Chinese weddings are loud, lucky and full of ritual. Even as young couples mix in Western styles, the traditions hold strong.
Red is the color: it means joy and good fortune — red bridal gowns (or red toasting dresses), red envelopes, red candles and double-happiness characters everywhere.
Proposal and bride price: traditionally the groom's family proposes and offers a bride price (cash or gold); in modern cities the families more often team up to support the young couple.
The tea ceremony: the couple kneels and serves tea to both sets of parents, then changes how they address them — "Mom, Dad" — and receives red envelopes in return. It's the emotional climax and the formal act of joining one family.
The banquet: usually 10-20 tables of ten, with auspicious dishes (fish = surplus every year, chicken = good fortune). Guests bring cash gifts in red envelopes (fènzi qián).
