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| Couples wearing masks pray during a mass wedding ceremony at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Korea, Friday, held despite the growing concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak. /AP-Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Soon-to-be married couples are facing a dilemma over whether to hold a wedding ceremony amid growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus, according to officials at wedding halls and hotels, Tuesday.
Some have decided to cancel the event and instead organize small-scale family gatherings, while others holding the ceremony as planned are anticipating small numbers of guests, they said.
"Monthly sales in January decreased around 20 percent from a month earlier. Many customers have been asking us to cancel or at least delay the event due to fear of the virus," said an official at a five-star hotel in Seoul.
The official said even though staff at his hotel told their customers that the hotel has been undergoing regular disinfection, and following the government's guidelines to prevent further infection among guests, people are still deeply concerned about using their facilities.
"It is understandable, and we were actually prepared to deal with this situation to a degree, because chances of cancellation of contracts always exist in such an emergency situation. However, we are more concerned that the number of new contracts in March, which is the peak season for weddings, has also dropped significantly," the official said.
Wedding halls have also received a number of inquiries from couples who want to reduce the number of guests or adjust the cost for the ceremony from their initial contract.
A head manager at a wedding hall located in Yeouido, Seoul, said she has received several calls from customers who signed contracts over six months ago.
"Most of them are hesitant to cancel their ceremony as the event was planned at least six months ago; but they want to adjust the number of guaranteed guests, which is a non-refundable deposit, because fewer people are expected to come to the ceremony than they had initially predicted," the manager said.
Those who have decided to hold the ceremony as planned are also busy coping with the spreading virus.
A 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, surnamed Choi, who will hold his wedding ceremony this weekend in Daejeon, checked how many guests will come to the event.
"My wedding planner said we can adjust the number of guaranteed guests even just one week before the ceremony, considering these extraordinary circumstances. So I made almost a hundred calls to my friends and acquaintances of my parents to check whether they can come or not," Choi said.
He said he will also prepare hand sanitizers and face masks at the hall to help his guests feel more comfortable.
