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Chinese Wedding Frequently Asked Questions, for Brides & Groom

| When should I start preparing for my wedding? | How do I choose an auspicious wedding date? | I want to have a Chinese wedding, but my in-laws are Christians, how can I combine a church wedding with a traditional Chinese wedding? |How many dresses should I prepare for my wedding, and what kind of dresses do I need? | Some of the Grand Gifts are hard to find, can I substitute with something else? | Planner |

• You should start preparing 6 months before the wedding. Since marriage in Chinese culture is considered the joining of two families, you need to arrange a proposal and betrothal meeting for parents from both families. You will also need to make arrangement for wedding gown, banquet venue or church if you so choose. (...back)

• You should choose a even number date for the wedding. The more even numbers the merrier, e.g., Saturday, October 28, 2004. Sometimes, people choose date with special meaning, e.g. lunar calendar September 9th is a festival for family reunion, and the Nine means "forever". (...back)

• In modern China, more and more young couples favor a church wedding for its solemn surrounding and the holly wedding vow. You may combine the two styles together and cater to both families. First, perform traditional Chinese rituals at home, e.g., hair-dressing ritual, tea ceremony, etc. Then after the bride has served tea to her in-laws and bowed to the ancestral tablets, proceed to the church to exchange wedding vows. After the banquet, you can continue to have the traditional bridal chamber party at the wedding night. (...back)

• The bride change dresses a few times during the wedding while the groom changes once or does not change. In the morning, the bride is usually dressed in traditional Chinese wedding gown.  She won't change until after she has served tea to her in-laws. Then she changes to  western style white wedding gown for the ceremony in which the newlyweds will bow to the heaven and the earth, the ancestor's tablets and to each other. At the wedding banquet, the bride changes to a formal day time gown, and the newlyweds will serve wine to every guests at the wedding. The last one is a night gown she wears when she sees the guests off at the end of the banquet.  The groom usually is dressed in a Chinese men's traditional gown in the morning, then change to cocktail suit before the banquet.. It is also acceptable to wear a formal suit instead of cocktail suit. (...back)

• Generally speaking, you can always substitute Grand Gifts with cash, particularly named Li Shi, usually wrapped in red envelope. The Li Shi money usually comes in $99 or $999, as the pronunciation of Nine is the same as "long and forever." However, presentation of Grand Gifts is a symbolic gesture of appreciation to the bride's family for raising her and marrying her away. (...back)

The following schedule is meant to help you organize the weeks and months before your wedding. You will find that being organized will not only help to save you money, but will significantly reduce the stress and anxiety level surrounding your special occasion.

| 6 months - 12 months before the wedding | 4 to 5 Months before the wedding | 2 to 3 Months before the Wedding | 1 Month before the Wedding | 2 Weeks Before the Wedding | 2 Days Before the Wedding | 1 Day Before the Wedding |

6 months - 12 months before the wedding

• Inform parents of bride's and groom's about the upcoming wedding. 

• Formally introduce parents from two families to meet and discuss the upcoming marriage and wedding. The parents will decide which family pays for what part of the wedding.

• Select a wedding date and decide the wedding style.

• Decide either to have a simple wedding, Chinese wedding or western wedding. 

• Decide on a wedding budget. 

• Check on your financial status and possible contribution from both families.

• Decide the banquet style, venue and time, then book the restaurant.

• It's important to decide and arrange the banquet long before the wedding to avoid last-minute rush. Restaurant with great location and food runs out fast in peak wedding season.

• Make fitness and facial plan. 

• Start contacting stylist to make a practical plan to keep fit in the next six to twelve months in order to display that glowing charm of the newlyweds.

• Either buy or rent a new home , you need to start early. (...back)

4 to 5 Months before the wedding

• Contact wedding host for your reception.

• A wedding host is either a professional wedding coordinator hired from the agency, or a respectable elder relative from either family. This wedding host is responsible for the smooth procession of the wedding. If you decide to have a wedding at the church, contact the pastor and ask for the rules of church wedding, such as documents, decoration and photography.

• Book the reception site if you want a church wedding.

• Draft guest list along with both parents.

• Start selecting invitation.

• Draft invitation literature, decide on design and price. You may print the directions to your wedding reception site. Note: you need to proofread the content before having the shop print all copies.

• Invite bride's maids and best men as well as party attendants.

• Decide on wedding dress.

• Bride should decide weather you want the wedding gown tailor-made or rented; collect fashion and style information; order or rent Chinese traditional wedding gown, night gown, matching jewelries, headpiece, etc. Groom should order or rent tuxedo or suit.

• Select dresses and suit for bride's maids and best men.

• Choose a theme color of your wedding and then select dresses and design accordingly. Usually you can take into account the color of your reception site

• Design on interior design of your new home, make a list of furniture and accessories...Furniture & Interior design

• Select a wedding registry, choose wedding gift you want and inform relatives and friends, if such service is available

• Make honeymoon travel plan.

• Decide on travel budget, destination and itinerary; do research on local weather, language and currency; check passport expiration date; apply for visa.

• Pre-wedding medical check-up. (...back)

2 to 3 Months before the Wedding

• Go to the marriage registration office to officially register.

• Groom's family purchase Grand Gift items.

• Bride's family prepares for dowry.

• Decide on music and band.

• For church wedding, consult with the pastor on chore, music and speech. For Chinese wedding, contact respectable elder relatives to deliver greeting speech at the reception.

• Book photographer and videographer.

• Make sure the duration of the service and amount of photo to be taken. Picture session usually covers the bride's first emergence from her home till the end of the banquet.

• Decide on banquet menu, order wine or liquor.

• Book flowers for bridal bouquet, suit-front, church wrath and the car...Florist

• Book wedding cake from the bakery.

• Intensive fitness care, including body fitness, facial and hair care. Decide on stylist for wedding day make-up and hair-do.

• Purchase travel accessories for honeymoon trip. (...back)

1 Month before the Wedding

• Proposal & Betrothal Meeting.

• The groom's family will present the Grand Gifts to the bride's family.

• The bride's family sends over the dowry with inventory list.

• Decide on final list of guests and party attendants.

• Decide on ritual formalities to be performed at the wedding.

• Decide on rehearsal time and location. Chinese wedding usually skips rehearsal.

• Decide on the seating arrangement for the wedding banquet.

• Mail invitations. Invitations to close relatives and friends are attached with dragon-phoenix cake as a form of announcement.

• Try out wedding gowns, make necessary alteration.

• Book matching shoes for the gowns; try on jewelries, head piece, red veil and other ornaments; buy underwear and gloves.

• Purchase gifts for bride's maids, best men and party attendants.

• Contact travel agent, book tickets and hotel for honeymoon. (...back)

2 Weeks Before the Wedding

• Confirm with the pastor on the delivery of wedding documents.

• Invite bride's maids, best men and party attendants to dinner.

• Confirm banquet menu and the number of tables.

• Purchase Guest Book, dragon-phoenix banner for signature and red envelopes for Li Shi money.

• Try on wedding hair-do, make-up and wedding gowns.

• Take out-door wedding photos.

• Pack accessories for moving to the new home 1 Week Before the Wedding

• Church rehearsal, inform essential attendees.

• Decide on one friend who will take care of the bride's personal belongings on the wedding day.

• Bride invites the sister's team for lunch. Groom invites brother's team for lunch. Don't wait till the night before the wedding day to avoid exhaustion. (...back)

2 Days Before the Wedding

• Confirm with "good luck woman" on the date and time of hair-dressing ritual.

• Order roast suckling pig for Three-Day Return visit to the bride's home.

• Explain wedding details to parents and party attendants, confirm everybody's duty at the wedding.

• Decorate the church or reception site, and banquet site.

• Shave, manicure, and facial.

• Prepare enough cash for church, restaurant, open-door Li Shi, tips.

• Prepare iron board, iron, mirror, needle and thread for emergency. 

• Remind the guests and party attendants by phone.

• Pick up air-tickets, packing for honeymoon trip. (...back)

1 Day Before the Wedding

• Bride's hair-dressing ritual performed by "good luck woman" or elder female relative.

• Send out wedding procession list and seating arrangement form.

• Pack accessories for the wedding.

• Confirm with stylist and hair dresser and photographer for time of arrival.

• Take a hot bath or apply aroma therapy.

• Go to sleep early. (...back)

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