Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mack the knife]

if you pay less than or equal to 5 million, you have no friends, family, or pics to remember the wedding...not to mention no honeymoon (ours 5 million won, and that's average or below average)...

traditionally, the groom is responsible for housing (hence the 70,000,000won others have mentioned, which wouldn't buy you much in seoul these days), but like many things traditional, this is not necessarily expected from a western groom. i was also supposed to buy my wife's mother and father new suits. that's tradition here. they are old, so i just gave them 600,000won, or the cost of 2 new suits. they (the bride's parents) are supposed to give the groom a watch and suit. i needed neither and my wife just asked them to chip in more money for the honeymoon. the parents of the bride and groom usually exchange gifts (remember those suits i was supposed to buy?)...so your folks (or you) should, by tradition, fork over some sort of gifts, and your wife's folks will/should give a gift/gifts to your folks...

traditionally you should buy your wife several jewelry sets (5 is the norm)...i gave one...call me a cheap bastard but anyway i ended up spending 2 million for a diamond ring and one jewelry set...

pics and traditional wedding cost 3 million on the button...not including the reception (add at least another 2 mil, unless, as i mentioned before, you are friendless/family-less).

having said all this monetary mumbo-jumbo, our wedding was a great experience, fun for all the friends and family, and i would do it again in a heartbeat (YES, with the same woman)

[Zyzyfer]

[Hank Scorpio]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the original poster made it sound like he's never even had sex with his fiance, and they haven't lived together yet.

This just blows my mind that someone would contemplate marriage without getting either out of the way to make sure you're compatible first. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but there's no way I could see myself doing it.

Then again, I'm also not keen on marriage and really don't want to have children, so I'm probably jaundiced to begin with.

[GottaBeKD]

Hi guys and gals, ladies and gents,

Wow, so many enlightening posts. The information on Korean wedding halls, the jewelerry sets, more of the monetary costs, and the responses from in-laws was extremely valuable. The bit on parents exchanging gifts is another gem I didn't know, but made sure to take note of.


Regarding the last couple posts, I apologize for the confusion. I mentioned how difficult it was to live together, or have your girlfriend visit your house, or meet her parents. That is what I understand about Korean culture and dating customs.

Indeed, she lives with me in Canada now, and we (thank god) follow Canadian culture and dating customs. We have a normal, Canadian relationship. When I go to Korea next month, we will live with her parents, so again, I will be closer to a Canadian relationship. That is, seeing her parents daily, and living with her, in the same house etc.

In any case, thanks again for the wealth of information, I've bookmarked the entire thread.

[kimcheeking]

[Homer]

Me and my wife got married at a Wedding Hall.
There were about 350 of her family and friends attending.
About 75 of mine (including my mother who flew over).
The wedding cost around 10 million won but included a great photo album filled with quality pictures, a video of the ceremony, a nice meal for everyone.
It was a great day and I must say they did it in class and taste.

[Grim Ja]

deleted

[kimcheeking]

[mokpochica]

[Corporal]

thanks kimcheeking...

[Romulus]

This was in Japan the national dress maybe different but the cost and the style maybe similar I think.

My first wedding was a big Japanese style wedding with all the speeches nobody was listening to,overpriced food,beer/shochu /whiskey water some karaoke and the geusts paid/contributed the 20,000 yen gift.First wife's parents never let me forget the wedding they arranged which I hadnt wanted to begin with.Cost 15,000 US dollars I rank it a C wedding

Second wedding (second Wife)I was calling the shots found a place to rent with a beautiful garden we let them do the food which was an easy to eat buffet of various pastas,seafood ,salad,sandwiches,barbecued steak dessert table (which was a winner with all the ladies)and flowers but us the rest.We began by a weekend in Korea in Seoul on the wedding dress street my wife tried on many styles and settled on a dress cost with gloves,tiara,brassiere about 800 US.A rental here would be 2000 US easily.My wife asked her friend to do her hair I asked my friends to tend bar.We bought the liguor at a discount shop and had a full open bar for four hours.We hired a band and they played and had everybody up on the dance floor(the old and young especially liked the chicken dance).Other friends did a surprise skit on how my wife and I met.Still others (Kiwi friends) did a traditional Maori dance called The Haka.We had three weddind cakes made by one of my students instead of the big fake one at most weddings.We shared the first peice of a cake together and first dance too.We had a bouquet toss/garter throw and had said recipients put the garter on the lucky bouquet catcher which was fun for all!The cost to guests was 8,000 yen instead of the usual 20,000 which they appreciated,my students who attended said it was the most fun they ever had at a wedding.Total cost was 5000 US. I rank it an A

I imagine you might have to have alittle bit of both but the important thing is to HAVE YOUR OWN WEDDING and not some pre packaged factory style wedding that cost an arm and leg for very little.Probably best to sit down with your family and find out whats important to you and them and compromise a little each way.

Another thing to do is have the Korean thing for his family and a seperate thing for your friends.That is very popular nowadays in Japan seperate the two traditional vs modern.

[steroidmaximus]

Corporal:

I did the factory Korean wedding. This summer we're having the reaffirmation ceremony in Canada which I'm planning. Pain trying to organize from here, but anyway, this is beside the point.

Our wedding, honeymoon, and rings included, cost a little more than 14 million. It would have been cheaper if the rings had been bought back home, and my wife hadn't insisted on getting me a Cartier wedding ring, but anyway. We got almost 9 from our guests. My wife and I split the cost for the rest. Furniture cost more than 2 (luckily found a discount factory outlet not far from home selling decent oak furniture), and key money (getting off light) was 20. million. I paid for the furniture and most of the key money.

The ceremony itself sucked. Even though I was buzzing the whole time, it was a total factory job: ok come here, do this, take pictures, now do this, take pictures, now this, take pictures, smile (that part was easy), change clothes, more pictures, blah. I really didn't want a wedding hall ceremony, but we did it to please the family. Not my ideal of a wedding at all. The only cool thing was when they had the pseudo Korean traditional style wedding, where I got to piggyback my wife around a table laden with plastic food. That was entertaining. Symbolizes the man taking care of the woman thing. My witty commentary had us laughing so hard I almost fell off the rise.

Anyway, we ended up getting quite a bit from guests (so I'm told), and even if we hadn't blown so much on the rings and 4 days 3 nights in Cheju (at the Paradise hotel) we still woulda ended up paying some. Some people do it cheaper. But I'd say don't expect a huge windfall.

[kangnamdragon]

In a related question,

I will be the best man at a Korean wedding in October. The wedding will be Catholic-western style, but there will still be the traditional things before and after. Does anyone know what some of my responsibilities are as best man? My best friend has explained somethings, but I was wondering if there are any foreigner points of view.

thanks

[Samsung]

[TheUrbanMyth]