Jason's Wedding

---

My coworker, Jason Hwang, was married in the Daegu Airport Hotel Wedding Hall in February. This was the second Korean wedding I've attended - the first being Yong Hoon, a member of the MoonKkang (my company) reinforcement team - a group of guys who help out the foreigners with medical issues, apartment problems and Visa/resident concerns.
The two weddings were very similar, and, as people have told me, typical accounts of Korean weddings. The wedding hall was made up of two or three large rooms reserved for different weddings and two other huge eateries with Korean buffets.
In the wedding rooms, there is a stage with candles, a piano, a podium and a table for the cake. The audience sits on metal chairs in, maybe, twenty rows of seven chairs each, and a great many people are left standing, crowded in the back of the room. In the back of the room at the beginning of the aisle, there is a beautiful archway with fake flowers weaved within its spaces. The mothers of the bride and groom walk first through the archway and down the aisle, followed by other family members, a little flower girl or boy. When the music starts, the room *strangely* does NOT become silent, instead, the chatter increases, but also, he voices become whispers. The whispers seem to continue throughout the entire ceremony, which I found hysterical. Flashes from professional and family photographers go off continuously. At the end, the groom gets on his knees and puts his hands and arms on the floor in front of him, facing both sets of parents in a large bow, and the bride curtsies with her head down for several seconds.
Then, they remain in the room for another hour taking pictures with various groups while friends and family wander in and out of the room or head to the eatery. Like all other events I've observed in Korean society, rambunctious children and grinning or grouchy elders wander in and out of the scene. I loved seeing Jason dressed up, grinning, happier than I'd ever seen him at work in the studio - he was the MoonKkang video studio manager before he moved farther north to be with his wife. I miss him.

---

Photos

Jason's Big Day
Jason was the main manager at the video studio in the editing office at the Beomeo Negori branch of MoonKkang. 버머 네고리, 문깡.

Professional Photos
Makeup for both the bride and groom. I've never seen Jason looking so happy, nor so snazzy. A truly groomed groom.

Mini-Bride, Flower-girl in training.
The bride's niece...a bit too young to be the girl scattering flowers on the carpet.

The Wedding Hall
One of several wedding halls in the Airport Hotel - next to the Daegu Airport (대구 공항) The weddings last about 20 minutes each. My friend Hwajun kept telling me "Wow, this is a long wedding," when it lasted about 35 minutes.
People from three different weddings were pouring into and out of the different halls as the weddings proceeded.

The Proud Mothers
Beautiful matching hanboks - the traditional Korean dress that ties under the chest, has a beautifully embroidered small jacket and usually comes in bright colors.
The bride's mother is on the left and Jason's mother is on the right.

Wedding ride.
Friends or family attacked this innocent car with streamers, and pink signs.

Friends of the Groom
Eun-Hee and friend, workers in the video office - stand around giggling - very excited to see their boss looking so dapper.