Korean weddings are short and sweet, with guests’ preferences always being the first priority. The ceremony typically lasts no longer than a half-hour, and Korean weddings embrace the concept of harmony and balance, symbolizing the unity of two individuals and their families. The bride and groom typically wear vibrant, intricately designed attire, such as the Eum/Yang (Yin and Yang) marriage. The paebaek ceremony, also known as pyebaek, is an intimate Korean unification tradition performed after the main ceremony to symbolize the entrance of the bride into her family.
Korean weddings are symbolic of more than just the union of two people; they represent two families coming together as one. Parents from both families take active participation in many aspects of the event. The ducks symbolize the couple’s commitment to nurturing a harmonious and stable relationship, and they are often used to bless the couple with good luck and prosperity.
The joy and beauty of a Korean wedding celebration are amplified by the rituals and customs that make it meaningful. The traditional Korean wedding Hanbok has layers galore, including the sokchima, a corset-like layer with a skirt attached. The paebaek ceremony is just one part of the larger formal traditional Korean wedding ceremony, which is for all guests.
Traditional Korean weddings are decided by the bride and groom’s elders, with the couple wearing colorful hanboks and gifts from close friends. Painting, a form of Korean art, has been part of Korean culture since prehistoric times. Korean weddings are usually held in wedding halls, with an emcee signaling the couple’s entrance and other activities. As a sign of respect, brides are advised to dress subdued in darker tones. Male guests typically wear black suits, while female guests wear navy, beige, or pastels.
The ceremony is short and sweet, with a symbolic ceremony attended by close family and friends. After the ceremony, the couple participates in a simple meal. The ceremony is short, lasting no longer than one-half hour, and the couple receives gifts like jewelry, watches, cash, and clothing. Korean weddings are more like a photo opp with a lunch than an American wedding, which is more like a big party.
📹 5 things to know about Korean wedding culture
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What are modern Korean weddings like?
Today, weddings often take place in a hall that seems like a factory. Wedding halls often have many weddings going on at once. When you enter the main hall, you see lots of activity as brides, grooms, and their guests move from ceremony to ceremony and then to the post-wedding buffet. Before the wedding, a friend or relative accepts cash gifts in anonymous envelopes. The first ceremony is the formal wedding. It is secular and based on Confucian traditions, but looks more Western. The bride and groom wear Western clothes, and the ceremony is in a big hall. This ceremony allows for a lot of flexibility, as shown by the picture of the groom doing pushups! The second ceremony is more traditional, a translation of the final rites of the old Confucian wedding. This takes place in a smaller room where the bride and groom sit, drink alcohol, and receive gifts. The bride and groom wear traditional Hanbok.
What is the etiquette for Korean weddings?
In the past, a Korean wedding was an arranged marriage where the bride and groom met for the first time. The bride and groom walk to opposite ends of the wedding table, and attendants spread rugs for them. The attendants wash the bride and groom’s hands to cleanse them for the ceremony. The bride and groom bow to each other. The bride bows twice, the groom once, the bride twice more, and the groom once more. Then, they kneel and face each other.
Hapgeunrye. The bride and groom drink from the same cup. The couple drinks from two halves of a gourd or from one cup. The gourd halves symbolize the couple becoming one. In one tradition, the first sip from the cup represents the couple’s relationship. The second sip is from the gourd cups, which are switched between the bride and groom. Finally, the couple bow together to show respect to their parents, ancestors, and wedding guests. Paebaek is a big part of Korean weddings. It shows how important family is to Koreans. In the past, only the groom’s parents were with the bride and groom for the paebaek. Now, both sets of parents are invited. This was a private ceremony for family members, but now many couples hold it during a cocktail reception so guests can view the ceremony and take photos. Both sets of parents sit behind a table with food from the wedding ceremony. Today, families try to make their food look impressive, but in the past, there were only three platters: chestnuts and dates, flat beef jerky, and anju, which were eight small appetizers.
What are the Korean rules for marriage?
Marriage in South Korea. Who can and can’t get married. In South Korea, marriage is only between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage is not recognized. People over 18 can marry with their parents’ or guardians’ permission. Otherwise, the age of consent in South Korea is 20. People over 20 can have sex. South Korea also recognizes what it calls “de facto marriages.” These are marriages like common law marriages. Couples who have not registered their marriage can have a “de facto marriage” if they: 1. publicly say their relationship is like marriage, 2. have a public wedding ceremony, or 3. live together as if they are married.
Marriage within the same clan. Before 2005, marrying someone from the same clan was illegal in Korea. Marrying someone with the same last name was also socially prohibited. As of the mid-1990s, about half of South Koreans shared one of five last names. The most common surnames in South Korea are Kim, Park, Lee, Choi, and Jung. About 40% of South Koreans belong to one of three major clans: the Gimhae Kim clan, Jeonju Yi clan, and the Miryang Park clan. This prohibition was inspired by similar taboos in Tang China during Korea’s late Joseon dynasty. Traditional Korean weddings are based on Confucian values. Everything about the wedding was important and had lots of steps. In traditional Korean culture, the bride and groom’s elders decided who they would marry. In Confucianism, family is more important than anything else. Marriage is a big deal. This is a union of two families. Also, marriage was a way for the rich to keep their status. A lot of time was spent getting ready for the wedding.
What happens in a Korean wedding?
A celebrant and a master of ceremonies lead the ceremony. After the vows are spoken, the bride and groom bow and sip wine from a gourd handed down by the mother of the bride. The ceremony is quick and usually lasts less than half an hour. After the vows and wine, the family and guests eat a simple meal. You must bring money to give to the bride and groom. The amount given depends on the guest’s relationship with the couple. It is traditional to give the chosen amount in one clean bill inside the white envelope. After the ceremonies, the groom’s family buys a house for the newlyweds, and the bride’s family provides the furnishings. Korean children are becoming more independent, so this tradition isn’t as common as it used to be. Both families decide what wedding gifts to give their children.
Who pays for a Korean wedding?
In the past, Korean weddings were held at the bride’s house. Most modern Korean weddings are held in rented venues, not at home. Who pays for a Korean wedding? Traditionally, the groom’s family pays for the main expenses, while the bride’s family pays for her traditional Korean wedding dress. But many modern couples split the costs.
Korean wedding traditions. Even before the wedding, there are beautiful Korean traditions. Here are some Korean wedding customs that happen before the wedding.
Pair rings/couple rings. In Korea, couples don’t usually exchange engagement rings. However, there is an interesting Korean tradition about rings for couples who are dating. Many South Korean couples celebrate 100 days of dating by giving each other rings to wear. These rings mean something different than Western engagement rings. While some couples get engaged later, these rings are a way for a couple to show their commitment early in the relationship.
What happens when you marry a Korean?
A foreign national married to a Korean can get an F-6 marriage immigrant visa. If a foreign spouse has been in Korea on another visa, they can change to F-6. The F-6 visa is valid for one year and must be renewed.
If you have been in Korea for more than two years with an F-6 visa, you can apply for a permanent residency visa, the F-5. Foreign residents can find themselves in complicated legal situations for many reasons. Ask a Lawyer covers the most common legal issues faced by expats in South Korea.
Do Korean married couples sleep separately?
In Korea, some couples live together but sleep in separate rooms to avoid or resolve conflict. This differs from conflict strategies in other countries that often lead to separation or divorce.
1 Department of Psychotherapy, Jeju National University, Korea.
2 Department of Psychology, Chonnam National University, Korea.
Contact: Gahyun Youn, Chonnam National University, Korea.
Do people live together before marriage in Korea?
In South Korea, it is now more accepted for unmarried couples to live together. However, only 35% of people agree that unmarried couples can have children. Among those who live with an unmarried partner, 31% said it was for financial reasons, and 19% said they didn’t want to be bound by institutions or norms. Reality dating shows have a lot of viewers because they feature ordinary people, not actors.
What happens in a traditional Korean wedding?
A celebrant and a master of ceremonies lead the ceremony. After the vows are spoken, the bride and groom bow and sip wine from a gourd handed down by the mother of the bride. The ceremony is quick and usually lasts less than half an hour. After the vows and wine, the family and guests eat a simple meal. You must bring money to give to the bride and groom. The amount given depends on the guest’s relationship with the couple. It is traditional to give the chosen amount in one clean bill inside the white envelope. After the ceremonies, the groom’s family buys a house for the newlyweds, and the bride’s family provides the furnishings. Korean children are becoming more independent, so this tradition isn’t as common as it used to be. Both families decide what wedding gifts to give their children.
Can a Korean marry a non-Korean?
The Korean Ward office needs to see official documents proving you are eligible to marry. If your spouse is from another country, check with their embassy in Korea.
Is divorce common in Korea?
In 2022, about 93,000 people got divorced in South Korea, down from the previous year. That year, about 191,700 people got married in South Korea.
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📹 What are Korean Weddings Like?
We talk about what our experiences are like in Korean weddings. Not all weddings are like the ones we experienced, but they …
You do know that the money you give is almost never for the bride and groom! You will also notice that there are a lot of older people at these weddings. Also there are two lines to give the money to. One is for guests of the groom and one is for guests of the bride. Why is this? Because the money collected goes to the respective side of the that family. The majority of weddings are organized by the brides mother. Which means she gets first dibs on wedding invites. The grooms family gets second dibs and then the remainder of seats are given to the bride and groom to invite their friends. Now here is where the mother mafia comes in. All the money collected from the mothers friends go to them and not the bride or groom. So the mothers are actually packing their friends and relatives in to help pay for the wedding. The bride and groom only get money from their friends which is usually much less than the mom gets since mom invited her friends that have money. Also be aware there is a list of who came and how much they gave. So if your friend came and only gave 10,000 won then that is all you are obligated to give when they invite you to one of their weddings. But if they gave more than 100,000 (usually a sin in itself, unless they are really really rich). you have to match it later. And they do keep records.