Korean Wedding

The groom's friends carry a chest (ham) filled with gifts to the bride's home before the wedding, singing, dancing, and sometimes wearing dried squid masks. Upon approaching the house, the carriers shout 'Ham for sale!' The bride's family must 'negotiate' — offering money, food, and drinks — before the carriers will hand over the chest.

Significance: A joyful pre-wedding celebration symbolizing the groom's commitment and generosity. The ham traditionally contains fabric for hanbok (called chaedan, typically in red and blue), jewelry, and a marriage letter (honsu). Historically, a servant would carry the ham, but modern practice uses the groom's close friends as hamjinabi (carriers).

The ham must traditionally never touch the ground during the procession. Modern versions are often more playful and abbreviated than the historical practice. Some contemporary couples simplify or skip this tradition entirely.

The groom presents a wooden wild goose (kireogi) to the bride's mother. He bows twice, places the goose on a table, and the mother accepts it. This ritual takes place before the main ceremony begins.

Significance: Wild geese mate for life, making the gift a powerful symbol of the groom's promise of eternal fidelity. The custom was borrowed from Chinese Confucian wedding rituals and adapted in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Initially, a live goose was used; wooden versions became standard as they were more practical. After the wedding, the wooden geese are kept in the couple's home.

While English sources sometimes say 'wedding ducks,' the traditional animal is a wild goose (kireogi). Mandarin ducks (wonang) are a related but distinct symbol also associated with marital harmony. The direction the goose faces when placed on the table is said to predict the gender of the first child, though details vary by region.

The couple and their families wear traditional Korean hanbok during the traditional ceremony and/or pyebaek. For the pyebaek, the bride may wear a hwarot (embroidered ceremonial robe with red exterior and blue interior) or wonsam, along with a jokduri (ceremonial crown). Red dots (yeonjigonji) may be applied to her cheeks. The groom wears a dopo or dallyeong with a samo or gat (hat).

Significance: Wearing hanbok honors Korean heritage and connects the couple to centuries of tradition. The colors carry deep symbolic meaning rooted in the obangsaek (five-color theory) and yin-yang philosophy: the bride's red represents yang energy, and the groom's blue represents yin energy. Together they create balance.

The hwarot was originally reserved for royalty during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties but was later permitted for commoners to wear at their weddings. Because of its expense, villages sometimes shared communal wedding robes.

Serving long noodles (janchi guksu) at the wedding reception. In Korean culture, asking 'When are you going to feed me noodles?' is a way of asking 'When are you getting married?'

Significance: Long noodles symbolize a long and happy marriage. Serving them at the wedding feast is a wish for longevity and prosperity. Janchi guksu are thin wheat noodles typically served in a warm anchovy broth. Even at modern buffet-style receptions, janchi guksu remains an expected traditional element.

Janchi guksu (banquet noodles) are thin wheat noodles in a warm anchovy broth. Even at modern buffet-style receptions with Korean and Western dishes, noodles remain a must-have traditional element.

After the pyebaek, the groom carries the bride on his back around the table or through the venue.

Significance: Demonstrates the groom's strength and willingness to support his bride through life. This is one of the most photographed and celebratory moments at Korean weddings.

In some traditions, the groom also gives his mother-in-law (and sometimes his own mother) a piggyback ride, adding humor and warmth to the celebration.