What happened on my Wedding Day in South Korea

Weddings in Korea are very short for the guests. Some people say that it’s too short, but I am glad that it was not longer or shorter.

The wedding ceremony itself was only 30 minutes, and it was about 2.5 hours for guests who came early and stayed until the end for the photos, ceremony, and food. But if anyone wanted to just give the wedding money, eat, and leave, it could have been as short as 15 minutes. But for the bride and groom, it felt like forever, because we were constantly on the go since seven in the morning. It was eight hours of running on no food, no water, and just some adrenaline. I can’t imagine how couples survive in other countries where they have longer wedding ceremonies and receptions!

Here is a rough timeline of what happened on my wedding day in South Korea.

7:30 The bride starts her hair and make-up. The groom gets his hair and make-up done as well, but spends a longer time at the waiting room. KakaoTalk_Photo_2018-09-09-10-50-44

10:00 The bride and groom arrive at the wedding venue. After taking a few photos with the photographer, the bride waits in the bride room. She gets to eat some apples before the guests arrive but tries not to drink too many liquids because she won’t be able to go to the bathroom for a while.

KakaoTalk_Photo_2018-09-09-10-50-46

10:30 Guests start arriving. They take a picture with the bride and can start eating at the buffet or take the front seats at the wedding hall. The groom greets the guests outside the bride room.

11:30 The wedding ceremony starts.

11:31 The bride and groom’s mothers walk down the aisle and do a candle ceremony along with bows.

11:35 The groom enters.

11:38 The bride and bride’s father enter.

11:40 The officiant gives the speech and has the bride and groom exchange their rings.

KakaoTalk_Photo_2018-09-09-10-50-50

11:50 A friend of the bride and groom sings a song for the couple.

11:55 The bride and groom greet and bow to the parents.

12:00 The bride and groom exit.

12:02 They return to the stage to take group photos. First with the family, then with friends and coworkers, and another for the bouquet toss.

KakaoTalk_Photo_2018-09-09-10-50-52

12:20 Guests who have not eaten start eating at the buffet.

12:30 The bride changes into the Korean dress hanbok. The photographer leaves after taking a few pictures of the Korean dress.

12:35 The bride and groom walk around in the hanbok to greet guests who are still eating at the buffet.

KakaoTalk_Photo_2018-09-09-10-50-53

13:00 The bride and groom finally leave the wedding venue, but because the bride’s family came from abroad, they stay for another two hours for a mini-party for them at a second location.

15:00 The bride and groom finally get to eat something after 8 hours. They both have no energy to cook or buy a nice meal so they eat some Korean instant noodles. 🙂

Image result for korean instant noodles animated gif