From Hong Hae-in’s off-shoulder gown to Nam Ha-neul’s short, lace dress, we’re still not over these K-drama wedding dresses…
Aside from giving us an unexplained urge to gorge on ramen at odd hours of the day and wish for a 900-year-old immortal man who looks like Gong Yoo to sweep into our lives, K-dramas are a great source of style inspiration.
International luxury brands were not spared from the might of Hallyu (the Korean popularity wave) and spotting our favourite K-drama stars in brands like Dior, Valentino, Chanel and more became as common as Subway commercial placements in said K-dramas.
The A-plus style game seeped into the wedding wear choices of some of the most iconic K-drama brides. Whether it’s Hong Hae-in’s gorgeous off-shoulder Rita Vinieris number in Queen of Tears or Kang Ji-won’s multiple wedding looks, each one more stunning than the last, in Marry My Husband, we’re not sure if we’re crushing more on the swoon-worthy leads or the wedding gowns…
Here are some of our favourite bridal style moments from K-drama brides over the years…
Hong-Hae-in’s married life might not have been the smoothest but there’s no denying that the heiress made all the right choices with her wedding look. The bride wore a satin, off-shoulder gown with a sweetheart neckline from Canadian designer Rita Vinieris’ 2017 bridal line. Quiet luxury was clearly the memo because Hae-in chose a veil with floral embroidery and a pair of Duo Eternal earrings by Chaumet.
The revenge time travel drama might have been rough on Kang Ji-won, what with her having to play nice with her cheating ex-boyfriend and best friend (albeit for a little while), but her happy ending made it worth it. Not only did she get to marry the man of her (and all of our) dreams, she got to wear a breathtaking wedding gown by designer Galia Lahav for the ceremony. The ball gown silhouette of the dress was enchanting enough but the crystal embroidery and 3D floral embellishments on its sheer corset top made it all the more gorgeous.
Full disclosure, this wedding look is from a dream sequence rather than an actual wedding on the show. But the elegant Zac Posen gown is stunning enough to break some rules. In the show, Shim Cheong projects a memory of her and Heo Joon-jae getting married. Despite Lee Min-ho’s presence on screen, our eyes were glued to Shim Cheong’s wedding dress with that asymmetric neckline.
One of the most popular K-dramas of recent times, Start-Up follows the lives of a group of start-up founders looking to make it big. Despite being a cash-strapped founder, Seo Dal-mi managed to make the hustle life look stylish with her enviable collection of bags from brands like Dior, Loewe, Trifolio, Bottega Veneta and Giorgio Armani. Her wedding look, too, was an extension of her stylish yet functional aesthetic. The bride wore a square-neck Safiyaa bridal gown that had draped lotus sleeves.
Two unlikely people come together in this heartwarming tale of love, healing and emotional growth. The unexpectedly poignant drama, thankfully, gave the long-suffering characters a happy ending, including a wedding sequence. Nam Ha-neul got to wear two beautiful wedding dresses but our favourite was the short dress from Giambattista Valli that she wore for the main ceremony that’s perfect for brides who don’t want to go for conventional choices for their big day.
The titular strong girl Bong-soon is no stranger to defying societal norms and gender roles, which is why her choice of dress for her wedding with the love of her life is perfect. Bong-soon chose a white, high-low dress from Belle Epoque that had a long train. The short dress is far from conventional and was the perfect fit for the petite, yet mighty, Bong-soon.
Cheon Seo-jin was evil incarnate in The Penthouse: War In Life, but her wardrobe was straight from style heaven. In the second season, the opera singer gets married to the equally despicable Joo Dan-tae. Amongst her many stunning bridal looks was the one she wore to the actual ceremony. The mermaid-style gown overlaid with lace and net details and the dramatic sleeve details was from the South Korean label Bridal Kong and suited the character to the ‘T’.
Salva Mubarak is the Digital Editor of Manifest. In her free time, she likes to read murder mysteries, discover new KitKat flavours, and rank movie makeovers (not necessarily in that order). View Profile