Couples preparing to marry in South Korea hold an average of nearly 11 "cheongmo" gatherings to hand out their wedding invitations, a survey showed. Cheongmo refers to a meal that an engaged couple treats acquaintances to while delivering invitations in person.
According to a survey of about 500 married people conducted in the second half of this year by matchmaking firm Gayeon, 57.8% of respondents said both the groom and the bride held invitation gatherings before their wedding, the company said on the 25th.
Another 27.5% said they met only a few acquaintances in small groups without formal gatherings, while 3.4% said only one of the two held them. Just 8.6% said they held none at all.
Married respondents who held the gatherings reported an average of 10.81 meetings. The most common amount spent on food per guest was 50,000 won for men and 30,000 won for women.
Single adults planning to marry view the custom favorably. In a survey of 500 unmarried men and women conducted by Gayeon over the same period, 68.3% said the gatherings are necessary, against 31.6% who said they are not — more than a two-to-one margin.
The most common answer for an appropriate amount to spend per guest was also 50,000 won for men and 30,000 won for women, matching the results from married respondents.
The leading reason for supporting the custom was the care shown by delivering the news in person, in a question allowing multiple answers. The most cited response, at 52.6%, was feeling valued enough as a close contact that the other person would meet face-to-face to share the news. Tied for second at 44.8% each were the view that sending only a mobile invitation after falling out of touch feels thoughtless, and the chance to catch up with someone after a long time.
Those who called the gatherings unnecessary pointed to the cost and time involved. Among single respondents who said they are not necessary, 61.3% said the custom imposes unnecessary wedding costs on the bride and groom. That was followed by the burden of setting aside personal time beyond attending the wedding itself (36.9%) and concern that being treated to a meal would require giving a larger cash gift on the wedding day (33.1%).
"Cheongmo carries real meaning as an occasion to share news of a marriage face-to-face, but the cost adds up for engaged couples as the number of gatherings grows," an official at Gayeon said. "Rather than measuring closeness by whether such a gathering took place, we hope a culture takes root of sincerely congratulating those close to us on their marriage."