Meeting More Family Before Our Korean Wedding
While looking for gifts for Korean elders during our wedding preparations, one thing we didn’t expect was just how many family gatherings there would be.
This time, we were going to meet four older relatives from my side of the family, ranging from their 60s to their 80s.
And that meant we had another question to solve:
What should we bring as a gift?
We wanted to bring something thoughtful for each person, but buying four gifts also meant that price mattered.
So before shopping, we came up with a few rules.
Our 5 Rules for Choosing the Gift
We were looking for something that:
- Cost around KRW 50,000 per person
- Looked substantial and appropriate as a proper gift
- Wasn’t something you could find everywhere
- Had a flavor that people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s could all enjoy
- Came in packaging nice enough to give without additional wrapping
Finding something that checked all five boxes was surprisingly difficult.
Many of the gift sets we liked were closer to KRW 70,000–80,000. Others looked beautiful online but felt a little too small for the occasion.
Eventually, we settled on something we’d actually tried before:
Richmond Bakery’s Chestnut Pie (리치몬드 과자점 밤파이).
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Why We Chose Richmond’s Chestnut Pie
This wasn’t a completely random choice.
We had received these chestnut pies as a gift before and remembered how good they were. So unlike buying an expensive gift we’d never tasted ourselves, this was something we could give with confidence.
The box came with 10 individually packed chestnut pies for KRW 41,000 at the time.
That put it almost exactly within our budget.
But price wasn’t the only reason.
1. It Actually Feels Like a Gift
One thing we cared about was that the gift shouldn’t feel too light or casual.
And I mean “light” quite literally here. 😂
The chestnut pies are generously filled, and a box of ten has some serious weight to it.
When we handed them over, our relatives even commented:
“These must have been heavy to carry!”
They weren’t wrong.
We bought four boxes.
More on that mistake later.
2. It’s a Little Harder to Find
Richmond Bakery, or Richmond Confectionery (리치몬드 과자점), is a long-running bakery in Seoul.
One thing we liked was that it didn’t feel like something you could pick up at every supermarket or department store.
At the time we bought the pies, we purchased them at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido.
That gave us an easy little story when handing over the gift:
“It’s from a well-known bakery in Seoul.”
For us, that small element of discovery made it feel a bit more special than a generic packaged snack.
3. More Importantly, They Taste Good
This was ultimately the most important part.
The outside is rich and buttery, while the inside has a smooth chestnut filling that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet.
Depending on the piece, you can also find one or two whole chestnuts inside.
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That balance was one of the main reasons we thought it would work for older family members.
Some desserts look beautiful but are extremely sweet. These weren’t.
And because the filling is soft, they’re also relatively easy to eat.
4. The Basic Packaging Was Already Enough
We also liked the packaging.
The standard gift box already came nicely presented with a ribbon, so we didn’t feel that additional wrapping was necessary.
At The Hyundai Seoul, there was also an option to add traditional Korean bojagi (보자기) wrapping for an additional KRW 10,000.
We considered it but ultimately skipped it.
The regular box already looked formal enough for the occasion, and with four boxes, adding bojagi to every one would have meant another KRW 40,000.
Sometimes the basic option really is enough.
One Mistake We Made: Carrying Four Boxes on the Subway 😂
Here’s the practical advice I wish we’d considered beforehand.
Don’t underestimate how heavy four boxes of chestnut pies are.
We bought all four boxes offline at The Hyundai Seoul and then carried them on Seoul Subway Line 9.
It was not fun. 😂
If you’re buying several boxes, delivery is definitely worth considering.
At the time, we also found the same 10-piece set on Kurly, a popular Korean grocery delivery service, for around KRW 42,000 — only about KRW 1,000 more than what we paid in-store.
For that difference, I would happily avoid carrying four boxes across Seoul next time.
Availability can vary, though, so if you need them for a particular family gathering, ordering in advance is probably the safer option.
So, Did Korean Elders Actually Like Them?
Yes.
And ultimately, that’s the part that matters.
All four relatives, ranging from their 60s to their 80s, later told us that they enjoyed the pies.
That’s always reassuring because choosing gifts for older family members can be surprisingly difficult.
You want something nice, but not unnecessarily expensive.
Traditional, but not boring.
Sweet, but not too sweet.
And ideally something they’ll actually eat instead of leaving in a cupboard.
For us, this one worked.
How Much Did We Spend?
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Richmond Chestnut Pie – 10 pieces | KRW 41,000 |
| Optional bojagi wrapping | KRW 10,000 |
| What we actually paid per box | KRW 41,000 |
We bought four boxes, so our total came to approximately KRW 164,000.
For four separate family gifts, we thought that was a pretty reasonable balance between price, presentation, and quality.
Prices mentioned here reflect what we paid at the time and may have changed since then.
Would We Buy Them Again?
Definitely — although next time, I’d probably have them delivered. 😂
Preparing for a Korean wedding taught us that gifts like these aren’t really about buying something expensive.
They’re a small way of saying:
“We thought about you before coming.”
The recipient’s age, tastes, health, the occasion, and even how easy the food is to eat can all matter more than the price tag.
For our family gathering, Richmond’s chestnut pies happened to hit the sweet spot.
And thankfully, the four heavy boxes survived Line 9 too.
More from Our Korean Wedding Story
This is part of our Korean Wedding Story series, where we’re sharing the real decisions, costs, family traditions, and small moments we experienced while preparing for our wedding in Korea.
If you’re looking for another gift idea for an older Korean family member, you can also read about the traditional yanggaeng gift we brought to my grandmother.
