Cash gifts, guest lists and early gatherings: Inside Korea’s wedding culture

A Korean wedding often begins long before anyone walks down the aisle.

Weeks before the big day, the bride and groom may find themselves attending gatherings with friends, colleagues and relatives.

Their parents pore over prospective guest lists, busily thinking about seating arrangements, and decide who should make the final invitation list and how the invites should be sent.

At the other end, wedding attendees quietly calculate how much cash to place in the white envelope they will hand over a