Joanne &
Jeffrey

SeoulπŸ‡°πŸ‡· June 20, 2026 17:30
The Hague πŸ‡³πŸ‡± September 26, 2026 16:00

Our story
Joanne and Jeffrey’s journey began when they first met in Seoul in February 2025. What started as the final days of Jeff’s solo trip quickly became the beginning of something lasting:
a long-distance relationship built on laughter, late-night video-calls, and a surprisingβ€”and immediateβ€”compatibility.

Wedding in Seoul
June 20, 2026

Hotel Eliena – Gangnam – Seoul

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Program

17:00

Doors Open

Your chance to get a picture with Joanne!

17:30

Wedding Ceremony

18:00

Dinner

Vegetarian options are available. Please let us know beforehand.

19:30

Afterparty

Traditional Korean weddings are short and do not include a party.
But… we do include an afterparty!

02:00

Sleep

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which hotel should I stay in Seoul?

There are many hotels in Seoul, we recommend looking on sites like Booking.

Location: Gangnam if you want to stay near the wedding venue, or Jeffrey recommends Myeongdong if you want to experience the vibrant and chaotic nightlife of the markets. Keep in mind that the last metro’s depart around 00:00 at night, so a taxi might be needed depending on how long the afterparty will last.

Here are some recommendations:

  • Hotel Eliana– The wedding venue in Gangnam. Guests for our wedding can get a 30% discount, contact us for more information.
    Price range: €150/night after 30% discount
  • Best Western Premier Gangnam Hotel
    Price range: €100-€120/night
  • Hotel Cappuccino Gangnam
    Price range: €100/night
  • Grand Mercure Imperial Palace Seoul (Gangnam).
    Price range: €230/night (5-star hotel)
  • Guest houses (a.k.a. hostels) often have private rooms with own bathroom.
    For example:
    – ForΓͺt Guest House Gangnam. Price range: €50/night.
    – Beyond Residence Jongno (Jeffrey stayed here, a bit far from Gangnam but it’s also a nice area, very small room though). Price range: €30/night.
    – Starria Hostel Myeongdong (Nice vibrant area). Price range: €100/night.

Do I need a VISA for Korea?

For 2026: Most probably yes. (For 2025 no K-ETA was needed)

This is called the K-ETA, see: https://k-eta.go.kr/portal/newapply/index.do
Price: around €6-€7

<add more info / screenshots>

What’s the Korea Arrival Card?

When entering Korea, you will need to fill-in the arrival card. This can be done online (3 days before arrival), or on paper at the airport.
https://www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr/portal/main/index.do?locale=EN
Fill in the address of your hotel.

Do I need vaccines for Korea?

Yes. See the Dutch GGD for more information: https://www.ggdreisvaccinaties.nl/land/zuid-korea

Jeffrey recommends getting a consult at the GGD and then going for DTP + Hepatitis A/B Combi. This Combi vaccin consists of 3 doses, where 2 of them needs to be given before departure (1 month and 2 months before). Hepatitis B is not strictly necessary, but can be good if you unexpectedly require medical service. The Combi vaccin is valid for 30+ years.

Which airlines do you recommend?

There are several options, depending on budget and time.

Most convenient option is Korean Air or KLM. They offer direct flights from Schiphol to Seoul.
Prices are around €1000 for a round-trip flight.

Lufthansa is recommended if you are on a tighter budget and accept a layover. Jeffrey did this 2 times already.
Prices are around €600 for a round-trip flight.

Emirates is also an option to consider.

What is the Korean wedding etiquette? What should I gift?

First of all: since you are coming from far away; we don’t expect any gifts. We are already happy to see you!

If you really want to give something, Korean traditional culture is to give cash money in an envelope. This envelope is then exchanged at the entrance to the dinner. No cash = no dinner (it’s true, how funny it might sound). However, we have arranged that this “custom” is not applied for foreign visitors.

What is the dresscode?

TBD

Do I need to eat with chopsticks?

Don’t worry, the food served at the wedding is western (e.g. steak), so no traditional Korean food.
We recommend trying Korean food during your stay, which will require chopsticks, but most restaurants can provide alternatives when asked.

Is there vegetarian food available?

Yes, a special vegetarian menu is available!
Please contact us before the wedding so we can make sure enough food is prepared.
Also contact us in case of any allergies.

Do I need to know the Korean language?

In Jeff’s experience knowing these two words is very useful and fun:

  • Hello: μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš” = ann-yeong-ha-se-yo
  • Thank You: κ°μ‚¬ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€ = gam-sa-hab-ni-da

Other than that, English will be OK in most of Korea! Especially around the younger generation and in tourist locations.

How can I get from the airport to Seoul?

There are several options:

  • Bus (very comfortable, Jeff only found out about this option at the end of his trip).
  • Taking the Airport Railroad Express (AREX) train (fast, can be a good option, Jeff used it on first arrival in Seoul).
  • Taxi (+- €40)

Contact us for assistance, we can help to provide the best option.

How can I use public transport in Korea?

Most convenient (but slightly more expensive): get a NAMANE card (with a custom design).
This card can be topped with your mobile phone.

Alternatively, most used is a T-money card from a convenience store (CU, GS25) and load it with cash money in the train/subway stations.

How can I use a taxi in Korea?

Download the app “Kakao T” and register as a foreigner.
Also, if I remember correctly, adding a foreign credit card can be done after registration.
It was a bit tricky to register, so don’t give up.

How can I use mobile internet in Korea? eSim?

eSim is highly recommended and works with most modern phones. Please check online if your phone has eSim capability.

There are basically two recommended options:

1) In February 2025, Jeff used eSim from MobiMatter (15 GB for €10).
It worked pretty fine! Connection is through Honk Kong, so it might not be the fastest (and apparently TikTok is blocked, but I haven’t verified this myself).
Big advantage: it works automatically the moment you enter Korea, no need to go to a shop or something.
Other options: Trip, Holafly, …

2) For his second trip to Korea in October 2025, Jeff used ChinguMobile: chingumobile.com
Chingu offers very fast internet (SpeedUp plan), 30 days for 45.000 KRW (€30) and comes with a local phone number for calling.
The only downside: you have to share your passport picture online to pick-up at the airport, or show your passport at the store downtown in Seoul.

We are not getting paid for promoting this (unfortunately…)
Contact us for any help.

How can I get cash? Which ATMs? Do I need cash?

Recommended to use ATMs at convenience stores (CU, GS25), these ATMs generally charge a fee of around 4800 won (3 euro).
Note that the maximum you can withdraw from these ATMs is around 300,000 won.

Some ATMs at banks charge way more (avoid Hana bank, they charge the most).
KB Bank and Woori bank are good alternatives.

For the best conversion rate between Korean Won and Euro/USD, I recommend to use the free N26 bank.
Sign up using: https://n26.com/r/jeffreyv2040 to automatically support our wedding πŸ™‚

Note: Apple Pay is only supported on some locations, not everywhere.
A physical creditcard is highly recommended! Even then, I’ve had issues when paying in restaurants and shops with mastercard (from both N26 and ING).
Sometimes only mastercard work and sometimes only visa. Or neither. I don’t know.
I recommend to have some cash (100,000 won) for these situations.

Why did you already take wedding photo’s before the wedding?

That is part of Korean tradition!

Wedding in The Netherlands
September 26, 2026
– Location To Be Announced –

Long distance relationships are hard, but they are also incredible.
When you learn to respect, trust and love someone from a distance, you’ll be absolutely unstoppable when you’re together.