Congratulations, you are engaged, and the next step after that is to start planning your wedding. If you are reading this, it is safe to say that you want to plan a traditional Asian wedding.
To do so, you will need to ensure that you include common Asian wedding traditions throughout the wedding to have the best experience possible. Do not worry; we have created a guide that will detail the traditions used in Asian weddings.
Choose Your Wedding Date Wisely
One thing that people in the Asian culture know a lot about is luck. When choosing your wedding date, it is not uncommon for people to visit a fortune teller to determine which day is the best to host the wedding.
If you are not into sitting down with a fortune teller, you can choose whichever date you wish as long as it is not during the last 15th night in the seventh lunar month. During the seventh lunar month is what is known as the ‘Hungry Ghost Festival.”
You do not want to have a wedding during this time because Asian culture states that during this month, in particular, is when deceased relatives get released from hell to roam. We do not know about you, but we would not want ghosts spooking our wedding guests either.
Implement the Hair Combing Ceremony
While there are some things that Disney movies do not get right, one thing they did is the way that Mulan’s hair got prepared before she set off to see the matchmaker. If you want to note Asian wedding traditions for your wedding, one tradition you cannot skip is the hair combing ceremony.
This ceremony will happen on the day of the wedding inside the bride’s home. Someone with good fortune will light dragon candles around the room as they comb the bride’s hair.
The ceremony is used to depict that the bride and groom are now of age to get married. Sometimes the ceremony gets performed by both parents, but it can be performed by one as they recite the litany of blessings as they comb the bride and groom’s hair.
Not only is this a special time that is observed in Asian traditions, but it is also a wonderful time to capture some sweet pictures that the newlywed couple can look back on after the wedding festivities have ended.
Play Door Games
Chuangmen is an ancient idea that the bride is a prized possession of her patents. She is thought of so highly that her parents will not allow her to marry with ease, and the man who hopes to marry her will need to prove that he is worthy of her hand in marriage.
During modern-day weddings, the groom will have to play a series of fun games before he’s able to move along. Some of the games that are commonly played are the question and answer games.
The groom will be asked a series of questions to provide the correct answer before granting access to the bride. Another game is the “no money, no honey game.”
The groom will need to present a series of envelopes to the bridesmaids with money in them. When the bridesmaids are satisfied with the envelopes, they will give him his bride.
Bring Back the Tea Ceremony
In Asian culture, the wedding isn’t all about the bride and groom. It is also about honoring the parents that have raised them. The tea ceremony is a beautiful way to shift focus to the parents before everyone continues to focus on the bride and groom.
When you participate in the tea ceremony, the bride’s father will hand her over to the groom. After this is done, they with both knees on some tea pillows facing the bride and groom’s parents.
After the prayer is said, the bride and groom will each take their turn serving tea to both sets of parents. Several types of teas are used for this part of the ceremony that you’re sure to love.
Gift of Hong Bao
Instead of a table piled high with gifts, it’s more traditional to be presented with envelopes of money. This way of gift-giving in Asian culture is much easier than creating a registry for guests to follow.
Hong Bao means red envelopes and is the way that money should be presented to the newlywed couple. Ensure that guests understand not to present hong bao in a set of four.
This number is frowned upon because the word four also sounds like death and is not something you want to wish upon the couple as they are getting married. If guests are elderly, they will commonly gift the couple with jewelry or other small gifts.
Dress the Part
Instead of opting for the modern way of dressing, choose traditional wear for the wedding. If you are going to do things traditionally, you have got to include the 2-4 dresses that women wear in Asian culture.
During the wedding celebration, you will wear various dresses, but you will put on your white gown for the ceremony.
Asian Wedding Traditions: Planning the Ultimate Traditional Wedding
When it comes to Asian wedding traditions, there are several that you might want to incorporate into your big day. Traditions like the hair combing ceremony where you receive blessings or the tea ceremony to honor your parents are all a part of a traditional wedding.
Do you need more help when planning your wedding, such as more helpful tips or choosing vendors? If so, contact the Wedding Details because we know that it is all in the details to have the best wedding possible.
Wedding Details is your comprehensive guide to all aspects of your wedding. From traditional ceremonies to questions regarding the guests, our website offers you one place to do all your research.