Your Korean Wedding Timeline: A Step-by-Step Guide
Hey everyone, it's Dami! Getting married is a huge deal, but man, the planning part can feel overwhelming. Seriously, where do you even start? In Korea, there are so many things to handle, and if you don't get the order right, you'll miss something important. I'm not sure how it is in other countries, but here, it feels like there's always something else to get done.
So, I wanted to put together a timeline for you. This is how most people here tackle wedding planning and what you should be doing at each step, month by month. I even included a simple checklist to help you stay on track.
12 Months Before
Okay, so first things first, you'll want to formally greet your future in-laws. After that, you usually have a big family meeting called Sanggyeollye. This is where everyone meets up and talks about the wedding plans.
Here’s a quick heads-up: Booking a wedding venue is a race. The popular places can get booked up over a year in advance. So, a lot of couples nowadays book the place and the date right after meeting the parents, and then do the formal family meeting later. It's a new thing, but it just shows how important the venue is. It's not like the old days where the families had to agree on every little thing first. Now, the couple's opinion is what really matters.
9-10 Months Before
Once the venue is locked down, you can move on to the next big thing: finding your 스드메 (studio, dress, and makeup) package. This is a huge decision, so give yourselves plenty of time to look around and find what you like. It's also a good time to start researching your honeymoon destination, even if you don't book it just yet.
6-7 Months Before
Now we get to the smaller but still important stuff. You'll want to start looking for the groom's suit and your wedding jewelry. This is also when you need to get serious about your new home—will you rent or buy? And once that's settled, you can start planning for all your new furniture and appliances.
4-5 Months Before
This is the fun part! You can finally book your honeymoon. You also need to schedule your pre-wedding photo shoot to get those perfect pictures. And start thinking about your guest list and getting a rough number of how many people will be coming.
2-3 Months Before
It's time to get the wedding invitations designed and printed. This is also when you’ll need to find your ceremony host, the officiant, and the singer for the special day. Oh, and don't forget to put together the actual ceremony schedule.
1 Month Before
Things get busy! Time for the final fittings for the suit and dress. Make sure your parents have their outfits ready, too. By now, all your new home appliances and furniture should be installed. The invitations need to be sent out, too!
1 Week Before
Just a few final checks! You'll have a rehearsal and one last dress check. The bride will do a hair and makeup rehearsal, and you'll want to send a final schedule to the ceremony host and singer to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Korean Wedding Planning Checklist
| Timeline | To-Do List |
| 12 Months | Meet parents, set date, book venue |
| 9-10 Months | Book S.D.M. package, research honeymoon |
| 6-7 Months | Get suits/jewelry, secure new home, plan furniture/appliances |
| 4-5 Months | Finalize honeymoon, take pre-wedding photos, get headcount |
| 2-3 Months | Design invitations, book host/singer, finalize schedule |
| 1 Month | Final fittings, parents' outfits, set up home, send invitations |
| 1 Week | Final dress check, hair/makeup trial, confirm with host/singer |
| Wedding Day | The big day! |
Final Thoughts
I know it looks like a ton of work, but trust me, you'll get it all done. The most important part is to enjoy the journey and do it together. Sometimes it will be tough, but those moments will just become part of your story. I hope this guide helps you feel a little less stressed.
I’m actually planning my own wedding in just six months, so I'll be sharing my personal timeline with you soon!