A Korean Wedding

Two weeks before the event itself, the landlord of my apartment (whom I know very well and am friendly with) messaged me to invite my neighbor and I to his son's wedding! This surprising method of invitation was the first of many things I would learn about Korean weddings.

Firstly, there are 2 types of weddings: "traditional" and "western". Traditional weddings are extremely rare, barely anyone opts to have them anymore, but many of its little practices still show through in the Korean interpretation of the "western" wedding.


This is the wedding hall in which I attended the wedding. As you can see, it's very showy. The center aisle and the front area is actually a stage. These giant halls are rented for just the ceremony. A business or building that runs them usually has several and on a given day (especially Saturdays), there are usually many weddings going on at the same time, and 3-4 lined up in the same event hall for the same day, getting 1-2 hours each.

Many guests come and go during the ceremony and the reception. Unlike the US, were you have a set number of invitees that all RSVP, Korea is more about inviting as many people as you can possibly think of. The more people that come, the more money you get to pay back for the wedding. Before entering the hall, you're required to hand over an envelope with your name on it to the staff at the door. It should include at least 20-30 dollars to cover the cost of your meal (which you get a ticket for once you give your envelope). The staff uses this to record the name and the amount given from everyone. This way the couple can know everyone that attended their wedding and how much their gift was. However, they don't use this to send thank you cards. Mostly, they need to remember the amount because that is how much they will be expected to give if they attend a wedding for that person. It's a complicated, but complete circle of meticulous gift giving.


In the event hall, the decorations are over the top with flowers, candles and cameras. Everything about the place is meant to put the spotlight on the bride and groom (literally). It is almost like a show or performance and there is a hierarchy for everything to emphasize that it is their special day alone.


The ceremony itself is very short, but the thanking and congratulating parts after are the real key moment. The bride and groom must bow very low to each side of their families to give appreciation to their upbringing that brought them to that point.

 

 At the end, the bride, groom, and their parents posed for many pictures. The bride and groom are the best dressed (the only ones wearing a ball gown and tuxedo), next are the fathers and mothers (wearing the traditional hanbok and nice suits). Everyone in the immediate family is expected to dress nicely for the occasion, but it can actually by odd or rude for anyone that isn't very close to the couple to dress up too much. Basically, you're not allowed to outshine them. And, since it's a casual "come and go as  you please" atmosphere, many people arrive in just jeans and blouses or polos.



I took a few videos throughout the ceremony to try and capture more of the "showy-ness" of it. The first clip is after the groom as walked the aisle and watching the bride make her walk. Then there is also a clip where the bride's brother sings them a song.

The wedding was a great time with a giant buffet of endless delicious foods. It was a super fun experience.


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