Franklin Dean
Chinese weddings are steeped in rich history and tradition. While modern Chinese weddings usually take place in one day, they can last up to three days depending on how many traditional customs are included. Chinese wedding traditions vary across provinces and ethnic minorities, but there are some common customs that you can expect to see at a Chinese wedding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Duration | Modern Chinese weddings usually take place in one day, but can last up to three days depending on the number of traditional customs included. Traditional Chinese weddings are typically two days long. |
| Location | The wedding ceremony usually takes place in one location, often hosted at the couple's home, but this can vary depending on the couple's plan for the day. |
| Guests | Guests are always seated on round tables. |
| Bride's attire | The bride typically wears a two-piece red gown, as red is considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture. |
| Groom's attire | The groom also wears a red gown. |
| Tea ceremony | The Chinese tea ceremony is a crucial tradition at Chinese weddings, where the couple expresses gratitude to their parents. The ceremony can take place at a single location or separately at the couple's respective homes. |
| Banquet | The wedding banquet, known as xǐ-jǐu, is an important part of the celebration and includes symbolic, auspicious foods. |
| Gifts | Instead of wedding gifts, the couple receives Hongbao full of cash! |
| Photography | It is common for couples to create an elaborate wedding album with photos taken at various locations and in different outfits. |
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What You'll Learn
Chinese weddings can last up to three days
Chinese weddings are steeped in rich history and vibrant traditions. While modern Chinese weddings usually take place in one day, they can last up to three days depending on how many traditional customs are included. The duration of the wedding also depends on the couple's plans for the day, as well as the number of days extended for pre-arranged photoshoots.
One of the most important traditions for the couple and their family is the picking of the wedding date. Many couples consult a fortune teller, Chinese monk, or Feng Shui master to choose an auspicious date according to the lunar calendar, taking into account their birthdays and zodiac signs.
On the wedding day, the groom is fetched to the bride's house, where he must find one of the bride's shoes hidden in her room. The couple then moves on to the tea ceremony, where they express gratitude and respect to their parents for their upbringing. The ceremony can take place at a single location or separately at the couple's respective homes. The bride and groom kneel and serve tea to their parents, starting with the groom's family, and are gifted red envelopes with money or gold jewellery.
The wedding banquet is a lavish affair hosted by the couple's parents, with an eight-course menu of symbolic, auspicious foods. The bride changes into a red qipao halfway through, and a slideshow of childhood photos is presented. Three days after the wedding, the couple visits the bride's family, and she is no longer considered part of her household.
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The wedding date is chosen carefully
In ancient China, weddings were a custom between 402 and 221 BC, and the wedding ceremony consisted of six basic procedures, including proposing marriage, requesting the bride's name and date of birth, exchanging gifts, and fetching the bride. In modern times, Chinese weddings can include a variety of unique traditions and variations based on the couple's preferences and cultural background. For example, it is common for brides and grooms to take wedding photos before the wedding day to ensure they have time to get the perfect shots. Some couples even travel to European cities after their wedding to take wedding photos at famous landmarks.
The wedding date is also significant in terms of the couple's attire. The bride typically wears a red gown, as red is considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture, symbolising luck, happiness, success, and love. Similarly, the groom wears a red gown during the wedding ceremony, representing honour and prosperity. The colour gold is also prominent in Chinese weddings, symbolising wealth. This is often incorporated into the bride's jewellery, such as a 24-karat gold pig necklace, which is a traditional gift from guests, wishing the couple a prosperous and fertile marriage.
Chinese weddings are known for their vibrant and colourful traditions, steeped in rich history and culture. The date of the wedding plays a crucial role in setting the tone for the couple's future life together, and the careful selection of an auspicious date ensures that the celebration is filled with joy and good fortune.
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The tea ceremony
During the ceremony, the couple serves tea to their respective families, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other esteemed elders. The tea is served using a red china tea set with the 'double happiness' symbol, another integral feature of Chinese weddings, and black tea is served. The couple kneels on the floor in front of their parents, who are usually seated in elegant wooden chairs. The order of serving tea is important, with the parents served first, followed by the grandparents, grand uncles and aunts, uncles and aunts, and then elder siblings.
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The wedding banquet
The banquet usually takes place in the evening, in a banquet hall or an upscale Chinese restaurant. It is a lengthy affair, lasting at least two hours, with eight or nine courses of food. Each course symbolises something for the couple, such as fish for abundance, suckling pig for the bride's purity, poultry for peace and unity, and noodles for long life. The final course is dessert, typically red bean and lotus seed soup, symbolising fertility and growth, and a sweet start to the couple's new life together.
The banquet begins with a brief elaboration of the couple's love story by the host, followed by a speech from the parents of the newlyweds. The couple then enters the banquet hall, with the groom giving a short welcome speech. Throughout the meal, the bride and groom re-enter the hall multiple times, each time wearing different outfits. A master of ceremonies or emcee is an integral part of the banquet, announcing the couple, providing transitions, and keeping the evening flowing smoothly.
The banquet also includes traditional games and activities that involve the newlyweds and the guests. One of the most important activities is the Chinese Lion Dance, which dates back to the Tang dynasty. This dance blesses the couple with a long and happy marriage and wards off evil spirits. Another popular game is the Shoe Game, where the bride and groom sit back-to-back, each holding one of their shoes and one of their partner's shoes.
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The hair-combing ceremony
Chinese weddings are vibrant and colourful occasions steeped in rich history and tradition. While no two ceremonies are exactly the same, there are several common customs, including the hair-combing ceremony.
The ceremony requires specific items, each laden with meaning and symbolism for a prosperous marriage. These include cypress or thuja leaves, believed to drive away evil spirits; an offering plate filled with lian zi, red dates, and dried longans, representing fertility and a sweet life; and glutinous rice balls in sweet soup (tong yuen), symbolising completeness and sweetness in the union. Dragon and phoenix candles, representing harmony and a balanced union, are lit to begin the ceremony.
> 一梳梳到尾 (May your marriage last a lifetime)
> 二梳百年好合 (May you be blessed with a happy and harmonious marriage until old age)
> 三梳子孙满堂 (May you be blessed with an abundance of children and grandchildren)
> 四梳白发齐眉 (May you be blessed with longevity)
If the parents are not available to perform the ceremony, a lady with good fortune, usually someone who is happily married with a surviving husband, children, and grandchildren, will undertake the ceremony.
The timing and setting of the hair-combing ceremony are carefully chosen. An auspicious time and date are selected according to the Chinese lunar calendar and the couple's specific dialect group. Some dialect groups require the couple to perform the ceremony simultaneously at midnight on the eve of the wedding, while others dictate that the bride should start hers an hour after the groom or on the morning of the wedding.
After the ceremony, the couple eats the glutinous rice balls, symbolising a perfect and long-term marriage. They must wait until the dragon and phoenix candles burn out before they go to sleep. The thuja leaves and red string are placed under their pillows for a month before being discarded.
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Frequently asked questions
A modern Chinese wedding usually takes place in one day, but it can last up to three days depending on how many traditional customs are included.
The Chinese wedding tea ceremony can be performed at a single location or separately at the bride and groom's respective homes. The duration of the ceremony depends on the number of guests and the number of locations.
The wedding banquet is a lavish eight-course affair, so it can be expected to last several hours.
The Chinese wedding album process can take place over several days or weeks, depending on the number of locations and outfits the couple chooses to include.
The hair combing ceremony is a quick process, but the duration may vary depending on the length of the couple's hair and the number of blessings recited.
