"Since 1894" Captain Kim

36

YOURS POV-

"You look so pretty."
Bogum exclaimed, being over dramatic, holding his heart. I chuckled at his act. He was wearing black tuxedos, looking stunning with his appearance. Seokjin walked in and he was really looking like a worldwide handsome man with that pinstripe suit.

"Hey handsome man."
I waved to him, he winked feeling proud of himself. One thing I learnt from Seokjin is, be confident. Doesn't matter how bad you look or how embarrassed you're, just be confident and everything will be fine. Our trio moved to the wedding lawn, meeting more people.

"We shall proceed to rituals."
The Holy priest announced, It's hard to overlook the colourful and celebratory nature of Korean weddings and, even more so, it's impossible not to be in awe of the customs and traditions that are still deeply rooted in Korean nuptials. Though Western conventions have made inroads into these celebrations, Korean couples planning their own celebrations today continue to include traditional practices, like symbolic rites, gift-giving, bowing, and vows.

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 symbolise 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 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 symbolise 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.

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 catches 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.

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 flavours with modern presentation styles, offering a delightful and culturally rich experience for wedding guests.

"This would be us, soon."
Namjoon whispered to me before giving quick pecks to my red cheeks.

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