Are you going to attend a traditional Chinese wedding?

Or do you have difficulty deciding what traditions to incorporate in your traditional Chinese wedding?

Worry not. We’ve got your back.

Before presenting a quick guide to the traditional Chinese wedding, let’s understand that the traditions and rituals may vary slightly from the place that they’re from.

Good fortune, happiness, success, fertility and abundance of wealth – these are the reasons that certain wedding traditions are significant in Chinese culture.

Traditions and rituals were once thought to be rigid but today’s generation also adopts modern practices. For many young couples, there’s a balance to strike between the two.

One of the most popular traditions is to have a pre-wedding photography as it is an extremely rare and important event. This can help you not only pick the right photographer but also help prepare you for the actual wedding day.

Another reason is due to the amount of traditions to follow may leave little time for photographs and change of dresses during the day of the wedding. Sometimes, the weather may not work in your favour too. So, having pre-wedding photos built out for you and can be displayed as a slide show during the wedding became an important practice when we talk about traditional Chinese wedding.

To capture the perfect moment and preparing photos for the wedding day, HN Wedding would be the best choice.

Key Elements of a Traditional Chinese Wedding

A traditional Chinese wedding has a lot of red and gold from the bride’s dress to invites, from the wedding decor to the wedding gifts. It also involves several traditional ceremonies, each with their own significance. Let’s learn a little more about each!

Guo Da Li – The Betrothal

The betrothal gifts are given to the bride by the groom and symbolize prosperity for the couple. Common betrothal gifts include gold jewellery, sesame seeds, candles made from dragon and phoenix, and occasionally a bottle of wine too. The groom gifts them to the bride before the wedding ceremony.

It is considered a formal proposal from the groom. In acceptance, the bride’s parents return half of the gifts to show they wish to have a good relationship with the groom and his family.

The wedding date is also discussed and decided in this family meeting. It is a tradition to consult a Chinese monk or a Feng Shui master in this regard. The couple’s date of birth and zodiac sign, especially the bride’s particulars, help to finalize the decision.

Consulting these details is believed to bring prosperity and success to the couple’s married life.

Double Happiness Symbol

One widely used symbol in traditional Chinese weddings is the double happiness symbol. You can see it everywhere – the invitation card, the wedding décor, bride’s hair accessories, wall hangings, the floral arrangements.

The Wedding Invitations

The wedding invites are designed traditionally in red colour with letters in gold. There are a few particular details that you can see on every traditional Chinese wedding invite. This includes a double happiness symbol, the banquet date, bride and groom’s order of birth and names, the names of each set of parents, dinner venue, time, cocktail reception and the time for dinner. Along with the invites, sometimes a red packet is also sent to the guests.

An Chuang – The Bed Preparing Ceremony

The essence of this ritual is to wish prosperity and fertility to the couple. A female relative has to perform this ritual. Also, the lady must possess good fortune. That means the lady must have a prosperous family life with a husband, kids and grandchildren.

The ritual is performed at least two or three days before the wedding. New red linens and pillows make the bed for the newlyweds. Dried fruits and nuts like persimmons, longans and red dates then add to the decor of the bedding. The newlyweds have to be the first to sit or lie on the bed to enjoy a sweet and long-lasting married life.

The Hair Combing Ceremony

A lady with good fortune performs this ritual. The bride and groom celebrate this ritual at their respective homes a day before the wedding. The purpose is to officially announce that the couple is entering a new stage in their life as an adult.

The lady starts the ceremony by lighting an incense stick and a pair of red taper candles. The lady repeats the hair combing four times. With each stroke, she prays for a blessed union of the couple.

The ceremony completes with the clipping of the hair with red yarn and cypress leaves.

Gate Crashing and Tests for the Groom

As per the tradition, the groom reaches the bride’s home with his groomsmen. The bridesmaids test the groom to check his determination to take the bride. The groom then plays a few games as a test. Upon succeeding, the groom is allowed to reach his bride. The groom picks the bride and takes her to the tea ceremony.

The traditional essence of this ritual is to show how determined is the groom to take his bride. It also shows the reluctance of the bride’s family to hand over their daughter to someone else. However, modern Chinese weddings celebrate this ritual as a fun activity.

The Tea Ceremony

This tradition is an opportunity for the bride and groom to pay their respects to their parents. It is an effort to appreciate the parents for their love, support and upbringing. The couple serves Tsao Chun – a Chinese tea, to the parents, elder siblings, and grandparents. The crockery used is red with double happiness symbols on it.

Once the couple has served the tea, they get red envelopes with money and sometimes gold.

The Wedding Banquet

It is a reception dinner hosted by the couple’s parents. It is an eight-course meal that symbolizes health, prosperity and success in the union. The guests then raise a toast to cheer the groom on winning the hand of his bride.

Revisiting the Bride’s Home

Three days after the wedding, the couple visits the bride’s home. The bride enters the house as a guest now, announcing that she now officially belongs to the groom.

Final Word

These traditions are time taking but worth the effort as they enhance the excitement of your wedding. You want to get dressed to your best and you sure want to capture these moments forever. Contact us to make your wedding celebrations the best memory of your life.