When it comes to wedding traditions, the Chinese wedding culture is known for its colorful practices as well as sophisticated rituals. Chinese traditional marriage rituals became a custom between 402-221 B.C. Despite China’s long history and many different geographical areas, there are basically six rituals, generally known as the three letters and six etiquette. The Traditional Three Letters Unlike the western tradition in which the man and woman would usually go on courtship, engagement, then the wedding, Chinese tradition of marriage is commonly influenced by the parents or elders in which is usually initiated by a series of three letters.

The request letter is sent from the groom’s family to the bride’s family, and formally requests a marriage. The gift letter accompanies the gifts of the groom’s family to the bride’s family shortly before the wedding. The wedding letter is given on the day of the wedding, officially accepting the bride into the groom’s family. The Six Etiquette After the traditional letters have been successfully accomplished, the traditional six etiquette is then to follow. These etiquettes include: Proposal: When an unmarried boy’s parents find a potential daughter-in-law. They then located a matchmaker whose job was to assuage the conflict of interests and general embarrassments on the part of two families largely unknown to each other when discussing the possibility of marriage. Birthdates: If the potential daughter-in-law’s family did not object to the proposal, the matchmaker would then compare the couples’ birthdates. If according to Chinese astrology the couple is compatible they would then proceed to the next step. Bride price (Betrothal gifts): At this point the bridegroom’s family arranges for the matchmaker to present bride price (betrothal gifts), including the betrothal letter, to the bride’s family. Wedding gifts: The groom’s family will then send an elaborate array of food, cakes, and religious items to the bride’s family. Arranging the wedding: The two families will arrange a wedding day which will bring the most luck to the couple, again based on the Chinese calendar mythology. Wedding Ceremony: The final ritual is the actual wedding ceremony where bride and groom become a married couple, which consists of many elaborate parts including the wedding procession (wedding procession from bride’s home would march to the groom’s home), welcoming the bride (wedding procession of the bride’s family stops at the door of the groom’s home), actual wedding ceremonies (equivalent to exchanging vows in the west), and the wedding banquet (equivalent to wedding reception). For more information visit to our site at http://philippineweddingplanner.com

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