Diving into Korean Weddings – Full Immersion for a 2nd Gen

Diving Off the Deep End

---

So in a few months, I'll be an officially married man in the eye of Korean law. I never expected this day to come up so quickly in the chaos that been my last several years of work and life. But it's almost here and for a number of familial reasons, my partner and I have decided to hold the wedding in Seoul.

This scares the sh*t out of me

Big events are always a nerve-racking affair and I'm not one to shy away from life milestones but this particular situation is terrifying.

For a suburban New Jersey boy to conceptualize a full blown traditional Korean wedding is like setting off to sea without a compass, having only been told legends of pirates and sea monsters.

• Outdoor Hanok Wedding | Source: Marie Claire

• Formal Bow to Parents | Source: WED Queen Blog

As any 2nd-Gen minority can attest to, learning the ins and outs of our parents' culture is no easy feat. Simple things like how to bow properly or distribute drinks among elders comes with a litany of implicit rules and consequences.

Compile that into several hours of expected behaviors that I've never experienced before...and you have the first real boogey-man that I'll have to face head on in front of the eyes of hundreds of people

Steemit as Self-Therapy, Self-Preparation

---

So what to do? In the preparation for the grand ordeal, I'll use Steemit to “practice” all the expected ceremonial aspects of a Korean wedding and what that entails. I'll go through unique parts of the day-of as well as how Koreans prepare beforehand through family events. This will (hopefully) prepare me for what's to come despite having absolutely no muscle memory.

These include a great number of traditional nuances, nearly all of which I've never witnesses or heard of. Events between parents, sharing of gifts, messages amongst family, etc... all in 100% Korean of course. Looking into these facets in blog/Steemit form will give me the opportunity to do a bit of research and not go into this journey blindly. And I thought it would make for compelling content for some on Steemit as well.

Exploring an Opportunity

---

It isn't very typical for a 2nd-Gen Korean to go through this experience in Korea itself. Weddings amongst ethnic Koreans typically fall into these categories-

[1 - a] Korean marrying a Korean in Korea with a hybrid Western/Korean Wedding
[2 - a] Korean-American marrying a Korean-American in the US with a Western Wedding sprinkled with Korean elements

I've experienced both of these amongst friends and family. I fall into the 3rd more rare category of a Korean-American marrying a Korean, in Korea on top of that with a Wedding that leans more traditional.

• Traditional PyeBaek Ceremony | Source: My Wedding Design House

Even amongst in-Korea weddings, the practice of traditional ceremonies is quickly fading. These acts are burdensome, take a great deal of preparation and knowledge, and cultivate friction with the increasing popularity of Western-style weddings.

My partner and I made a decision early on that we would make an effort to attempt these historical components and revisit the practices that were so ubiquitous before Korea's entrance to the global cultural market.

• Korean Traditional Homes, Hanok Wedding | Source: Marie Claire

--
So if this all interests you in any way, great! I'll elaborate these traditional gems in a series of posts. I know a great number of foreign-Koreans are on this platform as well so this will be a good opportunity to share these findings and underlying cultural anxieties.

If it doesn't strike your fancy, eh, I don't blame you. Wedding shenanigans. I'm sure I'll throw in some mindless K-pop related post during this series to keep myself from going insane in the membrane.

In any case, Steem on!

I got the main image as a gift from @cheongpyeongyull nim. He draws a 'Wearing Suits' series for Steemians!

@cheongpyeongyull 선생님, 대문 이미지 고맙습니다.