Korean-Canadian Wedding

Well, went to my first Korean-Canadian wedding here yesterday in the small town of Icheon that is famous for its pottery. My Canadian workmate Joel from Eastern Canada (Nova Scotia) married his Korean girlfriend Eunjin. His parents have been here for the last week and were very excited about the ceremony. The Boss' wife drove a few of us out (for which we were very thankful!), and I had a good time visiting with some of the people I work with. Once school work is done I want to look at organizing a weekend trip to the nearby waterpark for some of us, and maybe a trip to Busan in the south!

Here is the bride, Eunjin in the preparation room before the ceremony... it was more decorated in the little anteroom than the rest of the place!

You'll (maybe) notice that the dress in the portrait is not the one she got married in, and Joel is not in the same outfit either... in Korea you take your photos in a studio, rent a few dresses and accessories, and then you take about a bajillion pictures for an incredibly beautiful album. Those photos are not from the day OF the wedding, but rather beforehand.

The wedding was... well, in a word... strange, for me It was in a great big church that had a small room with theatre seating (the fixed red fold-down kind). It didn't seem overly decorated, kind of plain I thought, but the flowers were pretty (it's a tradition that women at the wedding can take a bouquet at the end of the ceremony, so the flowers don't go to waste!).

The parents were seated in the front just behind the couple, dad walked Eunjin down the aisle.

The ceremony was performed entirely in Korean with the exception of a 'next we'll have the benediction' sort of translations (but no translations of the actual service, despite his parents being in the ceremony). This is to be expected really, but I guess I thought a bit more of it would have been in English, as Joel's Korean is also incredibly limited (though he knows the basics). I guess maybe Eunjin will translate it for him when they watch the video!

At one point in the ceremony the reverend said, "Canada and America are good countries because they believe in God, but North Korea is a bad country because they don't believe in God."

I know what you're thinking, but Yes, I'm sure that's what he said (one of my Korean friends told me!). In. The Middle. Of. Their. Wedding: Wow... what?!?!

During the ceremony many people visited and chatted, and few were actually listening to the ceremony so there was actually a bit of a din in the church (which explains the crazy speakers they have hanging from the ceiling). I was actually waiting for someone to pull out their picnic lunch, because I thought they were acting more like they just happened to be in the same room as someone getting married, and not as though they'd been invited!

However, I guess that's how it goes here. A lot of the guests are friends of the family instead of friends of the bride and groom, so many don't know the 'kids' at all. But wow, different than home, that's for sure!!

After they were officially married Joel's kindergarten students went up and each handed him a rose of congratulations, see how all of the little girls were dressed up like brides? One of them even has a veil!

The little one who is the focus of attention in this shot refused to give up her rose after she accompanied her brother up the aisle... it was totally adorable, she handed it to Joel twice, but pulled it back each time, finally running back to mommy...

After the flowers one of the kids sang the Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" acapella, it was very sweet and made Joel cry... my favorite part was the end of the song,

...and if he falls in love tonight,
it can be assumed
his carefree days with us are history,
in short ouuuuuuur paaaaaaaaaal....
is dooooooooomed

I was laughing my pants off in my chair at the lyrics, it was wonderful and little Sally did a great job!

After that one of Eunjin's friends noraebahnged her a congratulations song and then there was a half hour of pictures with the Korean guests and family, and then pictures with the foreign guests, and friends. By that time many of the Korean people had left for the buffet.

Following that we foreigners made our way to the buffet as well, which was typically Korean food (yummy!), I enjoyed it. No alcohol served at the wedding, just apple and orange juice, which was also kinda nice, I didn't really want to have to deal with drunken adjoshiis and adjummas anway! Soup-to-nuts (less the bus there and back) the whole affair lasted about 2 hours, and that.was.that!

Congratulations Joel and Eunjin!

The whole big Korean famdamily with all the aunts and uncles and cousins and so-ons...

Joel and Eunjin with her family, his new inlaws...

There was much bowing once they were officially married... bowing to both sets of parents, and then to the guests, and each time Joel got down and did the full traditional bow seated on his knees with his forehead to the ground (to much applause every time from the crowd, and to the delight of Eunjin's parents, who had not been expecting it!)...

This below was the only time we saw Eunjin in her Hanbok... Joel wanted to dress in a kilt to honour his family's heritage along with Eunjin honouring her Korean heritage, so the family opted not to perform the traditional Korea ceremony as far as I know... As she and Joel came around to the dinner tables to say goodbye and thank you to everyone we got to see them in their fancy duds (sorry the picture doesn't do the kilt or the hanbok justice)!!

I'm gonna need to convince one of my Korea friends to get married so I can see the traditional Korean ceremony!!! :)