Chinese Weddings Guide

Wedding Tea Ceremony 敬茶

The tea ceremony is one with the most substantial event from the modern chinese wedding ceremony, second only to fetching the bride. The bride and groom are formally introduced to each and every other’s family via this ceremony.

Order of service

It will commonly take place for the wedding day when most of the household members are present. If some members aren’t accessible, supplementary sessions is usually conducted at the wedding dinner or at other convenient times and locations.

The order of service is generally

- parents,

- grandparents,

- grand-uncles and grand-aunties,

- uncles and aunties,

- elder brothers and sisters,

- elder cousins.

For some household, grandparents are served before parents. Within each and every generation, dad’s relatives are served prior to mum’s relatives.

To kneel or not to kneel

In extremely traditional family, the young couple is needed to serve tea whilst kneeling down. Most modern family only requires them to bow while serving tea.

Do you use a special tea set?

A brand new tea set is included in the bride’s dowry. It commonly comprises of four tea cups and a tea pot without any milk jar and sugar pot. Popular designs consist of those with double joy, dragon and phoenix, or poeny flowers and gold trimmings.

This new tea set are going to be employed for the groom’s side tea ceremony. About the bride’s side, the parent’s tea set from their own wedding will probably be utilized if it’s still obtainable. Otherwise, a new tea set may be used.

What’s within the tea?

Sweet tea boiled with dried longan, lotus seeds and red dates are used for that Tea ceremony. Red dates 红枣 (hongzao), longan 龙眼 (longyan), and lotus seeds 莲� (lianzi), represents the family’s wish for the couple to have sons soon following the wedding 早生贵子(zaoshengguizi). The sweetness symbolises harmony and sweetness from the couple’s union.

Red packets cash gifts or jewellery?

The tea ceremony gifts such as red packets or jewellery are presented around the serving plate following drinking the tea. Commonly the relatives from the bride will present her with jewellery rather than red packets. This is referred to as “adding to her dowry” 添嫁妆.

When will you’ve the tea ceremony for your bride’s side?

The tea ceremony for that bride’s side is typically carried out during the bride’s household visit. Occasionally the distance between the bride and groom’s property is too far apart for your bride’s house visit to be on the same day as the wedding day. In this case, the bride’s side tea ceremony may possibly be conducted when the groom arrives to fetch the bride.