One of my friends, Sunnie, who is also my co-teacher's sister, got married today, and I was super excited to go! I've heard a lot about Korean weddings, so I was anxious to enjoy the experience for myself. Another co-teacher of mine, Karen, joined me so I wouldn't have to go alone, and I was really thankful for that! All of the other people I knew at the wedding were involved somehow, so I was really glad to have someone else with me!
I compiled a little video for you instead of putting all of the pictures on my blog, so take a look and then keep reading! :)
It was really beautiful and pretty similar to a wedding that I would have attended at home. Let me tell you about a few differences (from my understanding), just in case you're interested!
- Location: Weddings are held in wedding halls, not churches or hotels or outdoors. Multiple weddings go one at one time and right after one another. There room where Sunnie's wedding was held shared a foyer area with another hall. Both of those didn't have doors, so the noise from the foyer area (and there was lots) flowed into the actual room during the ceremony. Also, the weddings are stacked on top of each other. The ceremony I went to started at 12:30pm and there was another one in the same room at 1:20pm.
- Before the Ceremony: The bride and groom see each other before the wedding. Also, before the ceremony, the bride sits in a tiny little room where people can come and see her and take pictures with her.
- Gifts: The couple doesn't register for all of their favorite items at the local homegoods store...everyone gives money (unless you're a close friend). There are people sitting at desks in the foyer area that are there solely to take your money gift. I opted for an actual gift because I am a friend (and a foreigner!).
- Ceremony: The ceremony had a lot of 'Western' elements that I am accustomed to, but there were a few things missing that I typically see in America. First of all, the people didn't stand when the bride entered the hall. There were lots of bright and colorful lights. I think you can see in some of the pictures how the lighting in the room has different tones. Also, there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen standing with the couple. I don't think I heard any repeating of vows going on, but I could be mistaken. The whole ceremony was pretty short, but that isn't too out of the ordinary.
- Wedding Dresses: Brides typically rent their dresses, they don't buy them. The dress was really beautiful, but a little different than one I'd expect to see someone at home wearing. It was really poofy and really sparkly. Another thing I found really interesting was that in the bridal portraits that Sunnie took prior to the wedding, she wore many different dresses.
- Bouquet: I'm not sure how, but someone is chosen prior to the ceremony to be the 'catcher' of the bouquet. After the ceremony, there was a 'friends' picture, and then one girl stepped down to catch the bouquet. I think they still have the same beliefs as we do about the bouquet, but they just don't have to wrestle for it!
- Reception: There isn't really a 'typical' reception after the ceremony. On the floor above the wedding hall, there is a buffet-style restaurant and we were given a ticket to eat there. It was really yummy, but it was PACKED with people. Also, there was no wedding cake...which is a bummer because I love that part! (*You may have noticed a picture of a cake in the video, but I have no idea if anyone actually ate that cake. I'm guessing it probably stayed in the wedding hall for the next wedding!)
- Traditional Ceremony: From my understanding, after the ceremony that I saw, there is a small traditional-style ceremony for close family. The bride and groom change into traditional Korean clothing and have a small ceremony with just a few people. I don't have much knowledge about this ceremony, but I know it is held following the big ceremony.
No comments:
Post a Comment