🌏 Life in Korea | Living with My American Husband 🌏 Language: 🇰🇷 KR | 🇺🇸 EN We’re a Korean–American couple who got married in Korea May 2024 . We decided to hold only a Korean ceremony, while celebrating separately with our U.S. family with a nice dinner and photos later. Because of that, the entire process followed Korean wedding customs , which felt quite foreign to my husband. It was my first time, too, but I at least had some idea of what to expect from my friends and family. He, on the other hand, had never been exposed to how that process works in Korea — so everything felt new. For anyone preparing a wedding with an American or otherwise-foreign spouse unfamiliar with Korean wedding culture , I’m sharing our full wedding timeline and practical tips by stage based on our real experience.
Preparing for a Korean Wedding with My American Husband, Part 2: A Complete Guide to Wedding Photoshoot & Ceremony Preparation
5. 4–7 Months Before: Wedding Studio Shoot — The Day-Of
① 7:00 AM — Hair & Makeup
The studio shoot day is as hectic as the wedding day itself. Our session started at 11:00 AM, so we had to arrive at the hair & makeup studio by 7:00 AM. Expect a tightly packed schedule that runs almost minute-by-minute.
If you have an American spouse, there’s a high chance you’ll be interpreting in real time. In the chaos, juggling translation can make both of you extra sensitive — an easy recipe for little arguments. Share the full day flow the night before to keep things calm.
At the makeup studio, you’ll put on gowns labeled with your names and wait to be called. Because staff call people by name, remind your husband to listen carefully for his name and follow directions.
While you’re getting your hair & makeup done, a helper from the dress shop will arrive with the rental gowns. Since you, your husband, and the helper will be moving with 3–4 dresses, pre-book a large taxi/van. If you can’t get a taxi that morning, the whole schedule can unravel.
② 10:00 AM — Pick Up Suit & Head to the Studio
After hair & makeup, take a taxi to your husband’s rental shop to pick up the suit, then head straight to the studio.
Because transitions are tight, time can get squeezed quickly. It helps enormously if the makeup studio → suit rental → photo studio are geographically close, so that you can plan an efficient route from one place to the next.
③ 11:00 AM — Studio Shoot
At the studio, you’ll greet the lead photographer/director and get abrief on the day’s flow. Share your dress list so they can sequence outfits by set and mood. Your husband’s outfits will probably be sequenced to match your dresses.
The helper will assist with your dress changes, but your husband must manage his own outfits, including accessories. Make sure he knows that ahead of time, if he's not already assuming it.
Korean weddings tend to be bride-centered, and for a foreign spouse who doesn’t speak much Korean, there’s a lot to manage solo. (To be honest, I didn’t have the mental bandwidth to help him much that day… 😂)
[Posing & Expression Tips]
In studio photos, facial expression matters most. The director will fine-tune your poses, and minor lines or lumps can be retouched later — but expressions cannot!
If you struggle with “model face,” just smile brightly. Practicing smiles in the mirror beforehand really helps. I’m great at a big toothy grin, but my subtle smile looked awkward — I excluded those cuts during selection. 😅
Our session took about 4 hours. Some couples spend 6+ hours, but our scenery-forward studio moved fairly quickly. After a hectic morning, simply following directions made the experience surprisingly easy and even fun.
[A Friend’s Help Goes a Long Way]
Having my closest friend on site was a lifesaver. Even with a professional helper, a trusted friend can steady the mood, take behind-the-scenes photos, and assist your husband.
If you’re shooting with a foreign spouse, invite one friend who knows both of you well.
A quick snapshot with the friend who helped on our studio day
[Studio Day Timeline + Heads-up for an American Husband]
07:00: Arrive at hair & makeup studio / store bags and wait 👉 Put on the gowns with your names and wait to be called
07:00–10:00: Hair & makeup in sequence 👉 Because staff call the bride and groom separately, remind your husband to listen for his name
10:00–11:00: Suit rental → pick up outfit → head to studio 👉 Pre-book a large taxi/van — trying to hail a taxi on-the-spot can delay everything
11:00–15:00: Studio photoshoot 👉 Emphasize that he manages his own outfits (changes, accessories, etc.)
6. 5–6 Months Before the Wedding: Photography, Videography, Family Makeup & Parents’ Hanbok
① Booking Wedding-Day Photography & Videography
Because we had a small wedding, the physical structure of the venue was a bit different from a typical wedding hall. That meant that if we hired an external photo/video vendor, we’d have to handle more logistics — site visits, layout checks, and extra coordination.
In the end, we decided to go with the photo & video team partnered with our wedding hall. Their portfolio quality was solid, the budget fit perfectly within our plan, and it saved us a lot of stress — so the decision was easy.
Wedding planning is essentially a series of decisions. If you pour too much energy into every single one, you’ll burn out quickly. The key is to focus when it matters and let go when it doesn’t. That’s how you keep the process joyful over many months.
② Family Hair & Makeup
Much of my family had to travel in from the countryside early in the morning, so their schedule was quite tight. Instead of stopping by a salon, we checked whether the wedding venue had its own makeup room and eventually booked a mobile makeup service that came directly to the site.
Since my husband’s U.S. family couldn’t attend, we only arranged for the Korean side’s makeup. But if American family members had joined, minimizing travel time would have been essential. Moving around too much in an unfamiliar country can be exhausting, so keep the schedule simple and comfortable for older guests.
I found our stylist by searching Instagram for keywords like “혼주 메이크업 (mother-of-the-bride makeup).” After comparing pricing, date availability, and service areas, we made the booking. For reference, around late 2023 to early 2024, women’s makeup cost about ₩160,000 and men’s ₩10,000–₩20,000 — but prices have likely increased slightly since then.
③ Parents’ Hanbok & Family Outfits
Since only my Korean family attended our wedding, I rented a traditional hanbok for my mom and covered the outfit costs for my sister’s family. My dad insisted on re-wearing the same suit from my sister’s wedding — he didn’t want me to spend more money. 😅 I think he was just being a caring dad, worried about his youngest daughter’s wedding expenses.
We rented my mom's hanbok from a shop with good reviews near our home for about ₩250,000. The soft pink design looked absolutely beautiful on her. She was genuinely happy with it, and I could tell she felt confident and radiant that day.
When I saw her fully dressed — makeup done, hair neatly styled, and wearing her hanbok — she truly looked stunning. It was one of those moments I’ll remember forever.
My mom, glowing in her soft pink hanbok on our wedding day 💕
7. 3–4 Months Before the Wedding: Invitations, MC/Speeches/Song, & Honeymoon Prep
① Designing & Printing Invitations
About four months before the wedding is a good time to start on your invitations. Since most couples begin in-person invitation meetups roughly three months prior, it’s ideal to have both your mobile and paper invitations ready by then.
We produced two versions — Korean and English. Because we were hosting a small wedding and needed to share different language versions with each side's family and friends, we ordered the minimum print quantity. Even so, we still had extras. If you expect to rely mostly on a mobile invite, keep paper quantities minimal.
Once the box of invitations arrives, it’s officially “invitation season.” Time to meet people, hand out invitations, and say thank you in person.
[Korean–American Invitation Tips]
Prepare two versions: Korean and English.
Order the minimum paper quantity (lean on your mobile invitation).
We prepared both Korean and English versions
② MC, Speech, & Song
During this stage, you’ll invite the people who will help run the ceremony. You can request a professional MC through the venue or ask a friend — it’s entirely your choice.
We asked a colleague of mine who’s great on the mic to be our MC. Since we were collaborating closely on a project at the time, communication was easy, and he kindly said yes.
For the congratulatory speech and song, we asked a close friend and my cousin. Because they’re important to both of us, having them participate made the ceremony even more special. In that sense, this step wasn’t just “booking helpers” — it was also a chance to reflect on and appreciate our closest relationships.
A heartfelt congratulatory speech from our closest friend
A sweet song from my cousin
My colleague kindly served as MC
③ Honeymoon Planning
We traveled a few months after the wedding because of my husband’s academic calendar. If you’re leaving right after the ceremony, start planning much earlier.
My husband took the lead on the honeymoon. When you plan a Korean wedding, the Korean partner usually handles more of the logistics. It’s easy to feel like you’re doing everything yourself.
To balance things out, we recommend assigning the honeymoon — which is easier to research in English — to the American spouse. It lightens the emotional load and naturally brings them deeper into the planning process.
[Tip for Korean–American Couples]
Let your American spouse lead the honeymoon research & booking in English.
8. 1 Month Before: Ceremony/Reception Dresses · Program & MC Script · Thank-You Gifts
① Choosing Your Ceremony & Reception Dresses
About one month before the wedding, visit the dress shop again to choose your ceremony dress. Unlike the dress tour for the wedding photo studio shoot, photos are usually allowed this time. It’s much easier to reference what worked well during your wedding photo studio shoot while making your decision.
I loved both sleek silk silhouettes and a fuller gowns. In a typical wedding hall venue, the bride waits and takes photos with guests in a separate bridal waiting room, so they don't really need to move around much. Because I planned to move around freely to meet guests as they arrived, I was only interested in slim-fit dresses, and tried on four. All were nice, but one quickly became everyone’s unanimous pick—the decision was made faster than expected.
My husband told me that, where he's from, it's considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding ceremony. He's not particularly superstitious, so this didn't really bother him, but he did mention it as something to consider.
Tried on four; Dress #2 was the clear winner
For the reception dress, I bought online instead of renting. It was far cheaper than a rental, and I loved the idea of wearing it again for our first anniversary photos. (In reality, I was pregnant around our anniversary so that plan didn’t pan out… ☺️ Still, no regrets!)
Reception dress purchased online
② Program & MC Script (Korean/English)
Finalize your program about two weeks before the wedding. Decide whether to follow a standard flow or customize it to fit your story.
We changed the order slightly: instead of both mothers lighting candles together, my husband entered with my mom, and my dad and I entered afterward. If my in-laws had been able to attend from the U.S., we would have included a candle-lighting moment of our moms together — something we missed.
Entrance: my mom with the groom
Entrance: my dad with me
We created a bilingual program (KR/EN). Once that was set, we drafted the MC script in both Korean and English and shared it with our MC. At first, we didn’t realize we had to prepare both the program and MC script — but the venue explained these are the couple’s responsibilities.
Thankfully, the venue provided samples for both, which made editing easy. For the English version, my husband and I translated line by line; honestly, if I were doing it now, I’d generate a draft with ChatGPT and just edit to save time.
[Sample Bilingual Program for a Korean–American Wedding]
Opening Statements | 개식 선언
Groom’s Entrance | 신랑 입장
Bride’s Entrance | 신부 입장
Harmony (Bow) | 맞절
Marriage Vows | 혼인 서약
Ring Bearer’s Entrance | 화동 입장
Ring Exchange | 반지 교환
Declaration of Marriage | 성혼 선언
Congratulatory Speech | 축사
Wedding Song | 축가
Raffle Event | 이벤트 (this is not a standard part of a Korean wedding; we wanted to do something to give the guests a chance to participate more actively)
Giving Thanks | 감사 인사
Recessional | 행진
Closing Statements | 폐식사
Photo Shoot | 사진 촬영
Lunch | 점심 식사
③ Booking Thank-You Gifts
We weren't leaving for our honeymoon right away, so we planned to deliver thank-you gifts the week after the wedding. That meant we pre-booked and ordered them beforehand.
Choose anything that fits your taste and budget. We went with handmade cookies for a simple reason: “because they’re delicious!” 🍪 Amid all the big decisions, these small choices were surprisingly fun and stress-free.
✋ Hold on!
I originally wrote the full one-year timeline of preparing a Korean wedding with my American husband in a single post. But it ended up way too long… so I decided to divide it into three parts.
The next part will cover wedding day schedule, and what to do right after the ceremony!
This article is the English version on Today 1 Step.
🌏 Life in Korea | Living with My American Husband
Daily life in Korea as a mixed-nationality family.
The real problems we run into, how we solve them, and what it actually takes to build a life here long-term.
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