Celebration of 탁승렬 & 김민정

October 2, Sol Beach Hotel & Resort, was set to be the site for the union of 탁승렬 and 김민정. This was also the first wedding I’ve attended in Korea, thanks to Cheryl who invited me along, and, of course, the groom who welcomed me. Realized that we’re co-workers, but in different offices, only after we met in person.

Unlike weddings in Singapore, which can be boisterous affairs, the union of a couple in Korea is an understated, calm and graceful event. Before the ceremony, the bride waits at a decorated room designed for picture-perfect moments, and guests have their buffet meal (you’ll get a meal coupon for this) at a separate venue from the ballroom. The ceremony also starts on time.

(Love the dash of colors from the boy!)

The modern day ceremony was held in the Grand Ballroom (below), after which the couple went to a different room for the smaller-scale, traditional wedding in formal court costumes. Pity we didn’t have time to witness the traditional ceremony as we had to catch the bus back to Seoul. (The entire journey to-and-fro Seoul and Sol Beach Hotel & Resort took approximately 9 hours, so you can imagine how far it is.) Because of the arrangement of events, the wedding took only an hour, not including the meal which you can have at your own time before the ceremony.

Oh, by the way, Sol Beach Hotel & Resort is one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve seen. Here’s one more picture of the hotel lobby.