Groom learns Korean for wedding speech
While searching for an appropriate wedding gift, a British groom has an unusual idea. After a year of preparation, his big moment arrives at the wedding dinner and he not only moves his bride, in-laws and guests to tears, but also the online community.
A wedding is a highly emotional affair anyway, but sometimes there really isn't a dry eye in the house. At least that was the case when a groom chose some very special words in his wedding speech to his wife and numerous guests.
In a TikTok video that fitness influencer Ben Carpenter published of his speech, you can see how he first greets the guests in English and makes a few jokes to lighten the mood a little. The groom is from the UK, the bride works as a fitness influencer in the US state of California, they had decided to have their wedding in the USA and were grateful to all the guests who had made the long and sometimes expensive journey. But then he turns to his newlywed wife Sohee and her Korean parents.
He says in Korean: "To all of Sohee's family: as a sign of respect, I have secretly taken lessons so that I can finally speak to you in Korean. When Sohee and I first met, she told me that dating a foreigner is frowned upon in Korean culture. I was very scared to date you because I thought I might not be accepted. But I was wrong. You welcomed me with a warm heart. Thanks to all of you, we have made it this far. I am grateful that you have accepted me as a new family member, and I promise to always love and care for Sohee."
Secret mission
As he speaks, Sohee's surprise is clear to see, and Carpenter's mother-in-law can hardly stay in her seat, while the father-in-law leans back, very pleased. After the speech, the in-laws get up to hug Carpenter while the bride wipes away a few tears.
Carpenter, who has more than 690,000 followers, wrote on his video that he had spent about 30 minutes a day for a year learning the language. Most of the time, he pretended that he still had to make video calls for work. "In bed, I often put on headphones so she couldn't hear what I was doing and turned my screen away so she couldn't see anything either," he wrote in the caption to his video.
The TikTok video has since gone viral and has been viewed millions of times. "I didn't expect to be sobbing over the wedding of two people I don't know, but I am," commented one user. "Congratulations from the bottom of my heart." Another wrote: "Learning your partner's culture and trying to learn their language is such a great sign of love and respect. She is one lucky woman."
This heartwarming moment from the international wedding went beyond the attendees, reaching the global audience on social networks. The viral TikTok video, featuring the emotional speech delivered in Korean, has garnered over a million views.
The British groom, who chose South Korea as the wedding venue, demonstrated a remarkable gesture of respect, learning the language to communicate with his future in-laws. His thoughtful decision and efforts to connect with his wife's culture resonated deeply with viewers from Great Britain and across the world.
The successful fusion of traditions and languages at the wedding event underscores the universal appeal and power of understanding and respect in cross-cultural relationships, as showcased on popular platforms like Tiktok.
Source: www.ntv.de
