When wedding bells ring

In urban China, some young couples tend to choose the more westernized wedding style. Getting married is joyous but tiresome. On their wedding day, Chen and her groom, accompanied by a bridesmaid and groomsman, stood at the gate of the hotel for hours greeting guests. When each guest was finally seated, it was time for the bride and the groom to make their entrance. With soft music playing in the background, the couple walked in arm-in-arm, smiling and noticeably happy. The guests welcomed the newlyweds with a standing ovation. When Chen and her groom arrived at the platform of the festively-decorated hall, the ceremony began with a man delivering an opening speech to congratulate the new couple. This was followed with the ritual of exchanging rings and taking vows of loving one another forever. Part of the ritual requires the newlyweds to each take a glass (usually filled with Champagne), intertwine their arms and take a sip as a gesture of their affection and love for each other. It is believed that after this display the newlyweds will love each other more dearly.

When the ritual concluded the banquet began, with guests wishing the new couple all the best with various toasts. Congratulations were expressed in different ways: Some family members tended to be more “polite”, giving red envelopes of money as a gift, the most popular wedding present in China. In most cases, a reception desk is ready at the entrance of the wedding venue, where guests are supposed to register their names and the amount of money they have brought as gifts. Young friends of the bride and groom preferred to have fun with the couple as their way of giving congratulations, adding a light-hearted atmosphere to the banquet.

There are many ways to celebrate a newly-wedded couple, with banquet customs differing across China. In some regions, parents of the bride and groom are gently made fun of at the ceremony; in other places, it’s the bridesmaids and groomsmen who are the targets.

In the past after a banquet, friends of the new couple would crowd into the bridal chamber to tease the newlyweds on their wedding night and play jokes on them. This practice, however, is no longer a wedding custom in urban China today. Though many rituals and traditions are carried on, others are set aside and new ones are introduced, sometimes much to the relief of the new bride and groom.

For Addie and her man, just getting over the exhausting last few months will take some time for recovery. Nevertheless, they now have a lifetime worth of memories to treasure and the knowledge that they put it all together themselves.