A Korean Wedding

Yesterday I went to a wedding for Baron, an American Man, and Hyun-Jun, a Korean woman. It was similar to a wedding back at home in some ways, and different in many ways. It took place in a wedding convention center on the sixth floor of a womens community center. They book one wedding an hour, so it was very in and out. There is no costomizing the flowers or colors or anything like that. When you get there, the bride is sitting in a special room for everyone to come in and take pictures with. Hyun-Jun was wearing a beautiful white wedding dress the same that a bride back at home would wear. You don't give gifts at Korean weddings. You give money in a white envelope, that someone takes and logs at the door. The wedding hall had a beautiful platform aisle that was all sparkley and everything, with a wide strip of crystals hanging from the ceiling above it. The wedding starts with the two moms walking down the aisle together. They were wearing traditional Korean Hamboks, which Baron's mom looked particularly uncomfortable in. They each light a candle on either side of the alter. There are no bridesmaids or groomsmen, so the processional was just the moms, the groom and the bride. When Baron walked down the aisle everyone cheered, much to the dismay of the older, more traditional Koreans. Hyun-Jun of coarse was beautiful coming down the aisle. Our paster gave the talk, with a translater translating everything. Baron gave his vows in English, and Hyun-Jun gave hers in Korean. They then bowed to each set of parents. I don't know if having a wedding cake is normal in Korea, but they had a small cake on big pedistals that they wheel over in the middle of the ceremony for the bride and groom to blow out the candles on, and cut. They then wheeled the cake to the side and forgot about it like it was something they checked off the list. After the ceremony finished (a total of about 40 minutes) they did pictures. They take just a few pictures, including one with all of the family, then some with all of the friends. They did the boquet toss while all the friends are up there for the picture. There is one chosen friend who moves up to stand behind the bride for the rigged toss. I felt kind of jipped at not at least getting a chance.
They then rush everyone out so the next wedding can get in. The "reception" was in a small banquet hall one floor down. They just have a big buffet, and the hall is shared by all of the weddings that are taking place. There is absolutely nothing personal about it. The bride and groom didn't even make it down there for about 45 minutes after Hun-Jun had changed into her Hombok. By then the staff was kind of pushing us out because the next groups were coming down. It was an interesting experience, but I would never want to get married like that.