How I love weddings! This wedding I attended yesterday was special one too. My first Chinese wedding.. An experience to remember.Although I would have loved to stay through all the ceremonies I could attend only the reception in the evening at The Regent, Four Seasons hotel.
An extravagant, lovely, fairytale wedding.The bride being my collegue. On arrival at the ballroom I was amazed at all the bright lights and flowers that adorned the room.
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| The wedding album on display |
During the reception the happy couples montage is displayed also with a small video of the ceremony that has already taken place that morning( thats technolgy for you! Fast and trendy). On the morning of his wedding day, the groom is dressed by his parents. The groom arrives at the house of his bride . He brings gifts of cash, wrapped in red tissue, to give to his bride's friends, in exchange for 'letting her go'. The brides friends dont let go of the bride easily. This is the hilarious part. Just like in the North Indian weddings( if you remember Hum Apke Hain Koun) hiding shoes in return of the money? Something similar. The brides friends bully the groom and his friends . In this wedding the grooms party was made to eat bitter gourd with lemon, the groom had to peel a banana from his mouth and feed lip to lip to all his friends (!!!) and so on..What touched me the most was the Groom almost was in tears when he asked the brides parents for her hand in marriage! I felt my eyes getting moist (no kidding)
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| With the bride.. |
The wedding couple serves tea to both sets of parents while kneeling in front of them. gesture of asking for permission.This is the main ceremony which symbolises the wedding.Usually in a traditional wedding black clothes are not auspicious .
The reception is a grand affair! The food , the guests, the hotel etc..A welcoming speech was performed by an MC who is hired for the occasion. The speech is followed by a cake cutting ceremony. The wedding cake was immense, with many layers. The layers symbolize a ladder that they couple will 'climb to success'.. The cutting of the cake is the only event of the reception. The bride and groom feed each other a piece of cake .. A piece is then cut for each of the parents and for the grandparents, who are fed by the bride and groom holding the cake together. A wedding toast is given and guests are invited to greet the newlyweds and their parents.
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| the dress...! wow.. |
What I love about this wedding is the bride and the Groom give a speech to the guests. Reading out their vows(just like the christian weddings) . Voicing out in public how much you love your partner and all that romantic stuff saying how you will cherish and flourish etc etc.... sigh! We never even get to talk at our own weddings!
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| And the bride and groom enters...as a couple. |
Musical entertainment, is also a main attraction as the orchestra or band come table to table and sing the guests requests.It is customary for guests to shake hands again before leaving the reception. At this elaborate Chinese wedding we had a sit-down reception featuring a 10 course meal as well as musical entertainment.
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| ang pow |
The Ang pau is an envelope in which you gift the happy couple( cash) usually based on how lavish the wedding is. This is so that you can make up for the wedding costs for the newly married to have good luck and prosperity .
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| The Gang... |
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| Yay! We Rule! |
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Girls just wanna have fun..
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| A happy Bride. |
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My Dinner Menu ( Special order) 10 course !!
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How I love weddings! This wedding I attended yesterday was special one too. My first Chinese wedding.. An experience to remember.Although I would have loved to stay through all the ceremonies I could attend only the reception in the evening at The Regent, Four Seasons hotel.
Sounds like they have drawn inspiration from all cultures and clubbed it in to their own wedding. christian, indian, their own culture. I attended a punjabi wedding once, and its a treat also by itsself. Wedding goes on for 5 days. Can u imagine 5 DAYS!!!!! Poor bride and groom. I remember ur state in the evening the day you got married, u were drained and almost on the verge of collapse... hehehehe. imagine 5 days of that misery( or is it happiness of marriage??)) hmmm..
ReplyDeleteWhen i read each word feel like was in wedding.... u r a total wirter come journalist now :))))) keep going and amazing to here about chinese wedding and which is almost matches south indian wedding too.
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