Special wedding for two of us
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Do-it-yourself saves costs, makes the event more meaningful
By Chung Hyun-chae
Brides-to-be learn how to make bouquets at the J.FIA Flower School
A couple work on wedding rings together at Jewerly Soo
A woman, left, makes her own wedding dress at the wedding culture center in Busan.
Small weddings have become trendy. In the past, couples mostly worried about who to invite, often extending their invitation lists. But the current economic turndown means that brides and grooms today are more pragmatic and keep their eyes focused on finances.
“Young couples are practical these days. It is true that many are struggling financially, but even better-off people want reasonably priced weddings as well. They should plan a good honeymoon instead,” said Kim Mi-kyoung, a representative of Wedding Spoon, a wedding consultancy.
Young couples who want to marry on low budgets often visit Kim, having learned about her through word of mouth, and she gives consultations for a minimal fee. Kim recommends the most suitable options available for each couple.
“People assume that winter is not the peak season for weddings so they might think that by and large everything is cheaper. This is not completely true nowadays because many want affordable weddings in the winter,” Kim said.
“It is wise to conduct a lot of research and get some help from consultants. There are still wedding halls that are willing to let their venues be used for free, charging only for meals and table services, even in the Gangnam area.”
In addition to trimming down their budgets, young couples have also changed their priorities when it comes to the significance of their wedding. They want a special and meaningful ceremony instead of a luxurious extravaganza, occasions which after all are mere window dressing for their friends and acquaintances that they barely know but who are obliged to bring envelopes of congratulatory cash.
In a nutshell, tailored weddings at reasonable prices are highly sought after among brides-to-be.
Many of them decide to make their own wedding bouquets. However, as few are experienced at flower arranging, they attend classes which many flower shops provide.
“Many people come with an interest in flowers already while some start to learn it professionally because becoming a florist gained much popularity, starting around 2005,” said Chang Ji-eun, the head of J.FIA Flower School. As the certificate of qualification for floritsts was established by the government, J.FIA began offering a bouquet-making class. Making bouquets is a mandatory skill for the certificate. The school also provides a wedding flower class that is part of the general florist course and the flower license course.
Chang started with a one-day bouquet-making class that gives brides-to-be opportunities to make bouquets throughout the day. She now operates a three-month professional course as well. Initially only brides enrolled in the class but there are now more people who want to become experts or wedding florists, according to Chang.
“Regarding the trend for bouquets in 2013, unique ones instead of ordinary rose bouquets are preferred by brides. Generally, delicate and simple bouquets made with one or two types of flowers are considered to be classy. People want unique bouquets, so they care about the color, shape, and even the texture of flowers,” Chang said.
There is another important necessity — a wedding ring. Jewelry Soo, a jewelry shop located in the Cheongdam area, provides a special program where couples can make their wedding rings with the assistance of experts.
“In Western countries there are many shops where owners design and manufacture jewelry. They are usually under the owner’s name. I wanted to open that kind of jewelry shop,” Kim Hyun-chul, president of Jewerly Soo, said.
As Kim is able to design and manufacture jewelry, the shop doesn’t need to subcontract work and can cut prices.
“In its linguistic root, ring means ‘becoming one’ but, unfortunately, I witnessed several times wedding gifts returned after broken engagements. I hope this doesn’t happen again,” Kim said as he talked about how he offers reasonably priced wedding rings.
“At our shop, brides and grooms can make their wedding rings together for the price of 80,000 won each and there is a diamond in each, of course. We have five basic samples and customers can write special messages to each other on the rings or request additional options at extra cost,” Kim said.
Kim has some memorable couples. In the early days of his career, he met a guy who visited him to make a ring because he was going to propose to his girlfriend. Kim was impressed by his sincerity, so helped choose a tailor-made ring and prepare for the proposal. The other couple he remembers had been together for 12 years. They came together and made special wedding rings. They carved 12 numbers in roman numerals around the rings, Kim happily recalled.
Not so many people can imagine making their own wedding dresses. There is a program named “Wedding dress that I make by myself” at Honreymunhwawon, a privately-held institute in Busan to promote right wedding culture. The program has two classes — a two-month class and a six-month one. The shorter course is enough for amateurs.
Brides-to-be visit here mostly because of their body shapes — they are too thin or too chubby — and because they can get wedding dresses tailored for them. Nowadays, however, many people make their own dresses because it holds special meaning. The price of making one is much cheaper than renting or buying. It costs from 600,000 won to 800,000 won to make the highest quality wedding dress while it takes at least 1,500,000 won to borrow a decent gown.
“Generally brides-to-be or their mothers take the classes. We’ve been running this class for more than 50 years. Demand has decreased a little because dresses are nowadays available as part of a wedding package. But people consistently visit us. I’m sure that making wedding dresses for themselves or for important people leaves meaningful memories,” said Cha Suk-hee, president of the wedding culture center.
Your wedding might be the most important event in one’s life. Today it is said that a second or even a third marriage is not socially unacceptable any more, but still, weddings matter to everyone. Preparing step by step with a partner definitely makes this important moment much more meaningful.