Jun-hyeong tries to ask his friend, Jang Min-woo, about the first step to getting married. Min-woo tells him to step back and let Na-eun take the lead, but Jun-hyeong, wanting Na-eun to be the happiest bride, plans to take his fair share of responsibility. Hui-seon has her own guidance on the matter, telling Na-eun that the meeting of the couple’s parents is the important first step in a marriage. When Na-eun and Jun-hyeong meet up later, they’ve both got their minds on the meeting of their parents. Jun-hyeong’s even found the perfect restaurant, so they set the date for next week. When Na-eun informs her parents, her mum jumps into overdrive, trying to choose an outfit while inquiring after housing, wedding gifts and dowries. According to her, the first meeting is akin to warfare, and she resolves to make the first blow. Meanwhile, Jun-hyeong brings his mum a bribe of her favourite macaroons and asks her to stay quiet and smile during the meeting. She finds this more than a little insulting. The next day, Hui-seon cautions Na-eun to keep the dinner talk away from details like wedding gifts and dowries. Na-eun also frets over Jun-hyeong’s inability to keep his cool under pressure (think back to his proposal mishaps and you’ll get the idea). The night before the meeting, Na-eun – worried about her mum’s tendency to overreact and Jun-hyeong’s mum’s intensity – devises a series of signs to allow the couple to diffuse any arising tension. The meeting arrives, and it’s more like a chain of very, very close calls. The mums get on each other’s nerves, and Jun-hyeong misses signs and cues. Thankfully, when an argument almost ensues over which mum will be involved in the wedding planning, Jun-hyeong gives a moving speech that convinces everyone to leave it to the couple themselves. When it’s all over, Jun-hyeong’s mum even welcomes Na-eun into her family. The couple is confident that the worst is over and the ball is in their court. Less confident is Na-eun’s mum, who comments on the ability of finances to make or break a marriage and worries whether the couple has considered wedding costs. Her husband assures her that they must surely have it all figured out.
The Episode Review
Welcome to Wedding Hell delivers a second episode even more enjoyable than its first. Na-eun’s practicality balances Jun-hyeong’s naivety in a fun dynamic, though I can’t help but worry that this will be a point of contention for them later. Na-eun’s parents are chaotic and completely loveable. Kim Mi-kyung is a welcome addition to any drama’s cast, and she continues to shine here as Na-eun’s opiniated and cheeky mum. Lim Ha-ryong as Na-eun’s dad also has great comedic timing, and his deadpan facial expressions take the cake. We end with some foreboding as Na-eun’s parents discuss the couple’s financial sensibilities. The next episode preview confirms that the lovebirds are more clueless than anyone would have guessed, and that’ll definitely make for an entertaining new hurdle.
