A bride-to-be, who is about to get married in October this year, recently had a concern ahead of her visit to a wedding dress shop. This is because a friend who got married last year informed the existence of a “fitting fee envelope.” It is said that the fitting fee of 50,000 won to 100,000 won to try on a dress is usually put in an envelope decorated with pretty lace, ribbons, and flowers. My friend explained, “I mean thank you for letting me wear a pretty dress.” A said, “I’m curious that you even prepare an envelope when you try on a dress with my own money,” but added, “I’m worried that I’ll be the only one who didn’t do it, but I’m not able to wear a decent dress for no reason.”
With the full-fledged wedding season starting in April, criticism of the wedding preparation culture is rising, especially among some prospective couples. This is because the culture of showing off through SNS has become more common, increasing the number of formality. Cultural pressures that “I don’t think I’m the only one who should reject” also apply.
It’s not just a fitting fee envelope. Bride B, who is about to get married in July this year, recently prepared lunch boxes for studio writers and staff while taking wedding photos. B said, “I didn’t understand how to prepare a lunch box while filming with a huge amount of money over 1 million won,” adding, “I bought it when I heard that everyone else would do it, but I didn’t have time to eat.”
In fact, if you search for “Fittingbee Envelope,” “Wedding Shooting Lunch Box,” and “Wedding Shooting Snacks” on online communities and SNS, various reviews will be poured out. The key is who prepared more and more beautifully.
Information sharing is also active. There are various postings such as “Direct Marriage Preparation,” a leading wedding preparation cafe in Korea, such as “Where can I buy a fitting fee envelope for this week’s dress tour?” and “What kind of snacks would be good for a wedding shoot?”
The problem is that these wedding preparation customs seem to be the choice of prospective couples, but cultural pressures that appear to be disadvantageous if they do not do so are not visible. Some may be preparing with joy, but there are many prospective couples who follow the culture with tears rather than suffering damage by being branded as “sensible” bridegroom.
C, who married last year, also said he eventually followed the custom of “for himself.” He said, “There were a lot of small additional costs for both dress tours and wedding shoots at reasonable prices.”
“I thought the culture was strange, but I didn’t want to make something to regret on a good day, so I followed everything,” he said.
Mr. D, who is single, said, “I want to get married, but when I think of the preparation process, I can’t dare,” adding, “I want to prepare for marriage where the culture of formality disappears and focuses on the essence.”