Wedding in Pusan

Wedding Photos?

2006-01-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

It's been wonderful hearing from all of you via email. Thank you for taking the time to read through this rather long-winded blog!

To those of you who were able to make it to Pusan for the big day: please feel free to email any good photos that you have from your time in Korea. If it's OK with you, we'll post them on the blog. However, you're also more than welcome to send us photos that you don't want posted. Please just say so when you email them to us, and we'll keep them to ourselves.

Big love,
Yong-nam and Christopher.

Click on September 2005 in the Archives

2006-01-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

We're sorry that it took us about three months to get all of the photos on here. Most of our time in between posts was spent sorting through the thousands of photos that our friends emailed us. We think that we've chosen some of the better ones, but we're sure that there are thousands more out there that we'll see in the future. Such is the nature of digital cameras!
We hope that you enjoy our blog. Due to the way that blogs are set up (the most recent post appears on top), it might be a good idea to scroll all the way to the bottom first, and then work your way up (starting with the posts from August and September). We started making this blog more than a month before the wedding took place, so it was impossible for us to work from the reception back to the planning stages. If you start at the bottom, you may be able to get a better idea of who everyone is. After the same person has appeared in three or four pictures, we stop detailing who they are and where they're from.
Thank you for your patience. We love you!

Yong-nam and Christopher's Wedding

2005-12-31T01:16:00.000-08:00

2005-12-31T01:05:00.000-08:00

The view from the top of 'Glory Hotel' where the reception was held. That's the ocean that is blacking out almost half of the picture.

Hyeon-joo, Kate, Scott, Yong-nam, Christopher, and Yong-ho. One big happy family!

2005-12-31T00:29:00.000-08:00

Scott asks the crowd to bounce with him.
Yong-ho has a surprisingly good voice for someone who is normally quite reserved.
Scott and Christopher let one rip for old times' sake.

2005-12-31T00:20:00.000-08:00

Dong-young (right) encourages Yu-ja to choose a song to sing.

Yu-ja sings for the crowd as Kyu-nam, Seon-ho, and Dong-young provide back-up dancing.
Judson dedicates one to the newlyweds.

Kyu-nam, Dong-young, and Seon-ho show everyone how karaoke is supposed to be done.

2005-12-31T00:13:00.000-08:00

Christopher and Yong-nam explain why rings aren't exchanged during a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. In order to insert that part of the western-style marriage into the day, they decided to have a small, impromptu ceremony at the reception.
Scott Pellegrini, Scott Lawson, and Kate Pellegrini look on as Christopher and Yong-nam exchange rings.
A small kiss as the karaoke monitor beckons.

2005-12-31T00:02:00.000-08:00

Christopher and Yong-nam sing a song together. They sang one of their favorite ballads by a band named 'Yuri Sangja' (Glass Box).
Christopher and Yong-nam receiving abuse from the audience (in three different languages).

2005-12-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

Kyu-nam, acting as MC in the background of this photo, thanks Papa Kim, and welcomes Mom and Dad Pellegrini to the stage.
Papa Kim weaves back through the guests to find his seat.
Kyu-nam helps Dad and Mom Pellegrini to deliver a heartfelt message to the crowd.

2005-12-30T23:45:00.000-08:00

Christopher and Yong-nam arrive for the wedding reception. It took a while for them to make it across town, but there was still some food left when they got there.
Mom and Dad Pellegrini having dinner with the family.

The 'Pyebaek' Ceremony

2005-12-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

Christopher gives Yong-nam a ride around the 'pyebaek-shil' (pyebaek room). Despite the cost of the robes, a good piggyback is often encouraged at the end of the cermony.

2005-12-30T23:35:00.000-08:00

Several of Yong-nam and Christopher's friends, mostly from out of town (ie. the states or Japan) wait outside the pyebaek room during the cremony. Christopher and Yong-nam share some ceremonial wine.

2005-12-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Pellegrini's and Kim's bow together to welcome each other into their respective families.
Christopher and Yong-nam kneeling before Yong-nam's cousin, Jeong-nam, and brother, Yong-ho.
Yong-ho and his mother look on as Papa Kim's brother and sister welcome Christopher into the family.

2005-12-30T23:24:00.000-08:00

Christopher and Yong-nam bow in front of Yong-nam's aunts and uncles.
Kate and Scott Pellegrini welcome Yong-nam into the family.
Kate and Scott Pellegrini react during the family pyebaek ceremony.

2005-12-30T23:16:00.000-08:00

The pye-baek ceremony is a chance for the bride and groom to pay respect to their parents. Yong-nam and Christopher offer Mom and Dad Pellegrini wine.

Here Yong-nam and Christopher offer wine to Mama Ahn and Papa Kim.

Bowing deeply is a very important part of displaying your respect for your elders.

2005-12-30T23:10:00.000-08:00

The shoes came off for the private, family-oriented 'pyebaek' ceremony.
Yong-nam waits for her family to arrive for the family welcoming ceremony (pyebaek).
The Pellegrini's waiting for the pyebaek ceremony to begin.

2005-12-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Scott and Kate Pellegrini after the ceremony.
Mama Ahn and Yong-ho after the ceremony.

2005-12-30T22:18:00.000-08:00

Family photo. This is a fair representation of Yong-nam's immediate family. Although it does not include many of the people that her family visits every year. Yong-nam's great-grandfather was one of six sons.
A photo of the newlyweds with the many friends that came to Pusan for the wedding. Included are friends who flew in from the United States and Japan. Pictured as well are many of Christopher and Yong-nam's co-workers from when they lived in Masan, Yong-nam's friends from primary and secondary school (as well as friends from when she attended the Pusan University of Foreign Languages), and current and former teachers and employers.
Yong-nam and Christopher's new nuclear family! From left to right: Yong-ho (Yong-nam's younger brother), Yong-nam's parents (Myeong-jo Kim and Haeng-deok Ahn), Yong-nam, Christopher, Christopher's parents (Raymond and Lucy Pellegrini), Kate (Christopher's younger sister), and Scott (Christopher's younger brother).

2005-12-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

Yong-nam prepares to sip some ceremonial wine.
Christopher knocks his back.

The newlyweds and their parents are presented to the guests.

2005-12-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

Christopher, Scott, and Kyu-nam listen as the officiant talks about some of the traditions surrounding the drinking of traditional Korean liquor during the ceremony.
Another shot of Scott, Kyu-nam, and Christopher during the ceremony. Kyu-nam served as a tour guide, interpreter, and MC on the day of the wedding. He is a very good friend of Christopher's from their days in Masan (a city about an hour west of Pusan). Kyu-nam came down from Seoul on the morning of the 25th, and returned later that evening on the last train. The Pellegrini's and Kim's are very grateful for everything Kyu-nam did in support of Yong-nam and Christopher.
The backdrop of the wedding ceremony in Pusan.

2005-12-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Scott helps Christopher wash his hands at the beginning of the ceremony. Yong-nam, although not visible in this photo, is doing the same thing on the other side of the pavilllion.
The bride and groom bow to each other several times during the ceremony. The bride keeps her hands locked in front of her face, with her forearms parallel to the ground. This makes bowing rather difficult, so her attendants help her to kneel without falling over (she is wearing several layers of silk robes, some of which are draped over her raised arms).
A table separates the bride and groom during a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. Yong-nam can just barely be seen amongst a sea of fruit, sweets, flowers, and ducks.

2005-12-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

Yong-nam's father and mother await the arrival of the bride and groom.

Dad, Mom, and Kate Pellegrini watch as the ceremony gets under way.

2005-12-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

Yong-nam's father, Papa Kim, comes out to welcome Christopher into his home (symbolized by the wedding pavilion).

Yong-nam enters the opposite side of the pavilion with her two attendants.

A photo of Yong-nam from the guests' vantage point.

2005-12-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

A photo taken during the pre-ceremony interview.

The wedding ceremony gets under way. Christopher is accompanied by two of Yong-nam's young cousins, his close friends Seon-ho (carrying the umbrella) and Kyu-nam, and his brother, Scott. Our small, but growing, fan club is seen collecting to the right.

2005-12-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

Yong-nam, Christopher, and Scott (in his ceremonial robes) wait for the guests to be seated. Standing behind them are their good friends Garrett De Orio, Scott Lawson, Richard Allen, Judson, Ben Thoele, Thatcher Spero, and Dan Eling. Dan and Ben flew into Pusan from the US, while everyone else flew in from Tokyo, Japan. This picture was taken at a small pavilion not far from where the actual cermony took place. Notice that Scott is holding a wooden duck. The duck (representing half of the marriage) was traditionally brought to the bride's home to join a second wooden duck (representing the other half). If you ever travel through Korea, you will probably see a pair of wooden ducks on sale in the gift shop.

Family and Friends

2005-11-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

Scott, Judson, Garrett, Richard (with back to camera), and Ben share a laugh.
Dan, Richard, and Ben waiting for things to get under way.

2005-11-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Papa Kim (Yong-nam's) father greets visitors as they arrive.
Daddy Pellegrini and Mrs. Ota, the owner of a private language school in Tokyo that Christopher works at, have a chat before the ceremony.
Kate, Scott, Daddy and Mommy Pellegrini huddle before the big show.
Daddy and Mommy Pellegrini, Mama Ahn, Christopher, Kate, and Scott show off their new hanbok and suit. Scott, Papa Kim (Yong-nam's father), and Yong-ho (Yong-nam's younger brother) all received new suits. Everyone else is in traditional Korean Hanbok.

The Guests Begin to Arrive

2005-11-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

Some of Yong-nam's aunts and uncles are greeted by her mother (in pink hanbok).
Christopher chats with his close friend, Kyu-nam (who traveled all the way down from Seoul earlier that morning!) Yong-nam is somewhat taken aback by the number of guests that are coming through the park's front gate.
Yong-nam's very good friend, Eun-joo (who also came down from Seoul for the wedding).
Garrett, Judson, Thatcher, and Christopher. Christopher is busy reeling in the the out-of-towners who are unsure of the location of Choongryeolsa Memorial Park. Interesting mix of traditions.

Pre-wedding Photo Shoot at Choongryeolsa Park

2005-11-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

Yong-nam has her new ornaments adjusted. This is what she will be wearing during the actual ceremony.
Christopher and Yong-nam in King's and Queen's ceremonial gowns.
Christopher after having the beaded-danglies removed from his line of sight.

Wedding Day Finally Arrives

2005-11-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

Top: Christopher and Yong-nam are helped into their King's and Queen's gowns (replicas of those worn by the royal family several hundred years ago) before a photo session in Choongryeolsa Memorial Park. This photo shoot took place shortly before the wedding itself.

Bottom: Yong-nam has her makeup applied about an hour and a half before the wedding.

After several days of welcoming friends who had flown in from overseas, it was time to get down to business. Yong-nam and Christopher headed to Shillang Gakshi for wedding day preparations. Shillang Gakshi is the name of the company that is responsible for organizing traditional Korean weddings. Faces were painted, gowns were sized, and everyone got all dolled up.
Traditional weddings aren't done very much in town. In fact, Shillang Gakshi is the only major company in town that still does them. Most couples opt for 'wedding hall' marriages. Wedding halls tend to have chapel-like rooms on at least two or three floors, and you rent one of the rooms for between 30-minutes and an hour.
As you can probably guess, this all adds up to more than one wedding going on in the same building at one time. It also means that it's quite likely that the wedding-party following the ceremony in session will be milling about (noisily) out in the lobby well before the first wedding has concluded.
Yong-nam and Christopher decided to err on the side of sanity and go with something a little bit quieter. The wedding took place in a memorial park in Pusan, and there was no pressure to conclude the ceremony in a timely fashion.

Pellegrini's in Pusan, South Korea

2005-10-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

Ray, Lucy, Scott, and Kate Pellegrini all came to Pusan one week before the wedding. They arrived safe and sound after a very, very long journey from Burlington, Vermont (with connections in Detroit and Tokyo, Japan). Yong-nam and Christopher were incredibly happy to see all of them, and to finally be able to introduce them to her family!

The first couple of days were devoted to getting everyone situated, getting people fitted for suits and hanbok (traditional Korean gowns), and eating as much Korean food as possible. Despite the reputed spiciness of Korean food, everyone managed just fine. And everyone seemed to be able to handle the national drink of Korea, soju.

As the jet-lag began to ease, both the Kim's and Pellegrini's set out to explore the city together. A trip to Kyeongju was also undertaken. The photos below are just a few of the hundreds that were clicked by the numerous digital cameras that came along for the trip.

Everyone that the Pellegrini's met was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The city of Pusan is a lot of fun, especially when you have friends and family to show you around. Both families had a wonderful time together! The Pellegrini's now hope that the Kim's will be able to make it to Vermont in the near future so that they will be able to return the favor.

2005-10-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

After a long day of being a tourist, Mama Ahn demands that the van head back to Pusan for dinner.

2005-10-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

The main temple in Kyeongju has an enormous, and very impressive, front gate.

2005-10-23T00:54:00.000-07:00

Our families took a trip to Kyeongju. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to some very impressive temples. One of the main attractions is a Buddah that is displayed in an impressive room that's carved into the side of the mountain. This is a picture of some people that Yong-nam and Christopher love very much.
(l-r: Yong-nam's father and mother, Christopher's mother and father).

Back in Business!

2005-10-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Blogger is now allowing me to post photos again, so I'm going to put a bunch of the ones taken during the fam's first couple of days in Korea. There should be more coming soon. If it doesn't work, then I'll just start a new blog and link to it from this one.

2005-10-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

After a long day at the cliffs, the UN Cemetery, the department store, and just about everywhere in between, the van heads back to the hotel. This is Kate's last attempt at pretending that she's still listening to what people are talking about before cashing out.

2005-10-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dad and Mom. About 250 feet above where the cliffs meet the ocean. It was windy, so Mom is wearing Dad's blazer. Good fit.

2005-10-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yong-nam and her two moms at the sculpture park outside the UN Cemetery in Pusan.

Bright and Early

2005-10-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

The morning after arriving, the seamstress visited the Grand Hotel. She displayed the fabric of, and took measurements for, the hanbok that she would be hand-sewing over the next four days (nearly without sleeping!) Mom, Dad, and Kate were all fitted.

2005-10-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad. This is a picture from the van ride. Everyone went from Kimhae (Pusan) airport to the Grand Hotel in a van driven by Papa Kim's friend. This picture was taken about 15 minutes after the Kim's and Pellegrini's were first introduced.

2005-10-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Scott and Kate. Tired, but holding up just fine.

2005-10-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Chris and Mama Ahn (Kim).

2005-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Chris and Papa Kim.

2005-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Chris and the van driver.

Uploading Problem

2005-09-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

The wedding was a huge success, and everyone had a wonderful time! Unfortunately, this website isn't allowing us to upload photos at the moment. We hope to be able to share them soon! We will keep on trying!

2005-09-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon. Yong-ho doing his big sister's hair. Seated behind them is Yong-ho's girlfriend, Hyeon-ju. Christopher's family will arrive tomorrow evening from the United States, so today will be a day of continued preparations, and last-minute attention to detail.

2005-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Christopher and Yong-nam in traditional Korean hanbok. It's made of silk and is very comfortable. Red is the color traditionally worn by the bride. Yong-nam's gown is floor-length when standing.

2005-09-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Family picture. Seated in front are Yong-nam's parents, Kim Myeong-jo and An Haeng-deok. The family name is listed first in Korea. Also, women do not traditionally take their husband's family name when they get married. Yong-nam's mother's surname is pronounced like the English word 'on'. Kneeling in back are Yong-ho, Yong-nam, and Christopher.

Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)

2005-09-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight there will be a full moon. That means it's Chuseok, a day filled with family, food, and paying respect to the souls of relatives who have passed away.

Chuseok is a once-a-year holiday, but this type of memorial-celebration occurs four times a year for the Kim family. New Year's Day and Chuseok are two of the important days that require nearly a full day of cooking to get ready. The other two important days are the memorials that mark the anniversary of the passing of Mr. Kim's mother and father.

We took a few family pictures after a short, private, memorial service for Kim Jae-in and Kim Cha-yang, Yong-nam's grandparents (on her father's side).

This afternoon we will visit Mr. Kim's oldest uncle for lunch, and then we will host his younger brother's family for dinner. Posted above are some of the photos from this morning.

2005-09-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Old-school photo. This was the only stretch of road in the area that didn't have a tree lying across it. The typhoon that blew through here last week was impressively strong. Chris had to get out of the van a couple of times to pull tress out of the way. Not the easiest thing to do in a tux!

2005-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yong-nam. All of the good pictures are of her. The vast majority of people who have seen these photos in Pusan agree that this is not a coincidence.

2005-09-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Champagne. These photos were taken with our digital camera, so they're not nearly as good as the ones in the photo album will be. One of the photographer's assistants took this one for us.

Photo Shoot for the Wedding Album

2005-09-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

One custom that is alive and well in Korea (as well as in a couple of other countries) is the wedding album. This is not the same wedding album that mom and dad have back in the states. This is a full shoot for the bride and groom before the big day. It's an all-day ordeal. It involves about 15 costume changes, and at least as many set changes.

Yong-nam looked fantastic, and Chris looked a bit like a stand-in for the real husband-to-be.

Posted above are a few of the photos from the shoot.

2005-09-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Kelly and Chris returned to Pusan, via Tokyo on August 22. Kelly went directly to Pusan as her father was having surgery the next day. Chris followed a week later. Plans are being finalized at a rapid pace, including the one that has Kate, Lucy and Ray all wearing the traditional Korean hanbok. There will be numerous pictures. Stay tuned...

Bristol Visit

2005-08-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

A picture from Dan Eling's visit to Tokyo in August, 2004.

August 21st, 2005

Kelly and Chris are about to head back to Japan after spending 10 days in the states. They came back on the 10th for Matt Boulanger and Kate Nugent's wedding on the Cape, and they've spent the last week relaxing on East Street in Bristol.

This week they will head to Pusan to start getting ready for the wedding on the 25th of September. They have a lot of work to do, but everything should run smoothly after they get a little bit of research done.