Is It Normal in Korea?! Walking Down the Aisle with the Veil Up is Apparently Acceptable

Isn't veil down done in Korea...？

At the ceremony, the mother helps with the veil down, and the bride walks down the aisle with her father.

It's a well-known story that veil down symbolizes protection from evil and signifies the final preparations made by the mother who wishes for the bride's happiness and safety.

While this custom originated overseas, many brides in Japan opt for a veil down in both Shinto-style ceremonies and free-style ceremonies. I thought that was the norm.

But...

When I was looking at Korean weddings on Instagram, it seems that there are not many brides who do veil down...!

Although the veil is worn, I learned that many brides let it hang down like a train from the beginning, entering while keeping their faces visible, linking arms with their fathers.

In other words, there is no veil down ceremony by the mother!

I had the vague thought that "the veil is something to wear down the aisle, and that the groom lifts it up." However...

It seems that this kind of culture is not very common in Korea, making it a somewhat strange sight to me＊

Like this＊

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

【👴🏻👰🏻‍♀】

Korean YouTuber couples too＊

I also checked out wedding videos from Korean YouTuber couples, and again, they walked down the aisle with their faces visible without lowering the veil.

I think religion might play a part, but for the majority who are non-religious, it seems that this is the standard style＊

(first YouTuber)

Bride and father’s entrance scene 3:57～

(second YouTuber)

Bride and father’s entrance scene 4:14～

(third YouTuber)

Bride and father’s entrance scene 6:44～

(fourth YouTuber)

Bride and father’s entrance scene 5:41～

In the first place, the ceremony venue is not a chapel＊

Earlier I touched on the possibility of religion being a factor, but in fact, the typical venue for weddings in Korea is not a chapel.

In Japan, it is common for wedding halls or hotels to have chapels attached, but in Korea, it is standard to have the ceremony in a wedding-specific venue (ceremonial hall).

There is an aisle, but it certainly isn’t a chapel, right?

(By the way, it seems that only those who practice Christianity have ceremonies in a church in Korea...!)

Therefore, it might be that many brides do not wear a veil, which is believed to purify the bride and protect her according to Christian beliefs.

Additionally, in the flow of the ceremony, it seems that the parents of both families walk down the aisle to applause from the guests before the entrance of the bride and groom...!

As for attire, while black formal wear is standard in Japan, in Korea, the mother of the groom wears a light blue hanbok, and the mother of the bride wears a pink hanbok.

So it seems that the custom of having the mother do veil down is not as standard as in Japan.

It turns out that it’s okay not to wear a veil＊

I thought that when walking down the aisle with the father during the ceremony, wearing a veil was an absolute must. But learning that it’s not the case in Korea was a refreshing discovery!

It seems fine to enter without a veil during a chapel-style ceremony, but in a free-style ceremony where vows of love are exchanged in front of guests, it’s also okay to keep the veil up＊＊＊