THE WEDDING CEREMONY

Tears, the Bridal Sedan and Motherly Advice

The Wedding Ceremony Begins with the Bridal Sedan.

Before the bride would leave to go to the bridegrooms home,
the good luck woman would lead her to the sedan chair.
On her way to the chair, one of her sisters would shield
her with a red parasol, while another sister would throw
rice at the sedan chair. On the back of the sedan hung
a sieve and a metallic mirror that were believed to protect
the bride from evil.
Before the bride got into the bridal sedan chair bound
for her new home, it was common practice for the bride to cry
to show that she did not want to leave her parents. She would
cry over the love and care her parents had given her for so
many years. At this moment, the brides mother would pass
on to her daughter the secrets of how to be an adequate wife
and daughter-in-law, how to handle the household with thrift
and decency as well as make herself pleasant to every one of
the new family.

Going to the Groom's Home with the

The day before the wedding, it was customary

for the bridegroom visit the brides family and greet
all the family members of the bride, but he could
not see his bride. On the day of the wedding, after
various rites were performed, the bride was carried
to the sedan chair by her father or elder brother
with the bridegroom standing by. When everything
was all right, the bridegroom could leave. The
bridegroom had still not seen his bride at this
point in time. Her face and hair covered by a
red silk veil.
Now it was time to take the bride to the
bridegrooms home. Usually a crowd of friends
would escort the bridegroom and musicians would
play joyful tunes during the entire trip. Dancing lions
proceeded the troup followed by the honor guard tha
t the bridegroom had sent to the brides home earlier
in the day, followed by the bride in the bridal sedan.
In ancient times, a decorated donkey was used to
transport the bride if the family could not afford a bridal sedan.

Chinese Wedding Ceremony - Formal Bows

After the wedding party arrived at the bridegrooms

home, the bridal sedan would stop in front of the
bridegrooms bridal chamber. An elder woman who
had many offspring would take the hand of the bride and
help her out of the sedan chair. The old woman would
feed boiled rice dumplings to both the bride and bridegroom
as the round shape of the dumplings signified harmony
and union. Then candles and incense were lighted and
the bridegroom and the bride held the two ends of a red
ribbon and met on the red carpet.
The would bow to each other and then drink from
the nuptial cups. Next, came the climax of the whole
ceremony. The bride and bridegroom were led to the
family altar where the couple kowtowed in succession
to Heaven and Earth , the family ancestors and parents.
The bride and groom once again bowed to each other and
were then led to the bridal chamber. The ceremony
continued under the prompts and applauses of the audience.

Teasing Games in the Bridal

The games began when the newly wed couple

entered the bridal chamber after the wedding
ceremony. Usually all the young men would
participate except for the brides brother-in-laws.
The funny and silly games were to help ease the
tension, as in ancient times, the newlyweds had
never met each other b efore the wedding.

Greeting Family and The Bridal Chamber

By the evening of the wedding day, or failing

that, the next day, the bride would customarily
greet the uncles and aunts of the grooms family.
Then she would be led by the younger aunt to greet
all the family elders. The next evening, the new couple
would have their supper (known as Bridal Chamber Supper)
together in their bridal chamber for the first time.
On the third day, the bride and groom would salute the
memorial tablets of ancestors, which meant to show that
the marriage was not only for the bridegroom, but more
importantly, for continuing ancestral life.

Bride Returns to Parent's Home

Traditionally, three days after the wedding,

the newlyweds return to visit the brides parents.
A month after the wedding, the bride would visit
her pa rents home again accompanied by her husband
and bringing many kind gifts. The bridegroom would
return home the same day, but the bride would stay
at her parents home for several days.