North Koreans in general hold wedding ceremonies at their homes. Pyongyang has "wedding restaurants" and some people observe matrimonial ceremonies at large restaurants, but those who do so are quite limited in number.

No prescribed procedures exist for wedding ceremonies. The authorities have abolished traditional customs like the exchange of greetings between the bride and bridegroom on the grounds that they are ancient practices. Still some homes let the bride and groom exchange greetings, but the ceremonies usually consist merely of sharing meals laid on the table with the Western suit-dressed groom and a bride dressed in traditional Korean clothes sitting at the table. Compared with their counterparts in the South, the North's wedding ceremonies are comparatively dull.

Parents in the North, suffering from a scarcity of goods, undergo tremendous hardship getting their children married. In Hamgyong provinces, in particular, where customs call for brides to prepare everything needed for the newlywed life, parents of brides-to-be have to worry a lot. Bride families, however poor they may be, have to provide a wardrobe, cupboard and two quilts at a minimum. These cost between NKW1,500 and NKW2,000, where a worker’s monthly wage averages NKW80-NKW100. Bridegroom families have virtually nothing to prepare for newly married couples, since houses are allocated by the state.

Many discharged servicemen in their late 20s or 30s marry through matchmakers, but most young people marry for love. Practices of having fortune-tellers predict one's marital harmony or select propitious dates for wedding have increased since the 1990s.

While the bride prepares all goods needed for the newlywed life, the groom almost entirely takes charge of the wedding ceremony, which takes place at his home. On the wedding day, the groom goes to the bride's home to fetch her. A table of elaborate food awaits him at the bride's home, when the groom arrives there carrying a box of gifts, accompanied by a few friends. Usually placed on the table are a pair of decorated large cooked chickens, the beaks of which are put into each other's.

When the bridegroom goes to the bride's to fetch her, he generally uses a car lent by a ranking party official. If he fails to get a car, he has to either walk or ride a truck.

Upon arriving at the groom's home, the bride and bridegroom have a photograph taken with relatives and friends in front of a large table laden with food. Placed on the table are piles of decorative candies and bottles of quality liquor. The photo session is followed by a meal for well-wishers. When one's house is not spacious enough to accommodate guests, the groom's family entertains them in their neighbors' rooms or yards. Contributions well-wishers make at a wedding range from NKW10 to NKW50. A new practice has emerged in recent years in which different grades of meals are served to well-wishers according to the sum of money contributed.

The newlywed couple's friends are invited to a separate drinking party when most well-wishers are gone home. The singing of the song, titled, "Long Live the Leader" among others, usually marks the start and end of the party. During the party, however, lots of love songs coming from the South are sung. On the occasion of a wedding, the couple usually takes a 3-6 day-leave, but can hardly contemplate taking a honeymoon tour. Many young people don't even know what honeymooning is all about. Taking several shots of photographs at scenic spots on the way back to the groom's home, accompanied by the bride, is about all that they can do.

(Kang Chol Hwan, nkch@chosun.com )