Is it appropriate to wear black at Korean weddings?
I just double-checked by asking my mom, “Is it okay to wear all black to a wedding?” She replied, “Absolutely not! Not to a Chinese wedding.”
There was a time when wearing black to a Chinese wedding is a taboo. Nowadays, in the modern generation, especially if you are attending a wedding of your peers, it is quite all right. However, it is still best to check if your friend’s parents might find it offensive. So to be on the safe side, when attending a Chinese wedding, wear other colours, but not black.
How about for Koreans? Is wearing black to a wedding a taboo?
Actress Ha Ji Won attends Kwon Sang Woo’s wedding dressed in black from head to toe! Ahh… a big no no in Chinese culture.
Pic credit: Newsen
Awesome post.
Earlier wearing black at the weddings was a taboo. But by the changing trend now black is not considered bad to be wear at the weddings of relatives. But it also depends on your relatives if they are not strict about their customs.
reason why the girls wear black to weddings because wearing white or bright colors will stick out.. its considerd disrespectful and rude to the bride who is supposed to be getting all the attention that day. so the friends to show respect wear black most of the time.
Mmm…I’ve been to many chinese weddings and I notice a lot of guests wearing black clothes. I think that in current modern times, it is not as taboo as it was in the old days. However, there are still some who would find it offensive. So to be safe, wear some colour other than black. What I do is I have my black pants and suit but wear a coloured shirt inside. 🙂
it’s better than wearing nothing…
If you wear black, accessorize with colorful accessories! All black and gloomy is such a drab to wear at weddings. Even though it might not be taboo, you don’t want to look like an old school marm at such a happy and hopeful event.
I am not Korean, nor I know about Korea all that much, but in general if it is a church wedding all black is to be avoided because is considered a color to wear for funerals.
it’s okay to wear black but i think it’s rude. it’s like you’re going to a funeral, not a happy wedding. and you’re only going to take attention away from the bride unto you. right?
from what i know koreans associate the color white with death/funerals… so i guess black is a better choice for formal occasions like weddings.
erm..but…the groom..his tuxedo..isn’t it in all black and white?even in chinese weddings..the dinner reception..
That’s too much black for a wedding. Maybe she should have just kept to one piece of black clothing item – a black blouse or skirt. A top to toe black ensemble like that should be reserved for funerals.
Maybe she’s sending out a message that she’s mourning the marriage of Kwon Sang-woo?
Oi Oppa, now you know Ha Ji-won has a crush on you :-).
at first glance, it really didnt look good. but they say, its a formal event, so its okay to wear black. but for me, its still a no-no. they could’ve opted to wear hanboks which displays lots of color in it.
It’s Ha Ji won, it’s forgivable….I just wished she wore something a little bit more sheen ;). Also, old ideas of what’s proper should remain just that….old ideas.
The world needs to be a progressive one….even if it’s in bad taste.
It really depends on your culture/mindset. I mean I practically live in black and think it’s fine but yeah, the mother nags if I attend any auspicious occasions dressed in black 😛 Was surprised to see so many of them dressed in black and grey at the ksw-sty wedding tho… so blah looking and they’re celebrities!
Why the lack of hanboks at the wedding? Is that reserved for the elderly/in-laws? I would definitely wear one if I were korean… it’s seriously one of the most beautiful national costumes ever.
black is not an option for me. i’ll prefer colorful 1
Its okay to wear black to weddings. Obviously now Korean weddings are westernized. I’m from the States and Korean, black is acceptable to wear at weddings. The color people should avoid especially women at weddings is white. White is only intended for the bride, unless the bride and groom state that the wedding guests wear white because now some weddings do that.
i wear black to weddings because marriage = death
xD
death of fun anyways! haah
My sentiments exactly, especially when I saw this picture!
i’m not chinese nor korean but we usually avoid black and/or white at weddings.. i know many would think that black would make you look better but black is not good for happy occasions.. and white, well everyone knows the rule that you should never upstage the bride on her wedding day.. and besides remember the wedding of one korean celebrity couple. people were mostly dressed in black and 3 months after the husband’s dead (whether it’s suicide or murder doesn’t matter ’cause he’s still dead)
Same mindset here when I first saw most of the celebrities wearing black attending the wedding. I am sorry to say this but I thought they are attending a funeral.
i think it is okay for them. white is also reserved for funerals so they avoid that. the guys should not have worn jeans though and i would love to see some color in the clothes of the girls. hanbok would be great.
If it’s a church wedding… the colour to avoid is all white (which belongs exclusively to the bride), all black is actually ok.