How to Plan a Chinese Wedding (Plus Free Printable Checklist)
Colorful and lively – Chinese weddings are celebrated with traditions and rituals. They feature symbolic aspects focusing on blessings of prosperity, happiness, and abundance for the couples from their family and friends.
We’ve gathered the key elements for planning a Chinese wedding to help you run your preparations smoothly while honoring your heritage. We’re also happy to get you covered with a Free Chinese Wedding Planning Checklist. This printable and customizable checklist will guide you through traditional Chinese wedding planning’s unique aspects.
The Betrothal or Guo Da Li
Before the ceremony, the groom presents betrothal gifts, such as gold jewelry, sesame seeds, tea leaves, wine or brandy, dragon and phoenix candles, etc. This symbolizes good fortune and prosperity as a formal proposal to the bride’s parents. Half of these gifts are returned as an acceptance of the proposal.
The Wedding Date
Couples usually consult with a Feng Shui master, Chinese monk, or fortune teller on an auspicious date to ensure a successful marriage. Their birthday details and zodiac signs also impact the date selection.
The Wedding Invites
Traditional Chinese wedding invites are red with the Double Happiness symbol and gold lettering and placed within a red envelope. They include wedding banquet dates, names of the bride and groom, birth order, and respective parents.
We always want to help couples save time on their wedding planning. So, we let you choose from our free Canva wedding invitation stationery. After finding your preferred design, personalize it to fit your unique Chinese wedding details.
The Marriage Bed Preparation
Known as An Chuang, preparing the marriage bed occurs on an auspicious time and day, 2 to 3 days before the wedding. Dai Kam Jie, a woman of fortune, prepares the bed with red sheets. No one sits or sleeps in that bed until the wedding night.
The Hair Combing Ceremony
This ritual is performed the night before the wedding, symbolizing the bride and groom entering a new stage of adulthood in their respective home. Dai Kam Ji lights a pair of red taper candles and one incense stick. While combing the hair, she recites blessings to the bride or groom. She clips red yarn on the hair after combing it four times.
The Wedding Decor
Chinese weddings involve auspicious symbols used for decorations that bring happiness and good luck to the couples.
- Double Happiness symbol
- Mandarin duck
- Phoenix
- Dragon
- Lanterns
- Lucky fruits like red dates and oranges
Gold and red are critical colors for Chinese wedding décor. Gold symbolizes wealth, while red is linked to love, happiness, success, luck, prosperity, loyalty, honor, and fertility.
The Wedding Attire
The bride usually wears a red qipao or cheongsam. It symbolizes happiness and good luck. The groom often opts for a blue or black traditional silt suit.
Picking Up the Bride
Modern Chinese weddings no longer perform a large procession. But couples can still incorporate this tradition. It can involve a lion dance troupe, the playing of drums, or the use of firecrackers.
The Tea Ceremony
The bride and groom express appreciation, gratitude, and respect for their parent’s effort, support, and love in raising them. A double tea set is used where red dates, lotus seeds, and dried longans sweeten the black tea.
The Exchange of Vows
The bride and groom exchange vows may during an intimate ceremony where they stand in front of the family altar to pay respect to their ancestors. It concludes by bowing to each other. Couples may also opt for a local government office for the ceremonial exchange of vows.
The Wedding Banquet
Food at Chinese weddings is typically served in banquet style, including 8 or 10 dishes. Most of these dishes symbolize wishes for longevity, happiness, fertility, or peace. Consider including noodles, scallops, abalone, roast duck, chicken, lobster, fish, and shark fin soup in your banquet.
Door Games and Entertainment
You can incorporate fun and lighthearted games into your wedding day, including traditional door games like Q&A Tests, the Four Flavors of Life, and No Money, No Honey. You can also prepare cultural performances, lion or dragon dances, or live music to entertain guests and add to the celebratory spirit.
The Wedding Favors
Select meaningful wedding favors, such as personalized chopsticks, red envelopes with lucky money, or small trinkets symbolizing good luck and happiness. You can also give your guests small gifts such as chocolates or candies to thank them for attending the wedding.
Understanding the customs and traditions is critical to planning a Chinese wedding to create a memorable event. Best wishes for a harmonious and auspicious Chinese wedding!
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