden, according to 2007 statistics -- there is an overwhelming demand for expensive ceremonies that often involves families overreaching their financial capacities.

Unfortunately, despite the exorbitant costs, ceremonies often lack an air of romance, as they tend to be more about maintaining family reputation and connections than toasting true love. 

New wave

These days, however, an increasing number of young Korean couples are looking for venues and ceremonies that are à la Americana, as seen on TV. Brides want New York-style floral arrangements from Jane Packer and strapless Vera Wang gowns. Some want a party or dancing after the wedding.

The Westin Chosun Seoul is one of many hotels in Korea to cater to such new waves of interest.

The prestigious hotel recently revamped its wedding planning service by hiring big names in the global wedding industry, and launched the “One” wedding brand --packages start at US$140,000 -- earlier this year after five months of reinvention.

Its lofty goal?

“To change the Korean wedding culture,” says Myunghee Kim, the hotel’s catering sales manager. 

Brand name

Even before the launch of its new brand, The Westin Chosun already boasted significant value in the business, having hosted weddings for almost a century. “Many of our current customers’ parents and grandparents got married here,” says Kim. “For many in the financial circle, getting married at Westin Chosun has become a family tradition.” 

Kim explained that with the new service, they wanted to place more emphasis on the guests’ experience.

“We realized that guests often don’t have a good time at weddings in Korea and we wanted to change that. Many of our clients are changing the format of the weddings such as hosting a cocktail party before the ceremony and then having a dance party afterwards in the manner of weddings in other countries,” she says. “They want more fun.” 

The brand offers four different aesthetic concepts, which they claim are on a different level and scale than those of traditional Korean weddings. The four choices are Spring Romance (the name changes with each season), Hollywood Glam, Regal Elegance and Royal Garden. 

Bringing in the big guns

Jung Lee, host of “Wedded to Perfection” and author of “Fete: The Wedding," is one of the brains behind the new "One" wedding brand.

Masa Iwatate, an image consultant from Japan, was the main brain behind the project, and created the brand’s Preview Room with preeminent American hospitality designer Adam Tihany, who worked on renovation projects for luxury hotels around the world including the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas and Singapore’s Shangri-La.

Jung Lee, the co-founder of Fête, an event planning and design production firm in New York City, was another major contributor. Boasting an impressive portfolio, Lee planned weddings for a number of socialites and celebrities including Natalia Bulgari of the Bvlgari jewelry empire and singer Katy Perry.

Features

The “One” Preview Room consists of the Library, Atelier, Culinary Center, and three Consulting Rooms.

In the Library, or the lobby, couples can peruse a wide selection of books related to weddings, catering, and honeymoons in English and Korean. There is also at least one manager present for walk-in consultations seven days a week.

Wedding consultations take place in the Preview Room.

At the Atelier, visitors can view a wedding ceremony simulation on a 3D LED screen.

At the Atelier, potential clients can view silverware, flower arrangements and tablecloths both on the table and simulated on a 3D screen on the wall. They can taste sample dishes at the Culinary Center. Detailed discussions and planning take place in the Consulting Rooms.

Wedding package

The “One” wedding package features a ceremony in the Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate 400 guests, as well as a complimentary one-night stay at the honeymoon suite of the Chosun Hotel and a ride to the airport in a Maserati sports sedan Quattro Forte. 

With three types to choose from, prices start at US$140,000 and figures double or triple, depending on the customization, for the four concepts designed by Lee. 

Although these prices may seem staggering, the Westin Chosun is certainly not alone in this price range, as other businesses in the Korean wedding industry have also been hiking their already steep prices. The logic is that couples are willing to splurge to keep up with the Kims.

“I didn’t really want to spend so much money on the attire and the photo shoot, but that is the norm in Korea,” said Jinwoo Lee, 29, who is scheduled to tie the knot come this fall. 

Others say getting married is not any more costly here than in other parts of the globe. 

“Sure, the ceremony itself costs more in Seoul [than back home,]” admits Dan Thwaits, 34, from Canada. “But in North America, there is usually an open bar at the reception and that’s four or five thousand dollars right there.” 

The price of Westin Chosun’s new extravagant service has certainly not been deterring its customers. According to manager Kim, the Grand Ballroom has been booked for weddings through November. Whether the rest of the industry will follow this new Americanized format remains to be seen. 

87 Sogong-dong, Jung-gu (중구 소공동 87번지); +82 2 317 0066; wedding@westinchosun.com

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