Chinese Wedding Theme
A traditional Chinese wedding is steeped in meaningful and sometimes bizarre rituals. The night before the wedding, newlyweds must go through a hair combing ceremony. It begins with the couple taking a bath in water filled with pomelo leaves to ward off evil spirits. Then, the couple slips into new pyjamas and slippers and have their hair brushed by a female relative with good fortune. The actual wedding day begins with the loud honking from a convoy of cars to announce the arrival of the groom and his heng tai (groomsmen) for a fun-filled gatecrashing ceremony! They are asked to play a series of games by the ji mui (bridesmaids) so expect to see the groom and his entourage performing backbreaking yoga poses or even endure a leg waxing procedure! Once they have accomplished all the tasks and ‘bribed’ the maid of honour with a red packet, the lucky groom gets to see his bride and proceeds with one of the most significant events in a Chinese wedding – the tea ceremony. Here, the newlyweds are required to serve tea to the elders in the family as a sign of respect and to introduce the newlyweds to each other’s family formally. After serving tea to the elders, it’s time for the newlyweds to be served by the younger generations! In return, the couples will give out red packets to the children. At night, guests are treated to an elaborate 8-course wedding banquet.