Paster Don

Okay, this is where it gets a bit bizarre.

A Korean friend of Donny and Grace just got married and, Korean weddings being what they are (i.e., short and identical), he asked both of them to take part in the ceremony.  And he welcomed our presence as visiting guests.  Our first Korean wedding!

The wedding business resembles a factory here.  Everyone arrives at some huge building which has a hall on each flour. White covered chairs and beflowered candles are lit, everyone sits down, and the first thing to happen is the mothers of both bride and groom, walk down th eaisle hand in hand, both wearing traditional dress.

The Mothers prepare to walk down the aisle

The aisle they walk along is one long photograph of rose petals, lit from beneath, and spotlights from sparkling chandeliers follow them from above.  Two attendants dressed military style in white and gold place them this way and that way for photographs then hustle them to their seats.

Next up, bride and groom, followed by two photographers who exhort the couple to smile or look this way or that, as they walk.  Actually it seems to be "their" day,  as they strut up and down the aisle, stand in front of their subjects and then right behind them, thus blocking them from everyone's view

Donny, who was asked to make a speech in both English and Korean (learned phonetically) is there, and is now asking each if they wish to become bride and groom.  That's right, my brother married them!!!

Yes, that's Donny up there at the altar!

Usually this is it, but the groom wanted his wedding to be a bit different, so asked three friends to perform.  A Korean male friend, and an American female friend each sung a tune, and then Grace dances beautifully to Bruno Mars. 

Graceful Grace

Suddenly the as yet unheard musicians (piano, base, sax) are playing the Wedding march, and the two attendants grab brass trumpet-like blunderbusses, crouch and take aim, then fire gold confetti at the married couple's back, before rushing forward to clean it all away. 

The group photographs take longer than the service, and  then everyone is turned out as the next wedding gets ready for the same treatment.  We all get shuffled to an adjoining building, which has buffets on each floor.  We go to floor #2 and have a meal full of Korean and western food, everyone eating as fast as they can, toasting each other with mixure shots of sochu and beer ('so-me'), then it's up and out, the entire affair taking barely 2 hours.

And I'm still blinking with the thought that my brother performed the marriage service, and in Korean!!

A couple with the most remarkable set of talents and skills

A couple of very lucky wedding guests