What happens at a Korean wedding?

Getting married in another country or married to a person from another culture or country comes with a host of lessons and learning. When we decided to get married we very quickly decided we wanted to have a traditional wedding ceremony in each our home countries. So, with that, it was time to figure out how to plan a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. These days, many Koreans opt for a more western style wedding ceremony but since we were going to have that in the States where I’m from, we wanted to be traditional from beginning to end.
Upon entering the building, you may have to navigate your way to the particular wedding that you're attending. Most wedding halls have many weddings going on in a day, sometimes at the same time, so you'll have to keep a look out for the bride and groom's name written on a plaque indicating where they are located (Hopefully, for your sake, you can read their names in Korean).
Once you've found the correct wedding hall, it's time to greet the groom and the bride and groom's family. After walking through the line of formal greetings, it is then appropriate to approach the table where you are expected to give some money. How much you should pay depends on a lot of things like how close you are and if you have a guest, but for a co-worker or an acquaintance to I would suggest 50,000 or for a couple 100,000. Of course, if it's a close friend you'd probably want to give more, but you can decide for yourself how much to give. But, there is one rule you need to follow. Be sure to give money on a scale like this:
50,000
70,000
100,000
150,000
200,000 etc etc
Money should be given in increments of 10 and only on odd numbers (unless it's 100, 200 etc). Therefore, 75,000 is not really acceptable amount, nor is 40,000. Last thing, make sure you put it in a white envelope with your name on it so they can record how much you paid.
After you pay your money, if you're good friends with the bride, you may want to go check out the bride's viewing room where she sits before the wedding begins. You can take your photo with her or say hello and congratulations.
Then it's time to find a seat in the wedding hall. Some places have seating around tables and they may serve the meal during the ceremony which leads to lots of talking and drinking while couples take their vows. The presider of the wedding may shush the audience and the audience may hush for a moment before continuing their conversation. Other places are a little more respectful and have chairs set up for viewing the ceremony as a westerner may expect, though the presider may still need to hush people even when there is no food and spirits to distract the audience.
To begin the ceremony my mother along with Jae-oo’s mother performed the Jum-chok Rye. They lit candles to invoke the god of heaven to be present at the ceremony by sending up candle flames. Jae-oo’s mother lit a red candle and my mother lit a blue candle. They ended by bowing toward each other and then toward the guests. I told my mom before they went up, who wasn’t sure how low to bow or for how long to keep one eye on Jae-oo’s mom the whole time so they’d get it right. It seemed to work out well.
Next was Jae-oo’s entrance, or Young-seo Rye. The groom enters with his attendant (the girukabi), who is carrying a goose. Usually the bride’s father would meet the groom at the front gate, but as my own has already passed away Jae-oo just entered with his attendant.
Once they got to the front they would perform Jeon-an Rye, which would be the handing over of the goose from the groom to my father. They requested that my mother accept the goose instead.
The wild goose symbolizes that this couple will model after the three virtues of wild geese. First, wild geese keep the promise of love forever. If a wild goose loses its mate it lives alone and never seeks another mate. Second, wild geese follow the hierarchical order. When they fly, they fly in the V formation. If the leader cries, the rest cry in response. And third, wild geese leave traces when they come.
Jae-oo had to take the goose and ensure that its head was facing left, my mother was positioned to stand to face the west and then Jae-oo had to kneel toward the north. The goose was placed on the table with its head still facing west and after Jae-oo bowed to floor twice my mother took the table with the goose back to wear my family was seated.
I walked down the aisle during the Chin-young Rye to take my position on the west with Jae-oo on the east side of the table.