10 rich Korean stars who had humble weddings, from Rain and Kim Tae-hee’s modest ceremony to Lee Hyori’s US$120 dress, and Netflix’s My Name star Park Hee-soon’s intimate nuptials

Dec 16 , 2021

A number of Korean stars, such as Rain and Kim Tae-hee, and Park Hee-soon and Park ye-jin, have opted for small weddings. Photos: Lacloud, @park_hee_soon/Instagram

Celebrities are known for lavish, over-the-top wedding ceremonies complete with designer wedding gowns and star-studded guest lists. But some Korean stars have kicked off an intimate wedding trend, skipping opulent extravaganzas in favour of smaller ceremonies.

Meet the Korean celebrities who chose to go low-key instead of making a splash on their big day.

Lee Sang-soon and Lee Hyori

Lee Sang-soon and Lee Hyori are known for kicking off the small weddings trend in South Korea. In 2013, pop diva Hyori – who was a member of girl group Fin. K. L – tied the knot with singer-songwriter Sang-soon in a small ceremony at their garden at home in Jeju island.

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Instead of choosing a grand hall and an expensive wedding dress – Hyori bought her gown during a trip to Thailand for just US$120 – the down-to-earth couple opted for a low-key ceremony that included bike rides instead of a wedding car.

But a small wedding doesn’t necessarily mean a cheap one. Despite its toned down nature, the nuptials ended up costing quite a bit, since the couple decided to pay for the flight tickets and accommodation of their guests.

Won Bin and Lee Na-young

Won Bin and Lee Na-young tied the knot in 2019 in a small but elegant ceremony in Won’s hometown of Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. The private wedding ceremony saw 50 guests in attendance, all of whom were close family and friends. No celebrity guests were spotted, reports Channel Korea.

The combined cost of the wedding – including food and ceremony expenses – came out to be around 1.1 million won (about US$900), according to Channel Korea. This is comparatively much less than other celebrity weddings.

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The K-drama actress wore a long-sleeved lace wedding dress with a fitted bodice – which many fans thought closely resembled Kate Middleton’s iconic wedding dress.

Rain and Kim Tae-hee

Kim Tae-hee and Rain. Photo: @sjhkjk08/Twitter

Even South Korean superstars Rain, 39, and Kim Tae-hee, 41, who are known as “the richest Korean celebrities in real estate”, opted for a low-key ceremony in 2017. The power couple’s nuptials took place at the at the Gahoe-dong Cathedral in Seoul, and they chose to take photos with an ordinary digital camera rather than hiring a professional photographer.

In an appearance on JTBC’s Around the World Travel Package, Rain said that he wore a tuxedo that he already owned, and the attendees doubled as the photographers. But the K-pop star also opened up about his regrets regarding the wedding, saying that he “wanted to do a lot” for Kim. The total cost ended up being around US$1,800.

Ahn Jae-hyun and Koo Hye-sun

Although they got divorced in 2019, Ahn Jae-hyun, 34, and Koo Hye-sun’s, 37, had a small wedding that went viral over three years ago when they decided to donate what would have been their wedding expenses to a hospital. Instead of wearing a luxurious dress, reserving a decadent wedding hall and inviting a large number of guests, the pair decided to simply share a meal between their two families.

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Following the donation to the Severance Hospital located in Sinchon-dong, the hospital said: “It’s not easy deciding to donate the expenses of a wedding; it’s surprising. They’re essentially saving lives by getting married.”

Park Hee-soon and Park Ye-jin

Did you know that Netflix’s My Name star Park Hee-soon also had a small wedding with Korean actress Park Ye-jin? Though the pair officially got married secretly in 2015, the wedding ceremony took place a year later. It was an intimate and private affair in Itaewon, Seoul, and only saw the couple’s close friends and family in attendance, reports Channel Korea. The 51-year-old groom donned a causal outfit with shorts and a white shirt, while the 40-year-old bride wore a simple white gown.

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K-pop idols

Though Lee Na-young’s wedding dress echoed Kate Middleton’s, the K-drama actress’ entire wedding bill was only US$900 when she married Won Bin
Ahn Jae-hyun and Koo Hye-sun donated their would-be wedding expenses to a hospital while K-pop idol and former Fin. K. L member Lee Hyori opted for bike rides