Chinese wedding shoes customs

don’t take off your wedding shoes to enter the homes! Traditionally chinese wedding shoes were usually red or pink with embroidery of double joy [双喜], peony [牡丹] or other auspicious flowers. As shoes [鞋] “xie” sounds like harmony [偕] in mandarin and are of a pair [一双一对] they became an important icon in chinese weddings. […]

Western wedding veil or chinese phoenix crown?

Of course the wedding veil is the obvious choice as most modern chinese bride chooses to wear the western style wedding gown to start off the wedding. The bride may change into traditional chinese wear to reflect the heritage later in the day. Traditional rainbow robe and phoenix crown 凤冠霞披 The traditional chinese bride was […]

Deliver the chinese dowry 送嫁妆

Deliver the chinese dowry 送嫁妆 The chinese dowry may be delivered with the return gifts on the day of betrothal or delivered a few days before the wedding. Some people have the impression that chinese weddings are expensive affair for the groom’s parents since they have to pay for the betrothal gifts, bride price and […]

Wedding games and Gate-crashing the bridal chamber

Wedding games are played when well wishers in ancient chinese wedding gate-crashed the bridal chamber to tease the bride and groom. Some believed this tradition originated with good intentions. The groom’s relatives and friends wanted to frighten off any evil spirits lurking nearby by making the bridal chamber noisy and crowded. In the past when […]

Bride’s home visit 三朝回门

Traditionally the bride’s home visit is three days after the chinese wedding ceremony. For efficiency, modern chinese wedding usually compressed all the necessary events into a single day. One costume change equals three days! After the tea ceremony at the groom’s family home, the bride will change out of her western style wedding gown. This […]

Chinese wedding tea ceremony-the most significant ceremony in the modern chinese wedding

The tea ceremony is the most significant event in a modern chinese wedding as the traditional three prayers ceremony is usually not practiced. The bride is formally introduced to the groom’s family through the chinese wedding tea ceremony. It will usually take place on the wedding day when most of the family members are present. […]

Traditional chinese wedding ceremony

Heaven and earth shall witness your marriage. The three prayers of the traditional chinese wedding ceremony contained elements of Taoism. The chinese were mainly Taoists or ancestor worshipers before foreign religions such as Christianity, Muslim or Buddhism entered ancient China. Taoists believed in the power of heaven and earth to witness important events on earth. […]

Enter the groom’s home

under his brother’s pants! Before the bride enter the groom’s home, the groom’s family and friends will hide in the house to avoid clashing of luck. When the bride has entered the bridal room, the family and friends will return to the family hall. Even if the newly married couple is not staying with the […]

Fetch the bride

Fetch the bride – your groom’s quest of the day To fetch the bride, your groom and his troop of brothers must remember to bring all necessary items for their quest and complete all the challenges. Necessary items for the quest Some family requires a matchmaker to accompany the groom when he arrives at their […]

Chinese wedding day program

Prepare it! Prepare the chinese wedding day program based on discussions with the bride’s and groom’s parents. Include the wedding coordinator when finalizing the wedding day schedule. Allow some buffer time in the schedule to allow for unforseen delays such as traffic jams, detours required or having to socialise longer at any of the stops. […]

The timeline for the chinese wedding begins with…

Proposal/ Decision to get married He has proposed! You’re going to get married! 1. Announcement There’s always someone to tell! Who shall hear it first? Your best friends or your Mum? To your Mum, THIS is the official start of timeline for the chinese wedding… 2. Selection of auspicious dates Auspicious dates are required for […]

如何挑選結婚好日子*附2010/2011年結婚吉日一覽表

很多人自問並不迷信,但說到婚姻大事,都禁不住還是要找易經大師擇個結婚吉日,為求婚姻生活有個好開始。從擇吉專家的角度來看,人的活動要與自然平衡和 諧,選擇吉日結婚的意義,就是讓成婚者尊崇自然,順從自然時序,從而讓成婚者一時好與百年好統一起來。如何找個宜嫁娶的吉時吉日呢?下面可以參考的,是一 些廣泛流傳的擇日基本原則。 一、日子選擇的通勝原則 這裏說的通勝即黃曆,或者稱作皇曆,是在中國農曆基礎上產生出來的,帶有許多表示當天吉凶的一種曆法。黃曆相傳是由軒轅黃帝創制,故稱為黃曆,民間又 俗稱為「通書」。但因通書的「書」字跟「輸」字同音,因避忌故又名通勝。黃曆主要內容為二十四節氣的日期表,每天的吉凶宜忌、生肖運程等。後經歷代先賢的 完善,對婚娶的日子有如下的原則: 1、大吉之年份 雙春 指在年頭及年尾有兩個“立春”之年。由於春有一年之始及開枝散葉的象徵意義,所以被認為特別宜嫁娶。 閏月 指該年在農曆中有閏月,即共有十三個月份。由於“閏”有滋潤、豐收之意,所以象徵夫妻有愛情滋潤,恩愛和睦。 雙春兼閏月 “雙春”和“閏月”都是宜嫁娶的年份,一年中既有“雙春”,又有“閏月”,自然喜上加喜了! 2、不宜結婚的年份日子 盲年 指整年沒有“立春”的日子,通常“雙春”的下一年就是“盲年”。不過“盲年”亦有吉日,所以基本上盲年結婚也無不可。 節日 避免一月,以免與過年這個大節相沖。避免陰氣極重的清明和盂蘭節,即三月和七月。 三娘煞 相傳月老不為三娘牽紅線,使她不能出嫁。基於報復心理,三娘喜與月老作對,專門破壞新人之喜事,故每月的三娘煞之日,即初三、初七、十三、十八、廿二 及廿七,便不宜結婚。 新人及親屬的生日 避開新人自己及雙方父母、未婚兄姐的生日。若雙親已經逝世,則避開其生忌、死忌。 喜沖喜或喪沖喜 一年內,家裏最好不要辦兩次婚禮。若家中有直系親屬辭世,該年便不宜辦喜事。 二、日子選擇的特殊原則 通勝吉日並非放諸四海皆准,因為個體是有差異的,嚴格來說還要考慮結婚者的出生時間。 一般而言需要遵循如下原則: 1、 用男、女雙方的出生日期時間推算出最吉利的婚嫁時日這個「吉日」必然是一個有「貴人」出現的日子,五行上適宜辦喜事、不能與男方的財星及女方的官星相沖 (財官多者例外)。 2、 所擇日子不與雙方家長的生辰八字相沖這個「吉日」至少不能與雙方父母八字的用神(需求五行)相沖,不能與雙方父母的食傷星相沖(食傷重者例外)。 3、所擇日子不與卦象相沖一些人不能確定自己準確的出生時間,只有通過占卦來確定日子,這個日子不能與卦象規定的官星日財星日相沖。 不過,話說回來,選擇結婚吉日並沒有想像中的那麼難。總體的原則是:日子要比月份重要,月份要比年份重要。盲年亦有吉日,所以,不必太在意所謂的盲年 之說,而無謂的把婚期拖後或者提前一兩年。 我們的建議是:首先根據你們設想的婚禮形式和當地的氣候特點選定結婚的季節。例如,若是想辦戶外婚禮,則要選在晴朗少雨、冷熱適宜的季節。同時,還需要考 慮親友參加婚禮的難易程度。如果有很多想邀請的親友都不在本地工作,則應該選擇在十一等長假。其次,還要考慮新人雙方的工作和學習情況,儘量避免在考試前 或者專案攻關階段籌辦婚禮,造成分心。最後,也不能忽視長輩們的意見。