Next the groom will serve his mom, “Mother, please drink the tea”. After drinking the groom’s, the bride will then offer to the dad also saying, “Father, please drink the tea”. Ensure that you always serve the teacups with two hands and greet them by their formal title in the family.įor example, the groom will offer to his dad first, “Father, please drink the tea”. The couple should serve the male relative first and then the female relative.

What are the steps to Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony?įor each round, the groom is to serve the tea first followed by the bride. This is to reduce the hustle of travelling back and forth from houses. Just a short and simple affair of serving tea to some of their significant elders on both sides of the family, hosting it at a small function room or reception area of the hotel.Īlternatively, some couples decide to have the tea ceremony done at the bride’s family side first when the groom comes to pick up the bride, before heading to the groom’s house. We also see more and more couples having their tea ceremony on their wedding day, moments before their wedding reception. However in today’s time, some couples may choose an auspicious day before their wedding ceremony and will hold the tea ceremony together at the same location for both sides of the family. After the tea ceremony for the groom’s family is done, the couple will then head back to the bride’s house (回门) to proceed with the tea ceremony for the bride’s side of the family. Traditionally, the tea ceremony will begin with the groom’s side of the family in the morning of the wedding day after the groom fetches his bride (接新娘) to his home (过门). When and Where to hold the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony? The change in greeting to the elders and relatives signifies that the couple has officially entered into their partner’s family and the formal union of two families. Couples kneel in front of their elders while offering their teacup shows the greatest form of respect to them.ĭuring the tea ceremony, new titles are used to address each other, such as the couple calling their partner’s parents, ‘mum and dad’, instead of ‘aunty and uncle’. For Chinese wedding tea ceremonies, serving tea to the elders of the family is a form of honour and showing gratitude to them for raising you up since you were young. But one thing in common is that tea ceremonies should be done properly in respect. There are many different types of tea ceremonies exercised around the world with varying practices and meaning. So why tea? Why not coffee or juice? Signifying purity and loyalty, serving tea in weddings is a symbolic act of showing their pure and faithful love for each other, thus the use of tea instead. Significance of Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremonyĭated back to the Tang Dynasty, the element of tea in Chinese weddings has been a long-established tradition. Throughout the process, good wishes and red angbaos will be given to the couple to extend their blessings to the couple. During the tea ceremony, the couple will serve tea to both sides of the parents and elders in the family as a form of respect. What is the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony?Ĭhinese Wedding Tea Ceremony, 敬茶 in Chinese, is directly translated as to offer tea. Preparing the Tea for the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony.What are the steps to Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony?.When and Where to hold the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony?.Significance of Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony.What is the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony?.Discuss with both sides of the parents and elders in the family beforehand, and as long as both sides of the family are agreeable to the changes, all is good to go! With the influence of Western practices, much of the practices in the Chinese tea ceremony have been modernized for convenience. So, to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your relatives or making mistakes to your future-in-laws here’s everything you need to know about the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony.ĭo remember to contact Just Married Films for your wedding videography and wedding photography needs for your Wedding Day. There are numerous steps and elements in the Chinese wedding tea ceremony that carry specific symbolization. You may have attended a Chinese tea ceremony before, and everything might seem fairly simple and easy – just serving tea right? However, there is lots of preparation to prepare beforehand and many nitty-gritty details to take note of during the process that you might not know. Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony is a significant tradition in Chinese weddings that is still commonly practiced in Singapore.

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