The Preparations Of Traditional Chinese Wedding
Bride prices and dowries – The groom-to-be should send the bride price to the groom-to-bes family before the wedding. The bride prices vary in different regions. For example, in Guangdong, they are chicken, coconut, wedding cakes and cash gift. After receiving the bride price, the bride-to-be will send the return gift, the dowries.
The bed setting – Usually one day before the wedding, a commonly known fortunate, blessed person will set the bed with four auspicious nuts including peanust, walnuts, lotus nuts and red dates.
Chinese Wedding Etiquette
Worshipping the ancestors Both the two families will offer sacrifice to the ancestors in an auspicious time.
Eating the Tangyuan, symbolizing a happy, complete family
Wedding Customs In China Your Complete Guide
If youve been invited to a Chinese wedding or are perhaps just curious about wedding customs in China then we have the guide for you.
Find out about Chinese wedding traditions along with modern Chinese wedding customs.
Wedding Customs in China Wedding Vocabulary
PSST want to see Marketing man Max give a wedding speech in Chinese at his friends wedding? Take a look!
Wedding Customs In China The Banquet
Traditionally there would be several wedding banquets over a number of days. With the most lavish banquet being held on the day of the wedding ceremony by the grooms family. These banquets would often have a minimum of 12 courses!
Now the modern wedding customs in China are to have an elaborate banquet in a hotel or restaurant with some western style practices added.
On arrival to the banquet, guests present as wedding gifts for the bride and groom. Guests name and amount given are registered in a contribution book. This is so the wedding couple can reciprocate the same amount or more when those guests get married.
When preparing the it is important to avoid denominations of four as that is considered an unlucky number in China. Multiples of eight are good as this is a lucky number.
Most modern Chinese weddings will have a professional wedding ceremony host. The host will begin the wedding ceremony with a short introduction of the bride and groom. The bride and groom will then be invited on stage to exchange vows and rings , similar to a western style wedding.
Modern Chinese wedding banquets normally have six courses, although thats not the traditional twelve, its still a lot of food!
Don’t Miss: How To Plan A Destination Wedding
Submit The Required Documents
The Sino-foreign couple must go together, in person to the appropriate marriage registration office and submit a completed marriage registration application form . The appropriate marriage registration office will be the one in the jurisdiction in which the Chinese partner is registered . Together with the application form, the couple must submit a number of other documents:
Chinese Partner A certificate of marriageability A certificate of birth Household registration book A health certificate A signed statement that there are no shared direct family relations within three generations with the prospective spouse.Foreign Partner A current passport Alien residence permit A health certificate from a local hospital designated by the marriage registration office Three photos of the marrying couple, taken together A registration fee A certificate of marriageability.
Item 6 requires further explanation. Basically, the marriage registration office needs a certificate from the foreign partner’s home government stating he/she is not already married in his/her home country. Every foreign government has its own version of this type of certificate with its own requirements for obtaining one. Couples will need to check the embassy website of the foreign partner’s home country in China for details on how to obtain this kind of certification.
Wedding Customs In China The Tea Ceremony
Traditionally the tea ceremony was one of the most important wedding customs in China as it was when the bride and groom would become officially married. Nowadays the ritual symbolises that the bride and groom are accepted by both families.
Normally the bride and groom will begin the ceremony by kneeling and offering tea to their elders, starting with the grooms parents. They then proceed to serve tea from oldest to youngest.
You May Like: How Much Is A Wedding Officiant
The Origin Of Chinese Wedding Etiquette
According to legend, the earliest marriage and wedding rite began in the ages of Fu Hsi, a legendary emperor of ancient China, and Nuwa, a goddess in Chinese mythology and the Goddess of Marriage.
In Zhou Dynasty , the Three Letters and Six Etiquette was completed and became the foundation of traditional Chinese wedding. The six wedding etiquette is the tedious process of wedding from match making, providing the date of birth and the birth hours, marriage proposal and engagement, sending the gifts, preparing, and finally the wedding ceremony. The three letters are the documentations of the six etiquettes: the letter of engagement, the list of gifts, and the letter of marriage used on the day of wedding ceremony. In ancient China, the marriage would be officially acknowledged only after finishing all these procedures. Besides, there was the three cups of tea wedding etiquette, the tea for engagement, the tea for wedding ceremony and the wedlock tea for the bride and groom at the wedding night.
Chinese Wedding Etiquette
In the following dynasties of ancient China, the wedding etiquette may vary slightly, but the essence was retained, depending on the different traditions and social classes. For example, in Qing Dynasty, officers above the seventh rank complied with the 9 wedding etiquette, while the others usually had a simple wedding or followed the etiquette created by Zhu Xi, a famous Confucians master in Ming Dynasty.
Ask For A Service For Eight Or 12 People
There may only be two of you right now, but your family may grow and your circle of friends will expand, too. Get enough for a whole dinner party now: Patterns often end up being discontinued, which means you wont be able to go back and complete the set later. Plus, youre bound to break a few things here or there.
You May Like: How To Use A Wedding Hashtag
The One Thing To Consider Before Registering For Formal China
Before you start scanning away.
The moment that precious ring lands on your finger, friends and family will want to shower you with wedding gifts. It’s a magical thing. They’ll want to know where you’re registered pretty quickly, and that means it’s time to grab that registry scanner and gather up the gift suggestions.
For brides that have never daydreamed about what kind of dishware they’d like to use with Thanksgiving dinner for the rest of their lives, it can be a lot to take in at once. Patterns, eye-popping price points, and all sorts of mix and match options await your quick, yet important, decision. However, newly-engaged brides may forget to consider one very important thing before entering the treasure trove that is the formal china section of your favorite fine goods store: family heirlooms.
Remember those floral patterned, priceless dishes Mama was sweating over using during Easter brunch? The ones that used to be her mother’s favorite? What about the delicate set your dad’s mother used every Christmas Eve when you were growing up? It’s important to understand whom those dishes might be gifted to someday, especially if they might be passed down to you as a wedding present.
WATCH: Things That Only Happen at Southern Weddings
Wedding Customs In China Wedding Photographs
Now, this may seem very strange to westerners but the wedding customs in China are to have the wedding photographs taken before the actual wedding.
Couples will employ a local photo studio to take their wedding photos and will rent out several different outfits. Elaborate sets at the studio or different tourist destinations are the locations for most photos.
Im sure anyone who has been in China during spring or summer will have seen at least one Chinese couple having their wedding photos taken.
In recent years wedding photos have become more and more elaborate with some couples spending huge amounts of money to make the perfect wedding album.
Some couples will even travel to another city or in some instances country for the photo shoot. Famous cities such as Venice, or Paris are among some of the most popular destinations.
For those who cant afford to jet off to another country for their photo shoot The Beijing World Park may be a great alternative.
Recommended Reading: How To Dress Up For Wedding Male
Best Places To Register
Now that we’ve answered all your questions regarding what is wedding china, now it’s time to find the prime place to register. If you want variety, consider registering at a large department store that carries multiple brands, such as Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, William-Sonoma and Bed Bath and Beyond. You can also register with individual chinaware brands celebrated for their lovely designs, including Lenox, Noritake and Waterford.
Check out our detailed wedding registry checklist for all your china essentials.
The Classical Elements Of Traditioanl Chinese Wedding
- The double happiness It can be seen everywhere at the wedding, and symbolize happiness and good fortune.
- Patterns of dragon and phoenix Chinese believe that the dragon and the phoenix bring prosperity. Both of them stand for elegance and dignity. A pair of dragon and phoenix symbolizes the harmony between the couples. Recently years, Longfeng kwua decorated with dragons and phoenix are quite popular Chinese wedding dresses among Chinese couples on their wedding banquets.
- Traditional wedding costumes In a traditional Chinese wedding, the bride and groom dress in the Han costumes, with phoenix coronet and official robe.
- Firecrackers It is customary for Chinese people to set off firecrackers in the big events and important occasions, including the wedding ceremony. It creates a joyful atmosphere and drive off the evil spirits.
Also Check: Is It Ok To Wear Black To A Wedding
Knifewear And Kent Of Inglewood
Kevin Kents primo knife store and across-the-street shave shop offer very sharp items for discerning customers and kitchen-obsessives. The Japanese chef knives are often beyond what most couples can afford, so they ask guests to chip in on a mind-blowing Fujiwara Denka or Hinoura River Jump knife , or they can compile a piecemeal registry of less-expensive knives, shaving gear, axes and snazzy barware.
Knifewear, 1316 9 Ave. S.E., 403-514-0577, knifewear.com Kent of Inglewood, 1319 9 Ave. S.E., 403-457-1595, kentofinglewood.com
BEST BET:A set of Shun Classic Steak Knives are perfect for a romantic dinner at home.
Wedding Customs In China The Decorations
As with any wedding the decorations are an important part, and according to wedding customs in China some decorations are a must.
Chinese wedding decorations use the double happiness character: , a lot. In fact it is only used in association with marriage. There will also be lots of wedding banners with congratulatory messages on them.
It is also popular for to appear on the wedding cake.
The traditional colours used at Chinese weddings is a big difference from those used in the west. Red is the predominant colour at Chinese weddings because it is considered a very lucky colour symbolising joy, prosperity and happiness. You will also see a lot of gold at Chinese wedding because it signifies wealth and fortune.
Historically, white was avoided at weddings because in China, it is the colour of mourning and associated with death. However, in recent years with western style weddings becoming more popular, all colours are now acceptable.
Flowers decorate the tables at Chinese weddings, the same as western ones. However, in China lilies are the most popular flower to have at weddings, unlike the west where lilies are most associated with funerals.
Lilies are popular because in Chinese the word for lily sounds similar to the wedding greeting which means may you live a long and happy life together.
Read Also: When Do I Send Wedding Invites
Invest In Durable And Beautiful Tableware And Cutlery By Registering For It Too
As with the china, you can add to your collection throughout the years with Celebrity China. Julia actually states that, once she sees items youre considering on your registry, she helps you round out your list with suggestions of complementing cutlery and tableware options youll absolutely need later. Its all about education and planning to last throughout the future with Celebrity China!
Wedding Customs In China The Food And Drink
Similar to Chinese New Year, wedding customs in China dictate that there should be certain dishes with special significance served. Here are some of the most common dishes:
A whole fish In Chinese the word for fish sounds the same as the word for . This is the same reason why Chinese people eat fish at Chinese New Year.
Lobster The red colour of the lobster once cooked makes this a lucky food. The Chinese for lobster is also literally dragon shrimp and dragons are an auspicious symbol in Chinese culture.
Beijing roast duck In Chinese culture ducks are a symbol of fertility and they also mate for life, this dish represents peace, unity and completeness in a marriage. Beijing roast duck is also delicious, so who wouldnt want it at their wedding!
Traditionally all these dishes are served whole to represent the couples happiness remaining unbroken for life.
Abalone and sea cucumber Abalone in Mandarin is bàoyú, which sounds like bo guarantee and yú surplus. In Cantonese the word for sea cucumber is a homophone for good heart.
Now, no Chinese wedding would be complete without lots of alcohol and toasting .
According to wedding customs in China, the bride and groom will go around the room visiting their guests. The groom must toast each table with a shot of , a traditional Chinese spirit. The guests will reciprocate with everyone toasting by saying , literally meaning dry cup it is the Chinese version of cheers.
You May Like: How To Measure For A Wedding Dress
Top Wedding Registry Questions Answered
Donna Ferrari
Q How many place settings should I register for? Should I list a different number for my everyday china than for my formal china?
A If you know starting out that you won’t be hosting lots of large fancy dinner parties, six place settings of formal china, which for the record has a gold or platinum band, is a good number to get you started. It’ll give you enough plates to have four guests over for dinner–two of your best-friend couples or perhaps both sets of parents. For everyday dinnerware, six to eight place settings is a good number. As you’ll be using these often, you’ll have plenty of dishes to use while some are in the dishwasher. If your casual pattern will be your only set, you’ll definitely want eight settings so you can also use them for guests. Many experts recommend registering for as many as twelve place settings but I find this overwhelms couples who wonder where they’ll store it all in their starter apartments. If you only register for 6, it’s also more likely you’ll get everything you registered for instead of a mish mash of pieces. And more place settings make ideal anniversary gifts!
Q What’s in a place setting?Lenox Q I love color and prints but everyone tells me to play it safe and opt for timeless white. Is this a good approach?Q How do I know for sure that what I love today, will still be attractive to me in 20 or 30 years?Q What’s the deal with sterling silver? Is it worth registering for? It seems so high-maintenance.
