Hold on to your anthropological hats

I promised pictures of the wedding, so here is a much paired down re-telling of the event. It was an amazing rite to witness and well beyond what I had imagined prior to arriving. A bit of background, so that it isn't assumed this is the norm for Korean weddings -- we didn't meet anyone who had seen this kind of traditional ceremony before. It is a re-enactment of the royal wedding established during the Cho Dynasty. Still done as an act of cultural preservation, one must apply for the opportunity, and only a handful are enacted annually. I am telling you, this was so worth the plane ticket!

The wedding was held at the War Memorial. The Memorial itself is an expansive display of military aircrafts, tanks, etc. throughout the grounds. There are also museums, however I never made it inside. The ceremony was in a sunken courtyard, below the helicopters on display (you can see them in a couple of the pics) and a number of tourists were delighted to have come on a day with so much to photograph.

This is a small percentage of the flowers sent by well-wishers. Not a bad idea if you think about it; one less thing to have to figure out and order as part of the wedding planning. hmmm, do you think this could catch on here? I was immediately taken with the pink, but really there was so much color involved that I had to love it all. Did I mention that the President sent flowers?!




This is where most of the action took place. The wedding itself involved a number of processionals, at least one of which was through the grounds and only witnessed by a Chinese tour group -- who were thrilled!


This is one of my favorite photos. There was actually another guy who was much more dressed up that did the drumming in the ceremony, but I liked this guy. The wedding was an interesting mix of formal and laid-back. There were lots of cameras -- official and unofficial -- and a surprising number of guests made their way into the reception before the ceremony ended. It was a puzzle, but I hear it is not uncommon. What is uncommon is a wedding that lasts an hour and a half.


As you can see, there were a number of "attendants" involved. All the stops were pulled out and this is what is called the "full attendant" package. I am guessing thirty or so in all. This is Soo, the handsome groom, being carried in and doing a good job of not swinging the beads on his headdress (the temptation was great).


Irene was also brought in on the shoulders of her attendants, but for the sake of upload time I have tried to limit the number of photos. Once the couple made it to the front area, a number of steps were performed (hand washing, ring exchange) To be honest we didn't really find out what was happening until we asked later, but our guesses were close, and even if we'd known what was happening it would still have been hard to see around all of the cameramen and attendants. I should also mention that there were what I can only assume were touching speeches, songs, and blessings.


The recessional was much faster than everything else to that point, and I can only assume this is because the promise of dinner loomed large. I have to say that I was a fan of the huge umbrellas. To really get the feel for it, imagine the smell of incense and some serious humidity. The day was actually the most beautiful of my visit -- good timing!


Following the ceremony was the picture taking. There were lots of pictures. Soo even had a costume change at one point, but by then we had gone to eat.


This is another one of my favorite photos. It is Irene's headdress. There was lots of *extra* hair involved, and I hear this was a pretty heavy piece to wear, even at a tenth of the original weight (!)



So here Irene and I are, with Sarah L., at one of the Sundance 2004 parties.


And here we are at the after-party at her friend's bar, Night in Paris. Adorable spot!


Not bad for two girls who both made it through absurdly serious surgeries in the interim years. Seeing Irene in Seoul, looking fantastic and happy, was really what made the trip worth it. I think we look pretty close to out old selves, and I know that for the first time in years I am feeling that way.