she dreams little dreams...: weddings a'plenty...

Love is in the air... at least is was during Spring time here in Seoul. Like other places around the globe, there is a season for weddings and since the weather is perfect and the cherry blossoms are in full swing, so are the white gowns, tuxedeos, and...and....wedding halls!?

Since moving here,?I have attended three weddings, all a bit different from the last...

The frist one was for the, Mr. Mac, the ?Academic Coordinator at the hagwon (pronounced "hog won")?I work at. It was a Catholic wedding in both, Korean and English, as Mr. Mac married a nice Korean gal! It was a beautiful ceremony in a quaint little church off the main roads. There are a lot of things that go into a Korean wedding, and even more so in a a Catholic-Korean wedding. Parts of it I didn't understand (my knowledge of the?language?is still a bit rough), but that doesn't say much, cause I'm not much of a Catholic Korean wedding goer, but it was nice to experience, to say the least. Plus, JD had just arrived from?Portland, Oregon the day before and I had a Lady Gaga concert to attend that Friday. The wedding was the following day. It was a hectic weekend and reunion with JD.?

The second wedding we attended was a couple weeks after Mr. Mac's. This time it was for Sunny, one of the Korean teachers that helps out with the pre-k kiddos. She is Graham's co-teacher.?Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to this wedding....plus, we arrived late due to horrible Saturday morning traffic, so I was all sorts of?discombobulated. It would have been a better idea to take the subway...lesson learned. My?apologizes?for not having any photos of that wedding.?

The last wedding was for Elena, my co-teacher. This was by far the most unique, if I do say so myself. A bit different from Mr. Mac's and Sunny's weddings. Check it out for yourself....

I took this video right after they completed their vows and headed down the aisle. Some guy thought it would be cool to step right in front of me to snap a picture as the?finale showed up with popping cans of gold foil fireworks. Regardless, you get the idea.?

Also, they are a one stop shop. When you want to get married, not in a church, in Korea, you just head down to the local wedding hall and pick out your wedding. No changes. You pick one you like the most and that's that! No customizations. Here's a little video I found that helps show how the wedding hall wedding works.?

Plus, as an attendee, you are not?responsible?for bringing a gift, like we are so commonly expected to do in the states. Instead, you pay for your meal ticket by paying a respectful amount (10,000-20,000 won/person). IF you were to bring a gift, you'd most?definitely?get some weird looks and still be ?expected to pay if you want to eat. Personally, I think this is a great idea! Either that or have a pot luck style reception. Done and done!?

The whole?institution?of a Korean?relationship?and how it works out and leads up to getting married is a bit different than over there in the West. There are some slight similarities, but for the most part, Korean?relationships?are very 'by the book.'

Years ago, the couples were chosen by their parents (and so were the?marriages), but since that is no longer favored or even legal, the?individuals?get to chose who they enter a relationship with. Most of the time, the parents will refuse to meet their child's?significant?other until the man has asked for the woman's hand in marriage, which sometimes is as early as 5 months into the relationship. Keep in mind that both parties are still living at home. Moving in with each other before marriage is not widely accepted, hence the array of 'love motels' everywhere. Once the marriage is complete and the honeymoon is had, the couple moves into?their?place. The guy buys the house or apartment and the gal furnishes it. To my understanding (from what I've been explained by the Korean teachers at work), the woman usually spends most of the money towards the kitchen, since she will be in charge of all the cooking. The woman is expected to get up early, make breakfast for her husband, make his lunch, and make sure dinner is prepared when he returns home. Now, is that always the case....no, but traditionally this is how things work. And just like that, they live happily ever after!?

VIOLA! You are all now properly schooled on how a Korean relationship/wedding works.?

*To be clear, I'm NOT saying this is how ALL Korean relationships work, but traditionally, this is so.?

Source: http://shedreamslittledreams.blogspot.com/2012/08/weddings-aplenty.html

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