Wedding Bridesmaid Blog

With a history of several thousand years, the traditional Chinese wedding customs have been taking a major role and have profound influences in the life of Chinese people, although it varies according to different regions and times. During a wedding, people tend to express their beautiful wishes through some common utensils and articles, endowing them with rich festive and auspicious meanings.
Wedding Invitation
The wedding invitation is printed invitation specially made for a couple to be married, which is long-standing in Chinese history. The color of the invitation is usually bright red, with the date and time of wedding ceremony and dinner printed on it. The content of it is basically the same in all ages, with a set of formal words established by usage applied. It’s special that the date is usually put in two forms, with one being the date in the Chinese lunar calendar and the other in the Gregorian calendar. Sometimes the parents’ names of the couple are also printed. The invitation is usually sent six weeks before the wedding ceremony.
Red Packets
Red packets, or lucky money, are the cash sent to the newlyweds by friends or relatives when attending the wedding. It is usually wrapped up in red paper, or special paper bags printed with the “Happy” letter and blessings. Sending red packets to the newlyweds is a traditional etiquette on festive wedding occasions in China. Besides that, the gift money sent by the elderships to juniors during Spring Festival or rewards for others also belongs to red packets. Sending and receiving “red packets” are traditional customs carried down by our Chinese for long. The “red packets” culture is the result of the normal interpersonal relationship of reciprocal courtesy among Chinese, and the embodiment of wishes for harmonious and friendly relation.
Wedding Candy
Wedding candies are given out to friends and relatives during the wedding dinner, and it is a way to express appreciation to guests coming for congratulations. Wedding candies have always been indispensable to such event, which are full of festive elements and connotations and the embodiment of sweetness between newlyweds and blessings from family members. Today, the wedding candies are usually sweets or chocolates, and the packages have become increasingly fancy.
Red Date and Longan
People usually put red dates and Longans on the newlyweds’ bed for the reason that the “date” in Chinese Pinyin is “zao”, which is the homophony of “early”, and “Longan” is “gui”, the homophony of “valuable”. When put together, the two kinds of food will imply the meaning of “bearing a valuable son early”, which expresses people’s wish for a child.
Fancy candle
Fancy candles are candles adorned with beautiful patterns lit at the wedding. They are the most attractive decoration in the bridal chamber. Bridal chamber is the bedroom of the new weds. Apart from some daily necessities, the chamber is furnished with things embodying the wish for having a child soon. In terms of the decoration, paper-cutting is commonly used in North China and embroidery is a popular choice in the south. The most important ceremony is “making the bed” and the key of the ceremony is the quilt, which is normally sewed by a married woman with sons and daughters. And things embodying the meaning of praying for children, such as dates and walnuts are contained in the quilt.
Phoenix Coronet & Embroidered Tasseled Cape
A coronet was ancient women’s headwear and a cape was something like a shawl. A phoenix coronet and embroidered tasseled cape was the dress worn by the queen in ancient times and also referred to the gorgeous wedding gowns in former times.

Tags: Chinese wedding, wedding