Traditional Chinese Wedding

                     Here you will find information about traditional chinese wedding, chinese customs, chinese wedding favors, red gown, and wedding invitations.  Asian weddings are a lot different than western weddings and it's good to learn all you can about it and make sure you get everything just right.  My parents are both traditional chinese but my brother and I grew up in America so we still aren't sure whether we'll get married in the Asian style or adapt a western type of wedding.  But Asian parents can be quite stubborn and they may persuade you to their way of doing things and want you to have a traditional chinese wedding.  If that's the case, don't fret, I'll try to provide some pointers.

Traditional Chinese Wedding Key Points:

• Red wedding gown with embroidered patterns/flowers or dress instead of the white wedding dress westerners wear.

• The Groom wears a Mandarin long gown which is called cheongsam.  Cheongsam just means long gown or long clothes.

• Giving money in a red envelope instead of bringing a wedding gift is common and acceptable.

• Wedding favors are usually chinese wedding cookies in a small box or basket.  Translated to English they are called "marrying daughter" cookies.  If you go to a Chinese bakery and ask them that, I'm sure they'll be able to show you what it looks and taste like.  They're delicious and is pink, yellow, purple and sometimes comes in different colors.

• The food is Chinese food of course.  Most people choose seafood dishes, but avoid choosing snow crab legs as it is messy. 

• There's always plenty of fresh fruits, a lot of variety on display.  And most often, a traditional chinese wedding will have a roast pig or two.  The entire roast pig, not cut up into pieces.

• And since some Chinese families are buddhist there are incense burning and lots of praying and bowing. 

• Traditional Chinese Wedding has the bride with a red cloth covering her head and face.  She can take it off after the ceremony.

• Wedding music is chinese music of course, also some chinese wedding have karaoke at the reception after dinner as entertainment.

• Some inexpensive chinese receptions are being held at a chinese restaurant.  Usually the wedding party reserves the entire restaurant for that day for the reception and if you plan to have 10 tables or more, then talk to the restaurant manager.  You probably don't even have to pay extra and the cost is the meal per person.  It's usually a fixed price per person so make sure all your guests show up and you only reserve spots for those that RSVP.

• Wedding gifts for chinese families include things like red embroidered pillow and pillow cases with swans, flowers, etc.  Paintings of koi fishes.  Fishes symbolize lots of food and that you won't go hungry.   Tea pots and tea cup sets.  Chinese rice cooker.  Elephant tusk chopsticks.  Jade pendent.  A gold bracelet. 

• A key tradition is that afte the wedding ceremony, 2 parents sit down and the bride/groom stands in front of them with a hot tea cup and bows and hands it to each parent.  Then the other 2 parents sit down and both bride/groom hands them hot tea and bows.  When the bride/groom does this, the parents will accept the cup of tea and sip it, and say thank you and also hand the bride/groom a red envelope filled with money.