A Korean friend invited me to their wedding. The invitation doesn't say "bring money," but the other friends were getting white envelopes ready. There's a desk at the entrance of the wedding hall, and people hand over their envelopes there and get a meal ticket. Why is that? ## An Invitation Doesn't Mean "Pay Up" At Korean weddings, the hosts treat their guests to a meal. The more guests there are, the more the meal costs. So, from long ago, neighbors and relatives helped out with the celebration by chipping in a little money. That money is called chukuigeum. The invitation means "Please join us at our celebration," and the envelope is the answer to that heartfelt request. ## Why You Give It at the Entrance When you write your name at the reception desk and hand over your envelope, that list is kept as a record. The bride and groom's families look at this list later to remember who came. The meal ticket is a ticket for counting how many people are eating. So you hand it in at the entrance, before the meal. This record comes back around. The person who received a gift this time will go to that friend's wedding next time and give the kindness back. ## What You Can Use Right Away You can buy the envelope at a convenience store or stationery shop near the wedding hall. It's a good idea to write your name on the front of the envelope. The amount depends on how close you are and can change over time, so if you ask a Korean friend or coworker, "How much do people usually give?" that's the most accurate way to find out. You won't get kicked out for showing up without an envelope. But if you're close, they might feel a little hurt.