A Korean Wedding Experience

A week or so ago, Svein and I headed up to Yeoncheong to attend my coteacher's (Ms. Jung's) wedding.  After quite the transportation mix up, two buses and 2.5 hours later, we arrived in Yeoncheong (which is really only 1 hour away).  As we just barely made the start of the wedding we were surprised to see so many people wandering about outside the wedding hall.  For those of you who don't know, when people get married in Korea they register with a wedding hall.  These wedding halls generally provide the bride and groom with appropriate wedding attire, along with makeup, hair and what have you.  The hall also provides all of the flower arrangements and decorations, along with a buffet meal following the ceremony.

As we approached the second floor wedding hall it was very confusing as it did not seem as though a wedding was actually taking place.  There were people moving around everywhere and talking very loudly! As we made our way through the busy crowd we found ourselves standing at the end of the isle of the wedding hall.  Directly infront we could see the bride and groom being spoken to by... my principal?? This was weird and very unexpected!

Following whatever they were saying (it was obviously in korean) there were a series of strange events such as trumpet playing, a tribute song for the new husband and wife, as well as the firing of giant confetti cannons.  The strangest part, however, was when the groom started performing a series of calisthenics.  Push ups, squats, you name it.  He was definitely showing his male strength and agility.  But why?  We still don't really know.... During the whole ceremony the entire audience continued to talk or text on their phones and speak loudly to one another.  It seemed so rude and inappropriate, however, no one was phased by it.  As one may say, "it's the korean way".

Towards the end of the ceremony the bride and groom proceeded to walk towards the very spot where Svein and I were standing.  As they approached us, confetti and bubbles floated above their heads and the multiple assistants fussed with the brides dress and hair.  This was in preparation for the series of photographs that were taken at the end of the isle.  Despite the loud and rude attendants, the tacky confetti and bubbles circling their heads and the constant flash from the photographer, the newly married couple looked very happy and excited for their future together.

After the ceremony had finished, Svein and I were rushed downstairs by the other teachers at my school. First we were given two tickets and two envelopes.  The tickets were for our buffet lunch and the envelope contained a note in korean, as well as 10,000 korean won (~$10).  We still don't really know what the money was for haha. But thank you anyways!?  Then we were hurried to a long table in a very large dining hall.  We were told to get in line and fill up our plates with what looked like a very appetizing buffet!  The bride and groom were nowhere to be seen so we thought it must not be impolite to serve ourselves before the couple of the hour.  The food ended up being mediocre, however, the pumpkin soup and pomegranate drink were quite good!

Overall, attending a korean wedding was definitely a great cultural experience! It was very interesting to learn about the various wedding customs as well! Here are a few facts we found pretty noteworthy!

- The bride and groom rent all of their wedding attire. This is a MAJOR money saver!
- The hall is actually very reasonably priced considering they provide the food, location, dress, decorations....etc. etc.
- Get this! The groom buys a house for his wife! Pretty cool! 
- The bride, however, furnishes the house.
- The brides family provides her with 3 sets of jewelry
- The parents of both the groom and the bride provide linens, towels, kitchen ware, etc. for the couple
- The kit and kaboodle only lasts about 40 minutes! Then, they're off for a half hour family gathering and then onto their honeymoon! Short and sweet!
- You can wear practically anything to a korean wedding! Jeans and sneakers included.