The mothers of the bride and groom
(together called 양가 어머님) wear hanboks that usually match. They enter the venue together and typically do a ceremony like lighting a candle or pouring water into one plant to symbolize the two families joining together.
Our wedding photos were done by Lorryn Smit
Though they traditionally wear hanboks that are identical in style, they differ in color.
The Mother of the Groom (신랑어머니) wears shades of blue,
while the Mother of the Bride (신부어머니) wears shades of red/pink.
Why these colors?
Besides the obvious and perhaps outdated idea that blue is for boys and pink is for girls, there is a deeper meaning.
One idea is that the blue symbolizes the sadness the parents feel sending their children away from the home and to marriage. Perhaps the pink is the anger of seeing their beautiful daughter getting whisked away by a man.
But that’s just folk talk :)
The real reason lies behind
음기 (yin) and 양기 (yang)
the two cosmic forces that represent balance in the universe. 음기 (yin) is negative cosmic energy. It is darkness, cold, healing, relaxation and lunar. It is a feminine energy, represented by blue color.
양기 (yang) is positive cosmic energy. It is enthusiasm, brightness, heat, active energy, and solar. It is a masculine energy, represented by red color.
The Mother of the Groom
(신랑어머니) wears blue -
the feminine energy color - because her son lacks 음기.
The Mother of the Bride
(신부어머니) wears red/pink -
the masculine energy color - to provide her daughter with some extra 양기 for their wedding day!
Nowadays, mothers might choose to wear other colors according to personal tastes, but most follow the usual color schemes, with some individualized designs if they so choose.
양가 어머니! 입장!
