Chinese Wedding Customs

Chinese wedding customs vary depending upon the region of China the couple is from. Today, most Chinese brides and grooms choose to incorporate some of the ancient traditions with customs from the western wedding ceremony.

ENGAGEMENT

To announce the engagement, the groom's family sends friends and family special sweet cakes. The cakes are boxed and labeled with the wedding sign of "Double Happiness".

Instead of a diamond, a Chinese bride may choose a jade engagement ring. Jade is considered a lucky gem. A pearl is another option.

In many countries the bride's family handles the expenses of the wedding, because it is said to be the "bride's day".

But for Chinese wedding customs, it is considered to be the "groom's day". Therefore, the groom's family pays for all the expenses and handles all the festivities involved with the wedding.

The color red plays an important role in the Chinese wedding customs. The color red is considered to be lucky. It also represents love, prosperity and happiness. So, almost everything is red - from the wedding invitations, gift envelopes, to the decorations.

The wedding day is chosen carefully by using the lunar calendar. Spring and December are favorable months to marry, but September is not considered to be lucky.

Also, most weddings occur on the half-hour. This is so that the couple will begin their lives on an upswing.

On the evening before the wedding, the bride sits by a window in the moonlight, and a female friend or female relative will comb out her hair four times. The first time is for life's journey from beginning to end; the second is for lifelong harmony; the third is for many sons and grandsons, and the fourth is for wealth and a long marriage.

THE WEDDING DAY

The bridal couples bed is made up with special linens, either traditional red or Western bridal linens. Often, children are allowed to jump on the bed for fertility.

The Bride Leaves Home

Traditional Way

Because the bride is becoming a part of the groom's family, on the day of her wedding the bride serves tea to her parents to say farewell.

With a veil over her face, a red umbrella shielding her, and carrying an apple for peace and harmony, the bride makes her way to the groom's home. Along the way, she will drop a hand-held fan to symbolize letting go of her old life.

Contemporary Way

Early on the wedding day, the groom and his groomsmen arrive at the bride's home in wildly decorated cars. The bridesmaids ask the groom tricky questions. Then they will require him to perform - either by singing about his love or doing push-ups (to show that he is strong enough to take care of his bride). The groom then offers the bridesmaids gifts. These gifts can be money, books or stationery. All wrapped in red paper - for good luck.

When the bride arrives at the groom's home, fireworks greet her to scare away any demons. A very traditional groom will even shoot off three arrows to ward off bad spirits. Then a small boy will give the bride a tangerine for good fortune.

Another Chinese wedding custom is for the new bride to pour tea for all the groom's relatives. The relatives take the tea and give her a red envelop with money and jewelry.

WEDDING ATTIRE

A Chinese bride will wear three different dresses on her wedding day.

A white dress with a veil is worn during the wedding ceremony. A traditional red silk cheung sam dress with its high collar or the hung kwa will be worn at the banquet. Before the bride leaves the banquet, she will change one more time into her "going away dress".

Traditional grooms wear a blue robe that is embroidered with a dragon. Some grooms will add a red sash. Contemporary grooms choose to wear a tux with a red cummerbund, red tie, red boutonniere and/or red vest.

THE BANQUET

The reception area will be decorated with the color red EVERYWHERE.

There will also be symbols of the golden phoenix and dragon (which represent the bride and groom) and red wall hangings with the "double happiness" wedding symbol.

Instead of signing a guest book, a Chinese wedding custom is for guests to sign a red silk table runner or wall hanging. The couple can display this runner or wall hanging in their new home.

The food served at the wedding banquet is a display of prosperity and symbolism. At most wedding banquets twelve courses will be served and because the number four is believed to be lucky, four dishes are served in many of the courses.

At the end of the banquet, leftovers are put in special red containers for guests to take home.

For ideas on a Chinese Wedding Menu, click here.

A Chinese wedding custom for the traditional wedding cake is that it has many layers. The layers symbolize a ladder that the couple will climb for a successful life.

The cake is cut from the bottom up.

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