10 Korean Wedding Traditions and Customs (2024)

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• Laura (or LeeHwa) and Estella Park are the co-owners and wedding planners of the family-run business LeeHwa Wedding. For five generations, LeeHwa has been creating couture Korean traditional garments called the hanbok in Los Angeles and serving as the bridge between the Los Angeles community and the roots of Korea.
• MJ Seo is the owner of Blush Events, a full-service wedding and event planning company based in Irvine, California. She grew up in Seoul, Korea, attended college in Boston, Massachusetts, and made Los Angeles her home 15 years ago.

Hanbok

Korean brides will most likely wear hanbok, or Korean traditional formal clothing, historically made of silk, while the groom may wear hanbok or a suit. During the paebaek and the formal Korean traditional wedding, a bride may choose to wear a wonsam, an intricate upper garment embroidered with designs in silk thread, along with a full skirt called a chima. A less formal but still traditional bride wears the chima and a jeogori, a long-sleeved upper garment that is generally shorter and cropped higher compared to the wonsam. The more formal groom or a groom attending a paebaek wears a samogwandae, the court attire of the Chosun Dynasty. His attire consists of a long, elaborate robe-like vestment on top of pants and a jacket, along with a belt and a headpiece called a samo, a black cap with wings on the sides. The less formal groom might opt to simply wear pants called baji and a jacket called a jeogori.

Luxury Gift Exchanges

In the past, grooms would provide a "hahm" before the ceremony, which refers to "the groom's family's gift to the bride," explains wedding planner MJ Seo. "It is often presented before the wedding ceremony as a symbol of the groom's sincerity and commitment. The 'hahm' typically consists of various items, including money, jewelry, or other valuable gifts." She continues by sharing. "The act of presenting the 'hahm' is a meaningful gesture that showcases the groom's appreciation for the bride and signifies his readiness to take on the responsibilities of marriage. The items in the 'hahm' can vary, and the tradition reflects the family's values and cultural practices." That being said, the wedding planner does note that the "hahm" tradition isn't commonly practiced today, and most modern Korean weddings have substituted the "hahm" for luxury gift exchanges.

"In modern Korean weddings, couples often opt for luxury gift exchanges as a contemporary alternative to traditional 'hahm' practices," Seo explains. "Instead of the groom's family presenting a set of gifts to the bride, both families may engage in a reciprocal exchange of luxurious gifts. This can include items such as designer goods, jewelry, or other high-end presents, symbolizing the union of two families through the celebration of love and prosperity."

Specific Colors

The colors that the bride and groom wear are symbolic of the “taeguk,” or “eum-yang” (also known as yin and yang). The bride dons a red hanbok, while the groom wears blue—together, the two colors, like the circle at the center of the Korean flag, represent the balance of complementary entities. Traditionally, the marriage would occur at dusk, representing the balance between light and dark as well. The mother of the bride will wear warm tones, including pink, purple, or orange, while the groom’s mother will wear cool tones like blue, gray, or green. However, if your mothers have specific color preferences, they have known to swap tones, Park says.

Processional Parade

Before the traditional ceremony begins, couples will engage in a processional parade where traditional Korean music will play. Historically, the groom would parade to the bride’s house on a horse, but now, an officiant will enter and begin to explain the wedding, guiding the audience through the sequence of events. The two mothers will then walk in first, each with their own candles; the bride’s mother carries a red candle and the groom's mother carries a blue candle. Just like the red and blue clothing, these two colors symbolize the balance of cosmic forces that occur in nature. When the mother reaches the end of the processional, they light one single candle, symbolizing the beginning of the Korean traditional wedding.

Explanation of the Table

After the processional parade, the officiant will then begin to explain the contents on the table, which include Mandarin-style wooden ducks (won-ang seteu), pinecones, bamboo, dates, chestnuts, persimmons, red beans, gourd cups, and a copper bowl. The copper bowl is for the handwashing of the couple to symbolize their cleansing and purity for one another. Pinecones and bamboo represent loyalty for life, while dates and chestnuts represent fertility and how many children the couple will have.

Jeonanyrye

Jeonanyrye is the “presentation of the wild goose." Historically, the groom would gift a wild goose to his mother-in-law to symbolize his commitment to his new wife, showing he would be loyal to her for life just like geese, which mate for life. In modern times, the groom’s family will gift wooden ducks to the bride's family.

Gyobaerye

Historically, a Korean wedding was an arranged marriage in which the bride and groom would see one another for the first time at this point. First, the bride and groom, who would each have two attendants to assist in the ceremony, would walk to opposite ends of the wedding table and the attendants would spread out a rug for the bride and a rug for the groom. The attendants wash the bride and groom’s hands to symbolize cleansing themselves for the ceremony. Facing one another, the bride and groom bow to one another—the bride bowing twice to the groom, the groom bowing once to the bride, the bride bowing two more times, and then the groom bowing once more. Then, they kneel down and face one another.

Hapgeunrye

Hapgeunrye is the time when the bride and groom will drink from the same copper cup. Either the couple will drink from two separate halves of a gourd connected by a thread, from the same cup, or from a combination of both. The halves of the gourd symbolize that the pair are becoming one whole entity. In one tradition, the first sip from the copper cup represents the couple’s relationship with one another. The second sip is taken from the gourd cups, which are switched between the bride and groom after the second sip to represent an interchange. Finally, the couple bow together to show respect—to their parents, their ancestors, and their wedding guests.

Paebaek

Paebaek is one of the most important moments of the Korean traditional wedding, emphasizing the importance of family to Koreans. Historically, only the groom’s parents would be with the bride and the groom for the paebaek, but now both sets of parents are invited. This was previously only a private ceremony for those family members, but now, many modern couples hold the ceremony during a co*cktail reception hour so that all guests can view the paebaek; this means the special moment can also be photographed. Both sets of parents sit behind a low table full of food from the original wedding ceremony table. Nowadays, families try to incorporate as much food as possible on the table to make it look lush, but it was traditionally only three platters of food: a tower of chestnuts and dates, flat beef jerky, and a third platter of eight little appetizers called anju.

Paebaek foods are often plastic and merely for photographs. The couple enters, bows, and pours tea. They receive blessings and monetary gifts from their parents. The bride and groom do a grand bow, and then a half bow, then sit down. Holding a white fabric with flower embroidery, they catch dates and chestnuts that the two sets of parents throw. The number of dates and chestnuts the happy couple catch in the cloth represents the number of children they will have, with dates representing sons and chestnuts representing daughters. Then, photos are taken and the groom may or may not piggyback the bride once or twice around the table. If the groom is feeling confident, he may carry his mother and his mother-in-law around the table as well.

Post-Ceremony Meal

According to Seo, "Traditional Korean weddings often involve a symbolic ceremony attended by close family and friends. After the ceremony, guests typically proceed to the dining room to enjoy the meal, and the event concludes. However, there's a growing trend towards adopting an American wedding style, particularly with a reception format. In this scenario, after the ceremony, guests transition to the reception area to partake in a more elaborate dining experience."

Seo adds, "Many couples choose to host their weddings at hotels or specialized wedding venues, where the culinary experience often blends American and Korean influences, creating a fusion of flavors. In the case of buffet-style weddings, there tends to be a diverse selection of Korean dishes alongside other international options. Examples of dishes served at such weddings may include Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs), Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup), Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake), Bulgogi (Marinated Grilled Beef), Japchae (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles), and more. These dishes represent a harmonious blend of traditional Korean flavors with modern presentation styles, offering a delightful and culturally rich experience for wedding guests."