Traditional Chinese Wedding: Tea Ceremony

Part 1: The Groom’s Procession to Obtain the Bride

You’ll need:

• Creative bridesmaid and props for Door Tests
• Door Open Red Envelope with money
• Tea Ceremony Set Up

With a bouquet, the Groom will lead the procession to the bride’s house with his groomsmen. Upon arriving at the bride’s house, the Groom’s party will face a series of “tests” from the bridesmaids before he can enter the lady’s chamber. That will typically entails some physical tests, embarrassing games, blatant declaration of love, mostly to entertain the bridal party but traditionally to demonstrate the Groom’s dedication. Of course after all that, you still SHALL NOT PASS without giving the bridesmaids an ” Door Open Red Envelope” which should contains a lucky amount of money (think permutation of 3, 6, 8, 9). With sufficient cash to bribe the lady bouncers, the bridesmaid will open up the door to the brides chamber.

Once the bridal chamber is opened, you can’t make out yet. The maid of honor will lead the bride to her father and the father of the bride will hand over the bride to the groom. This is when the Bridal Tea Ceremony begins.

The Couple will bow to heaven and then to the ancestors. Maid of honor should prepare tea for the couple as they kneel and offer tea to the bride’s parents.

Bridesmaids are supposed to return 10-50% of the Door Price to the Groomsmen and serve the guys with tea and snacks.

Part 2: The Bride’s Journey to the Groom’s House

You’ll need:

• Red parasol/umbrella (It is to protect the bride from any evil influences)
• rice, red and green beans

The ‘good luck woman’ or the maid of honor will shield the bride with a red parasol while the bridal party toss rice, red and green beans, which symbolizes fertility, to the parasol and traditionally, at the sedan chair.

At the lucky hour, the bride will be carried on the back of a good luck woman to the sedan chair. Great care was taken not to let the bride’s feet touch the floor, which is considered an unauspicious thing to do.

Modern woman should never be carried on the back of another woman 2 times her age and sedan chair are for photo-whore tourists only. In that case, just get in the car already, by yourself, with your own feet.

The procession accompanying the bride must consist of only female and the bride’s brother must not follow her to the groom’s house.

Part 3: Arriving at the Groom’s House

You’ll need:

• Tea Ceremony Set Up
• Red Envelopes
• Blings– gold jewelries
• 9 courses lunch

The couple arrive at the Groom’s House. The Groom’s parents will welcome the couple. The Groom’s Tea Ceremony begins.

The couple bow to heaven, then to ancestors. They then kneel and offer tea to the Groom’s parents. The Groom’s parents are expected to bless the couple and give them red envelops.They will then deck the bride our with blings – gold jewelries. The bride must wear them all at once to show gratitude. The couple then offer tea to other elders in the house.

The couple + wedding party is expected to have lunch with the Groom’s family. I don’t see this happening much because typically you should be out the door checking up on the venue or taking first look photos. Anyway, traditionally this lunch will consist of 9 dishes, which phonetically symbolizes Eternity.

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Essential items for Tea Ceremony: (Click the product to view deatils)