Korean Weddings: Exploring the Traditions and Modernity of Korean Weddings

 - Author: Good Job Korean team 
- Editor: Good Job Korean team

👍 Contents (Click to navigate instantly)

✅ Pre-Wedding Rituals
✅ The Wedding Ceremony
✅ Post-Wedding Ceremonies
✅ The Evolution of Wedding Customs

 Marriage is a life event that unites families and celebrates love. Many weddings in Korea today reflect Korean traditions and customs rich with history, symbolism, and cultural significance while incorporating global influences such as Western wedding styles. 

 This blog post discusses the various customs in Korean weddings, from pre-wedding rituals to wedding ceremonies and subsequent celebrations.

Pre-Wedding Rituals

 In traditional Korean culture, rituals leading up to the wedding day are just as important as the ceremony. Several pre-wedding rituals represent the couple’s commitment to each other while honoring families and ancestors.

The Proposal

 Traditionally, the proposal is a family affair. In the past, marriages in Korea began through a matchmaking process called 의혼[uihon]. Families would hire a matchmaker, who would evaluate the suitability of the match based on the couple’s family background, social status, and the compatibility of their horoscopes (called 궁합). Once found compatible, the groom’s family would formally request the bride’s hand in marriage through the matchmaker.

Blind date scene from Business Proposal

 Similarly, in modern days, a blind date, 선 [seon], is arranged by families. The purpose of the blind date is to introduce prospective marriage partners, allowing them to determine compatibility and assess if they could make a suitable match. The prospective couple would meet at a neutral location, such as a cafe, where they could meet and talk comfortably to allow both sides to gauge their personalities and values. If both parties feel positively about the meet-up, they may add dates to assess further. When they decide to marry, families will proceed with the formal engagement and wedding preparations. Although arranged marriage was once the standard way of getting married, modern Korean weddings prioritize love matches. Some families would still consult fortune tellers to assess the harmony of the couple’s relationship.

The Engagement Ceremony

 Traditionally, after a successful proposal, the families would move on to the 납채 [napchae] ritual, which involves selecting the most auspicious date for the wedding based on the birth dates of the bride and groom. This step ensures that the wedding happens at a time favorable to the couple’s future life together. 

 Another well-known pre-wedding tradition is sending the [함] hahm, the betrothal gift. The groom’s family would send a box of wedding gifts delivered by the groom’s best friends to the bride’s family. The group would sing and joke until they arrived at the bride’s house entrance. After fun negotiations, the bride’s family would offer the bearers money in exchange for the hahm. This wedding gift box contains auspicious items such as red silk for wealth, blue silk for harmony, and other items representing happiness, good fortune, and blessings. 

 There is also a unique tradition known as [전안례] jeonanrye before the wedding. Traditionally, the groom gave a live goose to his future mother-in-law. However, these days, the groom gives a wooden goose instead. Wild geese are known to mate for life, so this ritual represents the groom’s promise to his mother-in-law that he will care for the bride for life.  

 The processes above are customary in the olden days. In modern days, however, the pre-wedding process is more straightforward. In many cases, the meeting of both families, 상견례 [sangyeonrye], takes place where they can exchange simple gifts.  

The Wedding Dress Fitting

 The traditional Korean wedding attire, hanbok, is an iconic feature of Korean weddings. The bride’s hanbok is usually vibrant with bright colors such as red, yellow, and green to represent purity and prosperity. On the other hand, the groom’s outfit is darker in color, usually in shades of blue and purple, to symbolize strength and longevity.

 In modern Korean weddings, it is common for the bride to wear a Western-style white wedding gown for the main ceremony and then a hanbok for the traditional 폐백 [paebaek] ceremony. This practice allows the bride to experience the Western elegance and the beauty of traditional Korean attire. The groom often follows a similar trend, wearing a Western suit or tuxedo for the main ceremony before switching to a hanbok for the family ceremony.

 
Wedding scene from King The Land

Photography and Pre-Wedding Shoots

Korean wedding photography has also evolved over the years. This photography ritual becomes a significant part of the wedding process. Couples often participate in pre-wedding photoshoots in various locations around Korea or overseas months before the wedding day. These photos, capturing stunning cinematic portraits in traditional and modern attire, are usually displayed during the wedding reception and shared on social media.

Wedding photography from Marry My Husband

The Wedding Ceremony

 A Korean wedding is a beautiful combination of traditional Korean customs and modern Western influences, with the couples often opting for two parts — a modern ceremony followed by the paebaek ceremony.

Modern Ceremonies

 Most contemporary Korean couples hold wedding ceremonies in grand halls, luxurious hotels, or scenic outdoor locations. The bride wears a Western-style wedding dress while the groom dons a suit or tuxedo. A religious leader, a friend, or an officiant from the wedding venue would officiate the wedding.

 The Korean ceremony is similar to Western weddings where the couple exchange vows, family and friends give speeches, and the first kiss as husband and wife. Korean wedding ceremonies are typically short, usually lasting around 30 minutes to 1 hour.

 Instead of material gifts, guests are expected to bring cash envelopes to congratulate the couple. At the wedding venue, guests would pass their contributions at a reception desk. In return, wedding hosts give tokens of appreciation such as food items or practical gifts like hand towels or soap. Weddings often include a meal after the ceremony, so a meal ticket is also handed out to guests when they pass over the monetary gift.  

The Bowing Ritual

 After the modern wedding ceremony, many couples also hold the 폐백 [paebaek] ceremony, a highly symbolic traditional ritual. During paebaek, the bride and groom would dress in hanbok, with the bride’s hanbok in vibrant red and the groom’s in deep blue. During this ritual, the couple would bow deeply to their parents and older family members to show gratitude and respect. 

 In traditional Korean weddings, this ceremony happens at a low table called 대례상 [daeryesang], filled with snacks. The newlyweds serve tea or soju to their elders, as the parents offer advice and wisdom on marriage life. The ceremony ends with the parents throwing dates and chestnuts at the couple as they try to catch them. This ritual symbolizes the number of children the couple will have, as chestnuts represent daughters and dates represent sons.

Attire

 Traditionally, Koreans would wear hanbok to attend weddings. Even today, parents and grandparents choose to dress up in hanbok during the main wedding ceremony. The couple’s mothers wear specific colors to represent their relationships with the newlyweds. The groom’s mother will don cool-colored hanbok, typically light blue or green, while the bride’s mother wears warm-colored hanbok such as pink or purple. However, as weddings become more modernized, the guests now prefer to wear modern attire to the wedding ceremony.

Post-Wedding Celebrations

 In Korean culture, celebrations do not end with the wedding ceremony. Several post-wedding traditions and events kickstart the couple’s new phase.

The Reception

 Although Korean weddings usually take only 30 minutes to an hour, some families host post-wedding receptions at the wedding venue or a nearby restaurant. As the guests dine, the newlyweds greet the attendees by stopping table by table to show appreciation for attending their wedding. The attendees for the reception usually include their friends, colleagues, and friends of their parents and grandparents. 

 After-parties with friends have also become more popular. The newlyweds and friends often plan a relaxed celebration over dinner, drinks, or karaoke. The after-parties are mainly for the group of close friends, where they change clothes and hang out outside the wedding venue in a more casual setting. 

The Pyebaek Visit

 Traditionally, after the wedding, the bride would move into the groom’s family home. In some cases where the newlyweds live separately from the groom’s family, the couple would visit the groom’s family for an extended paebaek ceremony, where they once again bow to the groom’s family to express their gratitude and seek blessings for their future. This custom reflects the patriarchal roots of Korean society, where marriages historically meant that the bride would become part of the groom’s family.

The Honeymoon

 Many modern Korean couples also embark on a honeymoon immediately after the wedding. Unlike when weddings were modest, today’s newlyweds embark on luxurious trips to enjoy their married life after a busy wedding. Many couples take this rare opportunity to take an extended break from work. Therefore, the newlyweds usually travel to places that are very special to them. 

The Evolution of Wedding Customs

Global influence

 Modern Korean weddings are a unique blend of old and new. Couples have more freedom to celebrate their marriage in ways that feel personal to them. Some couples include traditional customs such as the paebaek during their wedding, whereas some choose a modern Westernized wedding. The willingness to honor cultural heritage while embracing contemporary trends has allowed Korean weddings to evolve while staying rooted in tradition.

Personalization of Ceremonies

 Traditionally, Korean weddings are community-focused events. Although Korean weddings in modern days are still community-focused (as guests are mainly friends of their parents), many couples prefer to hold intimate weddings with fewer guests. This preference reflects a shift towards valuing personal moments over extravagant displays. Some couples choose to have destination weddings, favoring a quieter and more personal celebration. 

Increased Involvement of Friends

 While family members have always played crucial roles in weddings, modern weddings now include close friends in bridal parties or as officiants. This involvement adds a personal and entertaining touch to the special day. 

 In conclusion, Korean weddings are a beautiful reflection of Korea’s evolving culture. The fascinating blend of traditional values with modern influences creates a unique experience where respect for family and culture coexists with the couple’s desires. 

- Author: Good Job Korean team 
- Editor: Good Job Korean team