As you know, I love seeing pictures from the weddings of the couples I work with — but look at this one!

This is Anna and Min wearing their gorgeous hanbok during part of their wedding celebration — the Korean Paebaek Tea Ceremony.  Anna was kind enough to forward me the explanation of the ceremony from her wedding programs:

In Korean tradition, the marriage between a man and a woman represents the joining of two families, rather than the joining of two individuals. This ceremony was originally intended as a way for the bride to pay her respects to the groom’s family, with whom she traditionally lived after the wedding.

In a private room, the bride and groom will enter together dressed in ceremonial Korean wedding attire. Their parents will be seated in front of a table laden with various edibles and tea. The bride and groom will first bow deeply to the honorees, then kneel to pour tea. Once each honoree drinks the tea, they impart wisdom, advice or a wish for the bride and groom’s future.

Finally, the honorees will throw dates (symbolizing girls) and chestnuts (symbolizing boys), which the bride will try to catch in her skirt. According to legend, the number of dates and chestnuts caught signifies how many children she will bear. Later in the evening, the bride and groom are supposed to eat the dates and chestnuts that were caught.

The Paebaek ceremony was originally a way to pay respect to the groom’s family. Since brides no longer live with the groom’s parents after the wedding, many couples have modernized the tradition. Relatives on both sides of the family are often invited to participate and offer blessings to the couple.

I would love to have seen them trying to catch the dates and chestnuts!  Here’s the bride in her wedding gown:

And of course, the invitations!

Thanks to Anna and Min for sharing your story with us, and to photographer Henry Chan (New York) for the great pics.

Best,
Tara