Wedding Crasher

Today I skipped my Korean Lesson to go to a Korean Wedding (our Asst. Manager) and it was well worth it! It as incredibly interesting learning the differences (and some similarities) of weddings in Korea vs. Western Style. Here’s what I learned:

There is a western ceremony and a traditional Korean ceremony.

Western Ceremony: if the parents are divorced, the parent who left the marriage and his/her family doesn’t show up to the wedding! After, group picturess are taken according to family and friends/co-workers. I was right behind the bride and she doesn’t know who I am. That was awkward.... AND there isnt a chick fight over the bouquet because the bride pre-chooses the recipient and just throws it to her. BORING!

Traditional Ceremony: it’s where the bride “leaves” her family and is welcomed into her groom’s family. Only the groom’s family attends. It consists of bows, tea drinking, chestnuts and jujubes, and the best part… PIGGY BACKS!

After the western ceremony – everyone goes to the buffet and goes home! No reception.. boom boom with the bridesmaids or groomsman, dancing, music, partying!

Chestnuts and Jujubes are thrown onto a white cloth and is a sign from the groom’s parents wishing the couple happiness and babies. The couple eats the food on their honeymoon to “help” produce a baby.

Instead of a “first kiss” as a couple, they both bite a jujube and whoever gets the seed in their mouth is given the “power” in the relationship.

The wedding date is picked by the Bride’s family and the use of a fortune teller. After that, the groom’s family “owns” the bride – the husband and his family trump the bride’s family which shows the sense of “authority and superiority” that still has a strong existence in this culture. GAG!

You don’t have to RSVP or even be officially invited apparently because I wasn’t.

We got a ticket and ate at a buffet along with 4-5 other weddings. Catering doesn’t exist so that’s kind of why anyone can show up. I had chop chae, meatball type things, rice, salad, cake, and spaghetti.

They don’t have gift registries here – just put money in an envelop and give it to the people who welcome you at the door.

My Korean friend didn’t come to the wedding because she’s getting married in May and didn’t want to “give away” her happiness to the couple.

The groom wears a special necktie for marriage. Very classy!

I am sure there is more that my brain is forgetting since I was going on 3hrs of sleep… but I got the jist and it really was cool. I wouldn’t want to be married in Korea because of the superior/inferior culture that still exists... but I’ll gladly crash a wedding to see how it all starts!

Go to my pics website to see videos and pictures of what I’m talking about :)

http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09