10 Chinese Wedding Traditions

Chinese weddings are visually stunning and rich in centuries-old traditions that add to their significance. Whether it's the vibrant reds representing luck and prosperity or the heartfelt tea ceremonies expressing gratitude to elders, each tradition carries deep symbolism that’s rooted in Chinese culture. Couples have the option to embrace a traditional Chinese wedding or choose a multicultural celebration that beautifully incorporates the traditions of both partners' cultures if they are different. 

If you’re planning an Asian wedding and want to celebrate the Chinese heritage by incorporating special traditions into your celebration, here are a handful you might want to consider including on your big day. 

1. Cai Qing or The Betrothal

The Cai Qing, also known as betrothal gifts, is the presentation of gifts from the groom's family to the bride's family as part of the marriage proposal. Gifted items include black tea, cakes, gold jewelry, and sometimes even money. These gifts symbolize respect and show the groom’s ability to provide for the bride. It is essentially the formal proposal to the bride and her parents. 

2. Choosing the Wedding Date

To honor Chinese culture, the wedding date isn’t just picked based on venue availability. Instead, couples will typically see a fortune teller or Chinese monk to choose an auspicious date for the wedding. The final wedding day will be based on the Chinese lunar calendar and both of their astrological signs. 

3. Preparing the Bed

Preparing the Bed, also known as "An Chuang," typically occurs a few days before the wedding. Notable married family members will prepare the bed with red sheets and dragon and phoenix symbols to represent happiness and fertility. Once the bed has been prepared, it’s left untouched until the night of the wedding. 

4. Hair Combing Ceremony 

The Hair Combing ceremony is a Chinese wedding tradition that typically takes place in the bride’s home the day before the ceremony. Usually performed by the bride’s parents, it’s a meaningful moment allowing parents to express their love for their daughter. The parents will brush the bride’s hair while offering words of wisdom and well wishes. It symbolizes the transition into adulthood and marriage. 

5. Gate Crashing and Door Games 

Chinese traditions have been modernized. While there are no longer lavish professionals, the journey to pick up the bride remains a playful tradition. When the groom and groomsmen arrive at the bride’s home, they will have to complete a variety of door games. These are essentially challenges chosen by the bridesmaids. They’ll often have to complete entertaining tasks, give gifts, or even money before they are allowed to enter and see the bride. 

This lighthearted Chinese tradition symbolizes the groom’s desire to win over the bride and his willingness to go through and take on any challenges in marriage. 

6. Double Happiness Symbol

The Double Happiness Symbol has a long history in Chinese culture. This symbol is predominantly featured in wedding invitations, wedding cakes, incorporated into fashion designs, or other Chinese wedding décor. It’s a symbol of good fortune and a prosperous marriage. 

7. Auspicious Colors

Within Chinese culture, certain colors are considered auspicious and often associated with positive meanings like luck, prosperity, and joy. The two primary colors are red and gold—hence why these colors are so prevalent in Asian-inspired wedding décor. 

From Chinese wedding flower arrangements to a Chinese wedding arch, the majority of the flowers will be pops of red, symbolizing happiness, good fortune, and prosperity. Chinese wedding centerpieces and other details will be accented with gold, symbolizing wealth, abundance, and prosperity. It’s also common to see these colors influence fashion, with brides typically wearing red traditional Chinese wedding gowns and Chinese wedding hair accessories.

8. Chinese Tea Ceremony

During the tea ceremony, the couple will serve tea to their elders, including parents and elders like grandparents, to show respect and gratitude. Bridesmaids hand the couple a red tea set with a Double Happiness symbol or dragons as they kneel before their elders and serve the black tea. In return, after each parent has taken a sip of tea, the couple will receive a red envelope containing money or gold jewelry. This will start with the groom's parents, followed by the bride’s. 

Those having a multicultural American Chinese wedding will often still include a tea ceremony before their Western-inspired ceremony. While tea ceremonies were generally held at home, they are now usually held at the wedding banquet venue or hotel. 

9. The Wedding Banquet 

After you’ve recited your vows and the wedding ceremony is complete, the couple will celebrate with a lavish banquet reception. Whether you’ve hosted a Western ceremony or a traditional small Chinese ceremony, both would typically be followed with a celebration of this size. Essentially, it’s a multi-course meal packed with auspicious food like fish, duck, and lotus seeds—all with a distinct meaning. After food is served, toasts, also known as “yam seng,” will be made to congratulate the newlyweds. 

10. Three Days After 

For those planning an Asian-style wedding, traditions stretch beyond the wedding day itself. Three days after the wedding, the bride returns to her family’s home for a tradition known as "Hui Men Guo Mu." This visit is meant to strengthen the ties between both families, allowing them to celebrate the merging of two families through marriage.

Hire Vendors With Chinese Wedding Experience

If you’re planning a wedding that incorporates Chinese traditions, you’ll want to choose your vendors wisely. You want a team of professionals who value the traditions and have experience bringing cultural weddings to life. For those in search of florists in the San Francisco Bay area who have experience with Chinese weddings, meet Flowers Valley. This award-winning florist team offers Chinese decorations for weddings that exceed expectations. Flowers Valley understands that every event is unique, so it creates personalized wedding proposals tailored specifically to your desired flowers and color palette. 

Ready to bring your floral dreams to life? Contact Flowers Valley by filling out the form. The team of experts combines your inspiration with years of expertise to create a custom proposal and transparent price breakdown so you know what to expect. With its knowledge paired with your vision, Flower Valley will work magic to make your wedding day truly unforgettable.