"We are getting married without holding a wedding ceremony." If the bride and groom's account numbers were written side by side right below that phrase, would you send money? An office worker's post uploaded to Threads on the 1st has become a nationwide debate within three days. A 'no-wedding' is not a crime. However, a 'wedding gift invoice' that only notifies people of an account number is not congratulations; it's taxation.
This is a story posted on Threads by an office worker, A, on the 1st. A wedding notice email received at work reportedly contained only the phrase "We are getting married without holding a wedding ceremony" along with the bank account numbers of the bride and groom. This story was reported consecutively by major media outlets such as MoneyToday and Asia Economy on the 3rd, spreading into a 'no-wedding congratulatory money' debate, and netizens' views were sharply divided. The mutual aid argument—"If I received something, I'll give back; if I received nothing, I'll just offer congratulations"—coexisted with criticism asking, "Why are they sending their account number when they aren't even having a wedding?" The numbers show that this debate is not a fleeting sensation. According to the Korea Consumer Agency's wedding service price survey in August 2026, the national average cost combining wedding venues, studios, dresses, and makeup reaches 21.6 million won. The median meal price per person at wedding venues in the Gangnam area of Seoul is 90,000 won. According to a survey of 844 office workers by recruitment platform Incruit, 61.8% of respondents picked 100,000 won as the appropriate congratulatory money when attending a wedding and having a meal. In just two years, 100,000 won has become the new standard in an era where 50,000 won used to be the norm.
The 'no-wedding' itself is a choice informed by these prices. In an era of 20 million won per wedding and 100,000 won in congratulatory money per guest, pooling funds for the newlywed couple instead of a venue is a rational choice for consumers, and the culture of sneering at this as a "Lotte World cathedral concept" is now outdated. The problem is the method. Congratulatory money originally stems from mutual assistance, where people helped each other with feast expenses. However, when an account number arrives first at a place where there isn't even a chair for a guest to sit on, congratulations instantly turn into an invoice. The sincerity of returning what one has already received, and the courtesy of politely stating in advance that one will not receive anything. If these two things are kept, a 'no-wedding' becomes each other's choice rather than a subject of debate.
We ask: While the format of a wedding is a matter of personal freedom, shouldn't consideration for the other party remain in the way money is received? The reason guests open their wallets is not for the value of a seat, but out of a desire to cheer on the future of the two people. The moment that feeling is replaced with a monetary demand, the rational culture of a 'no-wedding' collapses along with it. An era where bank accounts are opened instead of wedding halls. For that account to maintain the name 'congratulations', the recipient's courtesy is needed just as much as the sender's sincerity.