Chinese Ethnic Wedding

Here’s another ethnic wedding that you might be interested in knowing, especially if you and/or your groom would like to add some of your ethnic ceremonies to your wedding as signs of respect and love for your culture.

Ethnic Wedding - Chinese

Chinese Wedding

The Ceremony:

Traditional Chinese weddings are filled with ritual.  There were many symbolic ceremonies which had to take place before the wedding itself even began.  After extensive preparation, the wedding ceremony would be conducted at the family altar.  Here the couple would pay homage to their ancestors and gods.  The couple would share tea, then bow to each other.  In many cases this completed the ceremony.

Though many Chinese ceremonies today are more modern, traditional influences are abundant.  Guests will usually wear at least a small hint of red to symbolize luck and prosperity for the couple.  The symbol of double happiness is also often spotted in the decorations.  This character symbolizes happiness for the newlyweds.

Traditions:

The hair dressing ritual was one of the most important traditions in a Chinese wedding.  On the day of the wedding, the bride bathes in pumelo-infused water to cleanse her or evil influences.  The bride’s hair was then carefully dressed into the style reserved for married women.  After the hair dressing, the bride would dress in a jacket and shirt and wear a special pair of red shoes.  Her face was also covered by a red veil.

Today, Chinese wedding ceremonies may feature a variety of clothing styles, but red is still a prominent color.  Red will often be used as the color for the bridal party or even the bride’s wedding dress.

Installing the Bridal Bed:

One of the key roles that a groom has in traditional Chinese weddings involves the installation of a newly purchased bridal bed before the wedding day, usually on the day or a few days prior to the wedding date.  Once the bed is in place, children were invited onto the bed as an omen of fertility.  Fruits and nuts such as red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, etc., are scattered on the bed for the children to scramble and eat.

After the wedding ceremony, the bride and the groom together with their bridal entourage pose on the bed for photos as part of the photographic keepsakes of the wedding.

Menu and Reception:

The menu at a Chinese wedding feast will feature many items which symbolize prosperity and long life.  A traditional meal will feature eight courses.  The dragon and phoenix symbolize the yin and yang, or male and female aspects of our nature, in Chinese culture.  Therefore, many appetizers may feature these designs.  The main course will generally be duck or geese, as these are birds that mate for life.  Sea cucumber is popular side dish as this represents harmony.  Tea will be served with the meal, as well as a variety of other beverages.

Collage Credit: Polyvore