A Korean wedding

This past Saturday was my friend Jessica's (Jessica is her English name) wedding. I've known her since I first arrived on Jeju. She was the first one to greet me at the airport and in many ways, was my lifeline for the first few weeks of my duration on this island.

I've always considered her my friend, and she has been nothing but kind and generous, helping me with whatever I needed. We even exchanged language lessons for a time, but in the days leading up to her wedding, she was unable to continue with the schedule.

She invited me out to her wedding, and I was honoured by the gesture. I eagerly awaited the ceremony, however, unbeknownst to her or me at the time, I had a GnB workshop the day of her wedding; starting exactly the same time as her ceremony.



I was unable to get out of the workshop, despite my best efforts. I managed to arrive just before the ceremony with a few of my co-teachers. I got the chance to congratulate her and wish her the best, although I would have preferred to stay and watch the ceremony. It was the first Korean wedding I have been too, and I was excited to see it through, but as my ole pal Mick Jagger puts it, "you can't always get what you want."



From what I can gather, the wedding hall looked very much arranged like any other, with a similar altar to a church's. The bride and groom both go through their wedding vows, wherein the parents and family of both congratulate them. The bride tosses the bouquet too. I spotted a few relatives wearing the traditional Korean clothing, the 한복 (hanbok).



I think the biggest differences are the reception, where it's more conservative compared to the Western 'party' that usually ensues after the ceremony; but who knows, maybe they break out the soju later on. After snapping a few photos and talking for a bit, the other teachers and I left. We went to the reception hall where we quickly ate some food before our workshop, despite already being late.

It was a shame I didn't get to stay for longer, perhaps I'll get another chance to see a Korean wedding while I'm here on Jeju, but I doubt an equal opportunity will present itself.