Like Western wedding ceremonies, a Chinese wedding ceremony needs sufficient time for proper preparation. There are significant differences for a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, such as the traditional color for the wedding dress and the essential decorations. If you are planning to have a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, here are five things you should prepare:
Decor
Wedding decorations that celebrate the event and wish the couple luck are needed for the bride’s home and reception. Welcome banners should also be hung in the house where the bride and groom will be living. Like the wedding attire, traditional Chinese wedding decorations are made of red material and other vibrant, bright colors.
Wedding day rituals for the bride and groom
On the morning of the wedding day, the bride and groom will undergo several rituals. The bride will have a shang tou (hair tying) ritual performed by a woman with living relatives such as parents, spouse, or children to bring her good luck. Meanwhile, the groom will undergo a haircut ceremony. For this part of the wedding, it is necessary to make the required preparations and inform the people involved.
Wedding door game
This is another essential part of the traditional Chinese wedding that tests how much the groom cares about and knows about the bride. In this game, the bride’s friends must stop the groom from entering the bride’s house by asking questions about the bride’s personality, her habits, her favorite things, and so on. To get his way, the groom must answer the questions and give li shi (coins) in red envelopes.
Wedding ritual and tea ceremony.
In ordinary weddings, the couple exchanges vow. In a traditional Chinese wedding, the bride and groom kneel or bow three times before heaven and earth, ancestral tablets, their parents, and finally to each other. Once this ritual is performed, the bride serves tea to the parents and relatives in order of seniority. She, in turn, receives gifts such as jewelry and li shi.
Chinese wedding attire
Wedding attire is an essential part of a Chinese wedding ceremony. However, unlike Western traditions where white is the color of choice, the Chinese prefer the bride to wear red. This is because red signifies joy and happiness. It is best to take your time to find the best red wedding attire. However, in your search, it is essential to note that a traditional Chinese wedding dress for women is usually a one-piece dress called a qipao or the cheongsam.
On the other hand, men typically wear a tunic that closes in the front called the da gua. Both women’s and men’s dresses are usually decorated with gold phoenix and dragon motifs. For the wedding shoes, try to go for red or silver wedding shoes that match the gown.
Wedding meal
The main course for a wedding is fish, as the pronunciation of fish in Chinese is the same for “abundance.” Serving fish on the wedding day is a wish for the couple to have wealth. In addition to fish, the Chinese wedding banquet also consists of roasted suckling pig, representing the bride’s purity, chicken cooked in red oil to symbolize phoenix and prosperity, lobster, also called dragon shrimp, and pigeon, which symbolizes a peaceful future.
A traditional Chinese wedding ceremony is like any other wedding in that the preparation takes time and effort. The door game and morning rituals on the wedding day make the event more memorable and exciting. But for the ceremony to go smoothly, it is a must to prepare for the five things involved in a traditional Chinese wedding, which we have discussed today. Prepare them well, and not only will your wedding be great, but so will the entire wedding.
