# Random questions about weddings **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 15, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757 "2011-03-15T06:24:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/101 "2011-03-17T15:18:25Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > I’d like to give my children the option of Korean citizenship - if we have a son and he doesn’t want to do military service, he can just give up his Korean citizenship when he turns 19. Korea now offers the option of dual citizenship for children with at least one Korean parent . . . although I don’t know what happens if I have a kid after I renounce my Korean citizenship (which I might have to do eventually when we settle down in the UK). Be mindful of the compulsory service laws for any sons you have–it’s not always possible to avoid service by renouncing citizenship. > [@doreen](#): > > I think what Pleonast is talking about is having the ceremony and a reception in on place and a reception only in the other. Is there any benefit to having two separate ceremonies - does either country not recognize marriages which take place in the other? Do the benefits that come with being married to a Korean citizen require that the marriage take place in Korea - they might not as long as Korea recognizes the foreign marriage. No, I mean the whole thing, wedding and reception, at both venues. But without the paperwork signing at one. The paperwork is usually done privately after the ceremony; guests won’t know the difference. (Of course, I’m of the opinion that the public vows is what makes a marriage binding, not the legal papers signed, but I’m old-fashioned that way.) But you bring up the point I was trying to make: my marriage in the US is recognized as a valid marriage in Korea, in terms of employment (at least that is my understanding, I’ve never tried to work there). But since we didn’t marry in Korea, I’m not on the family record and our children will not be added to it. I and our children will not be Korean citizens, which denies us some rights but also removes some responsibilities. If our minds change in the future, we’ll register the marriage at that time. > [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > It’s easier to go the “only ceremony, no paperwork” route in Korea, because the ceremony and the paperwork are two completely different things (you don’t need a registered officiant to conduct the ceremony, for example). But we have no problem with having two official ceremonies. My officiant was the president of the local bank. That was a culture shock for my side of the family. But anyway, enough of this hijack. I wanted to make sure you were aware of your choices in terms of registering the marriage. Back to talking about the weddings. 😃 I second going with a white dress not designed to be a wedding gown. Get something off the rack, and then get it altered to fit well and add a little lace or ribbons or whatever to suit your taste. It will look good and be much more affordable. (Just don’t tell your seamstress it’s for a wedding until after you’ve agreed on a price.) ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/102 "2011-03-17T20:06:03Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > And I don’t care what anyone says about strapless dreesses with floufy skirts - I know I looked beautiful 😃 Hee! Oh, I’m not going to disagree with that – my dress turned out to be strapless with floofy skirts and I did look beautiful. It’s more that I had this idea that I’d be this awesomely indie bride in the slinky white dress that just happened to cost only $200… but it turned out that, well, for one thing it turns out I look crappy in slinky white J. Crew dresses, and gorgeous in floofy David Bridal’s strapless 🙂 > [@](#): > > I saved money on shoes, on the grounds no-one would see them under the dress (they were lovely shoes, but they were inexpensive high street ones) and my veil, which I got off ebay for £15, and which matched my dress perfectly - something which none of the hugely expensive ones in the bridal shop did! I wore sneakers. This is definitely one advantage of the poofy dress. It was great, easy on my poor flat feet, and saved my self-image of the indie bride a bit 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/103 "2011-03-18T01:29:03Z")
Ok, ok, I’ll give those poofy dresses a chance. 😃 Comfy shoes definitely seem like a must, although my mom would be horrified if she knew I was wearing sneakers at my own wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/104 "2011-03-18T02:03:16Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Ok, ok, I’ll give those poofy dresses a chance. 😃 > > Comfy shoes definitely seem like a must, although my mom would be horrified if she knew I was wearing sneakers at my own wedding. They don’t have to be sneakers to be comfy. Decently supportive sandals worked just fine, and I imagine ballet flats or something would be fine too. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/105 "2011-03-18T02:18:14Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Ok, ok, I’ll give those poofy dresses a chance. 😃 > > Comfy shoes definitely seem like a must, although my mom would be horrified if she knew I was wearing sneakers at my own wedding. Me and my mom had a throw-down fight right in the shoe department of Macy’s. I’m not sure if we’ve ever raised our voices to each other since I was teenager, except over this! YOU CAN’T WEAR SNEAKERS! BUT MOM NO ONE WILL SEE THEM. AND THEY’RE ALMOST FLATS. YOU WONT FEEL RIGHT DON’T TELL ME HOW I’M GOING TO FEEL!! etc. I wore embroidered Sketchers, hybrid sneaker-flats. Like [these](http://www.skechers.com/style/21048/bikers-surreal/tpe#Color=SLW), except they were actually embroidered attractively. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/106 "2011-03-18T03:29:40Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Be mindful of the compulsory service laws for any sons you have–it’s not always possible to avoid service by renouncing citizenship… I’m not sure South Korea even allows men to renounce their citizenship before they’re served in the military. Also I’ve heard “Eurasian” (ie those with a European parent) males are exempt from the draft; is that really true? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/107 "2011-03-18T04:17:35Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I’m not sure South Korea even allows men to renounce their citizenship before they’re served in the military. Also I’ve heard “Eurasian” (ie those with a European parent) males are exempt from the draft; is that really true? My brother, who was born in the US, renounced his Korean citizenship when he was 18 and therefore did not have to serve in the military. He is still able to come and go as he pleases; he just needs a visa to do so. The law about mixed-race Koreans is very old-fashioned. It states that if your appearance clearly marks you as half-Korean, you are barred from serving with the Korean military. They’re trying to change it, but who knows when that will happen. That’s a good point though - unless the law changes within the next couple of decades or so, any children we had wouldn’t be allowed to join the Korean army even if they wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757/108 "2011-03-18T09:04:07Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > My dress was made out of a blue silk sari with silver embroidery. The seamstress tried and tried to convince me that I wouldn’t feel bridal if I wasn’t wearing white, but I decided in the end that I waned to wear something fabulous, period, and white just didn’t feel like, well, me. > > Do whatever makes you happy! How many chances do you get to wear something fabulous like that? I’d love to see a picture of that dress! Do you feel comfortable posting one? It sounds gorgeous!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-questions-about-weddings/574757.md?page=5)