Romantic Korean Pyebaek Tea Ceremony in Singapore

Photographer’s Comments: “Elizabeth and David’s pyebaek was an incredible day where the traditions from her half Korean heritage came together with her whimsical personal style.  While they had planned a more western-inspired wedding day, they also wanted to incorporate Elizabeth’s Korean heritage in their joining of husband and wife.

“She had set her heart on doing as much of her ceremony herself as possible while creating an environment that was both beautiful and welcoming for her and David’s closest family and friends. Keeping with everything being handmade and intimate, every detail of the ceremony was coordinated by her and her mother, who also personally cooked and catered the food! In lieu of a cake, a close family friend created a rice cake called Ddeok which is a traditional Korean dessert served at special events and elegantly piped floral details resembling a  more Western cake, maintaining the theme of the marrying of tradition and modern-day and her and David’s cultures coming together. The traditional Korean mats, fans, and traditional goods were brought by friends and family and Elizabeth and her mother had flown to Korea to find and create their own custom traditional Hanboks. Hair and makeup were done by the incredible Linda Lee from Linda Lino Makeup and Substance Films worked their magic to capture this truly special event on film.

“The ceremony took place in her family’s private residence and had large glass windows, showcasing the beauty and nature that Singapore has to offer. The lush greenery of the island served as the perfect backdrop of their pyebaek ceremony. Singapore is a country known for its multiculturalism and diversity, so it was an extra fitting setting for a ceremony where two different families were coming together and becoming one.

“Here are a few of the beautiful pyebaek traditions that took place:

Jeonanrye Presentation

During the Jeonarye presentation, the groom will present his future mother-in-law with a pair of wooden geese. Since wild geese mate for life, this presentation is meant to symbolize the promise the groom is making. By presenting these geese he is making a promise that he will love and care for his wife for the rest of their lives.

Tossing of Dates and Nuts

During the pyebaek ceremony, the parents of the bride and groom will take turns tossing dates and chestnuts into the bride’s skirt. The number of dates and chestnuts caught is meant to symbolize the number of children the couple will have. Elizabeth’s parents tossed first and ended up successfully throwing 8 chestnuts into her skirt, which was quite the moment.

Bowing, Words of Wisdom and Serving of Tea

The couple will bow to their parents and their parents will provide words of wisdom on how to nurture a healthy, long-lasting marriage. After the bows, the bride and groom will serve tea to their parents and other elders.”