Having been forewarned on Korean version of ‘western-inspired’ weddings, I was still excited to attend my first Korean wedding…having lived her 13 months already. It *was* similar in appearance: the wedding dress, the tuxedo, and the flowers. One sharp contrast that gave me a dose of culture shock was the noise level.
Towards the front the family members and relatives appeared quieter as the pastor rambled on in his monotone voice, but towards the back of the room you would have think you were at a social gathering…and not of the wedding kind. People were on their cell phones (and not whispering or running towards the door, either), friends were having full blown conversations–including laughter. If I didn’t know any better I’d say most were just waiting to be in the group picture or the reception (sans wedding cake), which comes immediately following the bride and grooms speedy walk down the aisle.
One difference I appreciated is the bride and groom slowly and deeply bowing to each set of parents, signifying respect, right of passage, and a “sang-yoo” for giving me your son/daughter. Of course, this is just my opinion based on one wedding. This must be the seasons for weddings, though, because I’ll be attending another wedding this Sunday. Will update my post if there are differences between the two.
A Line in the Life of Phoebe* 