"I Spent 1 Million Won in One Night" Deep Regrets... The Heavy Burden of Today’s Housewarming Parties

About 15% of Newlyweds Spend Between 500,000 and 1 Million Won
Many Say They Host Housewarming Parties Due to Tradition and Social Expectations

A recent survey found that newlywed couples spend an average of around 260,000 won to prepare for a single housewarming party. In some cases, the cost approached 1 million won, showing that hosting a housewarming party is becoming an additional financial burden for newlyweds, on top of wedding expenses and setting up a new home.

The average cost for a newlywed couple's first housewarming party was reported to be around 260,000 KRW. Among respondents, 14.8% said they spent between 500,000 KRW and 1,000,000 KRW on a single housewarming, indicating that a significant number of newlyweds spend considerable amounts to welcome guests. Getty Images

On July 25, multiple media outlets cited findings from a survey commissioned by the matchmaking company Gayeon and conducted by Opensurvey, reporting these results.

In a survey of 517 married men and women, the average cost to prepare for a single housewarming party for newlywed couples was recorded at about 260,000 won. The largest group, 26.5%, said they spent between 200,000 and 250,000 won. This was followed by 300,000–350,000 won (22.8%), 100,000–150,000 won (19.4%), and 150,000–200,000 won (11.2%).

Notably, 14.8% of respondents answered that they spent between 500,000 and 1,000,000 won on a single housewarming party, indicating that a significant number of newlywed couples spend considerable amounts to welcome guests.

It was found that newlyweds spend an average of 260,000 won on housewarming parties at once. The photo is a scene from the movie "Perfect Stranger." Naver Movies

The primary reason for hosting a housewarming party was to introduce the newlywed home to family or acquaintances, accounting for 36.5% of responses.

However, customs and the expectations of others were also found to have a considerable impact. 25.8% said it was because they felt it was a natural step after marriage; 19.6% said it was to continue gatherings with family and friends, and 10.7% cited requests or expectations from those around them.

Gayeon analyzed that the financial burden of housewarming parties has increased as the culture around them has evolved. The company explained that, in addition to serving food, there has been a rise in preparing alcoholic beverages such as whiskey or premium wines, pushing the costs higher compared to the past.

The cost of housewarming parties is also linked to the continuously rising expenses associated with preparing for marriage. According to the '2026 Wedding Expenses Report' released by matchmaking company Duo earlier this year, the average cost of preparing for a wedding, excluding housing costs, reached 59.12 million won.

Furthermore, in the 'Wedding Service Price Trend Survey Result' announced by the Korea Consumer Agency in February, the national average price of the so-called 'Studio-Shooting, Dress, and Makeup (Sdeume) Package', which includes wedding halls, studio photography, dresses, and makeup, was reported to be 21.39 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.