Not all Korean families choose to have a traditional wedding ceremony. However the families that do decide to have a traditional wedding ceremony have a special service called 폐백. The groom (신랑) and the bride (신부) perform a deep bow to the groom’s family. There will be some kind of rice wine, normally a variety called 청주. The acceptance of this wine by the groom’s parents signifies that the groom’s parents accept the bride. Then the groom’s parents will throw some dates (대추), also called jujubes. The bride will lift a white cloth that covers her skirt so that the dates will fall into the skirt.

The dates symbolize fertility and the bearing of many children. Towards the end of the ceremony, the groom may give a piggyback ride to the bride. This gesture symbolizes the groom’s ability to support his bride both financially and emotionally. Before the introduction of Western wedding customs, Koreans used to hold the wedding ceremony in the backyard of the bride’s house. The groom would arrive at the ceremony by horse. The ceremony consisted of both the bride and groom bowing to each other. Towards the end of the ceremony, the groom and bride would take a sip of wine from the same cup, signifying the couple’s new life as husband and wife.

In a traditional Korean wedding, the bride and groom wear 궁궐 예복 or clothing similar to those worn by the royals of the palace. The bride wears a decorative headpiece called a 족두리. The hair is parted in the middle and tied in the back in a bun. The traditional outfit worn by the bride is specifically called a 한복, and the primary colors are red and green. Red dots the size of coins are painted on the bride’s cheeks to repel evil spirits. The bride is also adorned with decorative tassels called 노리개. The groom wears the attire of a government official called 사모 관대. The 사모 관대 includes a black hat, normally a blue silk 한복, and a rectangular sized belt.

Traditional Korean weddings can kind of be solemn, but the entertainment provided before the wedding ceremony can be quite humorous and informal. There’s a ritual called 납패, in which the groom sends a wedding gift called a 함, to the bride’s house. The 함 is a chest full of presents like silk clothing, jewelry made of jade, and other items. Nowadays, instead of a chest, some people present a travel bag for the honeymoon as the “chest”. Inside the bag may contain airplane tickets to the destination of the honeymoon. The groom’s friend brings the 함 to the bride’s house, and in a playful game of negotiation, asks for money in exchange for the 함.