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Q:
When should I start preparing for my wedding?
A: You should start preparing 6 months before
the wedding. Since marriage in Chinese culture is considered the
joining of two families, you need to arrange a proposal and
betrothal meeting for parents from both families. You will also
need to make arrangement for wedding gown, banquet venue or
church if you so choose... More at Check
List>>>
Q:
How do I choose an auspicious wedding date?
A: You should choose a even number date for the wedding.
The more even numbers the merrier, e.g., Saturday, October 28,
2004. Sometimes, people choose date with special meaning, e.g.
lunar calendar September 9th is a festival for family reunion,
and the Nine means "forever"...Sign up for China
Bridal Newsletter...>>>
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Q: I want to have a
Chinese wedding, but my in-laws are Christians, how can I
combine a church wedding with a traditional Chinese wedding?
A: In modern China,
more and more young couples favor a church wedding for its
solemn surrounding and the holly wedding vow. You may combine
the two styles together and cater to both families. First,
perform traditional Chinese rituals at home, e.g., hair-dressing
ritual, tea ceremony, etc. Then after the bride has served tea
to her in-laws and bowed to the ancestral tablets, proceed to
the church to exchange wedding vows. After the banquet, you can
continue to have the traditional bridal chamber party at the
wedding night... More at Wedding
Procession...>>>
Q:
How many dresses should I prepare for my wedding, and what kind
of dresses do I need?
A: The bride change dresses a few times during the
wedding while the groom changes once or does not change. In the
morning, the bride is usually dressed in traditional Chinese
wedding gown. She won't change until after she has served
tea to her in-laws. Then she changes to western style
white wedding gown for the ceremony in which the newlyweds will
bow to the heaven and the earth, the ancestor's tablets and to
each other. At the wedding banquet, the bride changes to a
formal day time gown, and the newlyweds will serve wine to every
guests at the wedding. The last one is a night gown she wears
when she sees the guests off at the end of the banquet.
The groom usually is dressed in a Chinese men's traditional gown
in the morning, then change to cocktail suit before the
banquet.. It is also acceptable to wear a formal suit instead of
cocktail suit... More at Chinese
Wedding Dresses...>>>
Q:
Some of the Grand Gifts are hard to find, can I substitute with
something else?
A: Generally speaking, you can always substitute Grand
Gifts with cash, particularly named Li Shi, usually wrapped in
red envelope. The Li Shi money usually comes in $99 or $999, as
the pronunciation of Nine is the same as "long and
forever." However, presentation of Grand Gifts is a
symbolic gesture of appreciation to the bride's family for
raising her and marrying her away. Many traditional gift shops
have Grand Gifts items in stock... More at Gift
Shops...>>>
Q:
Is there any formal wedding vow in Chinese wedding?
A: There is no formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. The
closest ritual is to have the newlyweds drink wine from two cups
that are tied together by a red string. The newlyweds cross
their right arms and drink at the same time. That's considered
the gesture of binding commitment by the two... More at Wedding
Day Rituals...>>>
Q:
What is the Tea Ceremony at a wedding reception?
A: The Tea Ceremony is when the bride arrives the groom's
home, and serve tea to her new in-laws. She will hold the tea
cup with both hands, kneel in front of her parents-in-law, and
serve it. After the groom's parents, she will serve tea to every
one on the occasion, with a sequence of seniority. Those who
accepted the tea are supposed to give her gift such as Li Shi
money or gold and jade jewelries wrapped in red envelope...
Prepare gifts
for the bride...>>>
Q: What is the appropriate wedding
banquet menu? How can I explain the meaning of the dishes to
non-Chinese guests?
A: Certain foods must be served at wedding, which include
fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil,
lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside. The
pronunciation of fish is the same as "abundance",
meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth. Roast
suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride's
virginity. Pigeon implies peaceful future. Chicken also means
phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a
prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds. Lobster is literally
called "dragon shrimp" in Chinese. Having lobster and
chicken together at wedding banquet to indicate that the dragon
and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang
elements in this family is balanced... Most important of all, do
not forget to serve Chinese
Dragon and Phoenix wedding cakes...>>>
Q: My Fiancee and I are planning a
wedding next year. My father passed away a month ago.
I was told that if we were to get married, we should do it
either within 100 days of the death or 3 years later. Is
this a traditional rule? How does one apply today?
A: It is an old tradition that in honor of a
deceased parent, the children should mourn for three years. Any
entertainment or social activity will be disallowed. Wedding is
considered a celebration where entertainment will take place.
If a marriage has been planned in the near future, the children
would either get married within 3 months, called "hot mourning",
or have to wait till after 3 years.
However, this is a very old tradition that is rarely observed
today. The rationale in this tradition is to emphasis respect
to the elders. If your wedding size is not too big, and it's
not too difficult to change the date, you may change your date.
Otherwise, I would suggest that you go along with your wedding
plan, and make a particular point to pay tribute to your
father. For example, include your deceased father on the
invitation and the program, perform a tea ceremony at your home
on the morning of the wedding day, you and your fiance kneel to
your mother and your father's photo to thank them for the life
they gave you, and pour tea for both of them. The emphasis is
the respect to your parents.
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