Korean Wedding

My office-mate (teacher I share an office with) picked me up at 10:40 and I headed to the wedding (luckily I went to an 80s party the night before so the overdone 80's makeup and hair had calmed to a subtle wedding look in my sleep. It worked nicely)

It is held at a wedding hall. Everyone waits around in the lobby. The groom stands near the gift table usually and the bride has her own room. She has this big chair and people go in to say hello and take their picture with her. She looked SOOOOO pretty! I know I've said before that I don't want a fancy wedding dress...but I've changed my mind. I want to sparkle. I want to be a pretty pretty princess.

Anyways so you go take picture yay. Then you go to the gifts table take an envelope put 30-50 bucks in (Everyone told me 30 or 50 so I figured 40...THANK GOODNESS I talked to my Korean friend Shannon. Turns out it is good luck to give odd numbers (30, 50, 70) not even) So I gave them 50,000 won (50 bucks).

Then you go into the "wedding hall" its like...a large room, small hall. Maybe as big as my classroom. And everyone stand around (or sits) and talks and waits for it to start. Or so I THOUGHT.

The ceremony starts, but no one stops talking. It reminds me of my class sometimes! SOO FRUSTRATING!! The teacher inside me had to bite my tongue.

I don't know what they were saying, but the ceremony was pretty much guessable. Oh and they used a LOT of smoke.

Traditions:

The mothers walk down the aisle and light candles. The groom walks down the aisle followed by two girls with swords. Then the bride walks down people clap, take pictures(I didn't bring my camera because I thought it would be rude, I was wrong), but I figureed it out), still talk!!!

They do the talky thing (I understood, Juseyo(like I want), Kamsamneeda(thank you), and keesah (kiss).

They kiss. (smoke)

They thank the parents (I think) by bowing (the bride bows from the hips, and the groom actually gets on his knees and bows down)

They do strength test where the groom holds the bride and does three squats.

The groom kareoke'd to his bride. (smoke)

They did the cake thing (but with a sword) (smoke)

They poured champagne in a champagne tower. (smoke)

The did some yelling thing??? I don't know what they were saying.

Then to the buffet. It was like Todai!!! Quite yummy. Its like an open bar (but not) each table had a pile of drinks (it was about 2 beers, one bottle of soju, 2 pepsis, two sprites and two apple juices) and you just divide them up.

Lots of my students were there so I got a lot of HELLO TEECHA!