Korean Weddings / Mexican Weddings

I got inspired to write this blog thanks to Diana's latest blog entry because it's really interesting how Weddings are so different around the world but often this traditions disappear and everyone and everyone want a “western”-like wedding…..

Korean Traditional Weddings (Honrye)

In Korea, the marriage between a man and woman represents the joining of two families, rather than the joining of two individuals((Korean brides do not adopt their groom's surname as in many Western marriages). The event was often called Taerye (Great Ritual).

Amazing gowns.... O_O

 The groom usually traveled to the house of the bride for the ceremony, then stayed there for 3 days before taking his new bride to his family's home. The actual ceremony involved many small rituals, with many bows and symbolic gestures. The participants were expected to control their emotions and remain somber.

A couple getting married in Korea might incorporate ducks or geese into their wedding ceremony. Both ducks and geese mate for life and represent faithfulness.

At one time, a man who wanted to get married in Korea, would travel to his future bride's home on a white pony and present her family with a pair of geese.

Betrothal

You can see the dates in here :D

Traditionally, Korean betrothal gifts were brought to the bride's home by a band of the groom's closest friends. The gifts were placed in a box called a hahm. The group, dressed in costume with blackened faces, would arrive singing at the bride's family home. They would stop just outside the house, chanting, "Hahm for sale, hahm for sale!" The bride's family would rush out and offer money to the group. Through fun negotiation and laughter, the bearers would be bribed until at last the hahm was delivered. A few days after the ceremony, the couple visit the groom's family for another wedding ceremony, the p'ye-baek. Here the bride offers dates and chestnuts -- symbols of children -- to the groom's parents, while sitting at a low table filled with other symbolic offerings. The parents offer sake in return, and as a final gesture they throw the dates and chestnuts at the bride, who tries to catch them in her large wedding skirt.

Wedding Banquet

Korean wedding banquets can be very simple: Noodle soup is the only required dish. In fact, the wedding banquet is called kook soo sang, which means "noodle banquet." Long noodles -- symbolizing a wish for a long and happy life -- are boiled in beef broth and garnished with vegetables. Dok, a sticky rice cake, is served at most Korean events, especially weddings.

But there can be more than noodles in a Wedding right??... In another traditional wedding feast a guest would expect to find bulgogi (불고기, marinated barbecue beef strips), galbi (갈비, marinated short ribs), a variety of kimchi (pickled cabbage with a variety of spices, with other ingredients such as radishes, seafood). There will be many accompanying bowls of sauces for dipping. The meal is always accompanied with a vast quantity of white, sticky rice (밥, bap) as well as gimbap (김밥), which is rice, egg, spinach, crab meats, pickled radish, and other ingredients rolled in seaweed and sliced into 1-inch rounds.

The bride's  gown

The women's attire includes a jeogori (저고리; short jacket with long sleeves) with two long ribbons which are tied to form the otgoreum (옷고름). A chima (치마), a full-length, high-waisted, wrap-around skirt is worn. Boat-shaped shoes made of silk, are worn with white cotton socks. The norigae (노리개) is a hanbok (한복) decoration which has been worn by all classes of Korean women for centuries. It is tied to the skirt or the ribbon on the jacket. The knot on the top is called the Maedeup (매듭).

The groom's attire

A jacket (jeogori, 저고리) and trousers and an overcoat are worn. The jacket has loose sleeves, the trousers are roomy and tied with straps at the ankles. A black hat could be worn.

The wedding costume for men is also known as gwanbok for the groom

-As of 2009, according to Korea National Statistical Office, the average age of first marriage is 31.6 for men and 28.7 for women

- In a large number of marriages, the male is older than the female. This age disparity is usually intentional. The woman always seeks a man who is at least equal to if not higher than her in socio-economic status. Rarely does an arranged marriage happen where the man is lower than the woman in socio-economic status, class or by height.

- Same-sex marriage is not legally-recognized in South Korea. Homosexuality is strongly criticized in mainstream Korean society, and many Koreans consider homosexuality to be a Western phenomenon. The first public gay marriage was on March 7, 2004

(Hong Seok-cheon… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Seok-cheon... Hong is the most prominent Korean celebrity to openly admit to being gay.)

Arranged marriage

Is popular in South Korea. Koreans usually refer to this type of marriage as Seon (선). Generally, parents arrange a meeting, but it is ultimately up to the couple to decide if they want to marry.

Matchmakers

Matchmakers are common in South Korea. Families present their son or daughter to a matchmaker, or a single man or woman arranges a meeting with a matchmaker, to analyze their resume and family history for the purpose of finding a marriage partner who is compatible in social status and earning potential. Koreans keep precise lineage records, and these are listed on the matchmaking resume.

Marriage agencies

The top two marriage agencies in South Korea are DUO and SUNOO

Although Koreans have kept several aspects of the traditional ceremony, most modern ceremonies resemble Western marriage ceremonies more than traditional Korean ones. However, many folk villages and museums across the country regularly perform ceremonies to keep the traditions alive.

Mexican Weddings

Sponsors of an Engaged Couple in Mexico

In Mexico, a traditional couple getting married are sponsored, financially, by their Godparents, to act as padrinos, sponsors of the wedding. They are mentors to the bride and groom throughout their engagement, and even after they are married. Needless to say, the bride and groom honor them with a place in the wedding program. The padrinos may present the couple with a rosary and a Bible during their wedding ceremony.

The godparents with the white ribbon

During the marriage vows, a white ribbon or rosary, called a "lasso", is symbolically wrapped around the necks of the couple, which represents their joining.

It is customary for a Mexican groom to give his wife a wedding present of thirteen gold coins, which are then blessed by the priest during the marriage ceremony. This gesture represents the groom's commitment to support his new wife.

As the newlyweds leave the church, red beads or uncooked rice may be tossed at them, to bring good luck. At the wedding reception, all the guests will join hands and form a heart shape around the newly married couple as they have their first dance.

The Mexican wedding cake is, usually, a fruit cake that has been soaked in rum.

Food

It’s usually Mexican Food, the most common food is Mole with Chicken and rice, but it’s also very popular to have Pozole (it’s a soup or stew with meat, usually pork, chicken, turkey, pork rinds, sardine, chili pepper, and other seasonings and garnish) or Carnitas (is a type of braised or roasted pork meat)

Mole with Chicken and rice

Pozole

Padrinos

Or godfather/godmother there are several godfathers/godmothers, these are usually to help the families with all the wedding expenses, each one will get something for the wedding such as:

-Wedding Cake

-Drinks (Alcohol) (Tequila lots of Tequila) lol

-White Ribbon or Lasso

Proposal and Meeting the family

Usually the groom will meet the family once they know it’s a serious relationship, once he is ready to propose it’s usually during a family reunion at the (soon to be) Bride’s house and here is where he will ask permission to marry her (Pedida de Mano), before the wedding each one will have a Bachelor/Bachelorette party each one organized usually by their best friends and almost always it involves a Strip club (for the groom) and a stripper show (for the bride) with their best friends and family (aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters)

At the Wedding

First there is a Ceremony at church (either Catholic or Cristian) and after this ceremony everyone goes to the Party!! (finally!! haha) where the couple can be received by the Mariachis and then there’s this dance "A la vibora de la mar", where the groom and bride will be on top if a Chair, he will be on one side and she on the other, he is supposed to be holding the bride’s dress and all the guest will dance around them, this usually goes wrong because someone falls (lol)

At some point the couple will go through all the tables and people will stick money on the groom’s jacket and the bride has a Special shoe where people can put more money….

All the guys wearing guayaberas

The Brides gown

The bride will wear a White traditional wedding dress

The groom’s gown

The groom will commonly wear a Guayabera and white pants or Charro clothes.

Is not very common to have arranged marriages in Mexico (specially in the City) but there are some little towns where the family arranges a marriage in exchange of some animals or a house o_O

Gay Marriage in Mexico has recently been approved by the law in Mexico (March  2010)

Although same-sex ceremonies are only legally performed in Mexico City, the marriages themselves are recognized anywhere in the country. The country's Supreme Court ruled (on August 10^th) that all 31 states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in the capital.

Ok, so now that you (an me) know a bit more about weddings,,, will you choose a Traditional wedding???  ;)

-Gisela V.