Gish/Cultural Templates/Chinese wedding
Cultural template · Chinese wedding

A Chinese wedding, tea ceremony first.

From the morning tea ceremony with parents and elders to the multi-course evening banquet — the template carries both the family-facing rituals and the public celebration.

Modern Chinese weddings often blend traditional rituals with Western elements — white dress, qipao, second qipao, banquet, after-party. The template keeps the core and lets you add or remove around it.

01 · The ceremony at a glance

A wedding from morning tea to midnight toast.

A common shape across many Han Chinese weddings today — with substantial variation across mainland, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, and diaspora practices.

Common across many practices · variation by region and family
01
Pre-wedding
Guo da li / betrothal
Formal gift exchange between families — traditional foods, dragon and phoenix cakes, jewelry. Sets the wedding in motion.
02
Morning
Door games (chuangmen)
Groom and groomsmen are challenged by bridesmaids at the bride's door — games, dares, red envelopes — before he can see her.
03
Morning
Hair-combing & bride-fetching
Hair-combing ritual the night before; on the day, groom fetches bride. Red veil tradition in some families.
04
Midday
Tea ceremony
Couple serves tea to both sets of parents and elders, in order of seniority. Elders give red envelopes or jewelry in return — the heart of the family ritual.
05
Afternoon
Western ceremony (optional)
Many modern Chinese weddings include a white-dress ceremony with vows — for couples who want a Western-style moment.
06
Evening
Banquet
Multi-course banquet — eight or nine courses (eight = luck, nine = longevity). Couple toasts every table.
07
Evening
Qipao changes
Bride often changes — white gown, red qipao for tea/banquet entrance, second qipao or gown for toasting tables.
08
Late
After-party / door send-off
Couple at the door to thank departing guests; often hands out small favors.
02 · Suggested microsite structure

Microsite defaults.

Pages

  • Home / countdownOften shows both partners' names in English + Chinese characters; countdown to ceremony date.
  • Our storyHow you met, families, optional engagement story.
  • ScheduleMorning to evening — tea ceremony, banquet, toasting order.
  • Banquet menuCourse list with symbolic meaning per dish.
  • Travel & stayHotel block, banquet venue map.
  • Registry / hongbaoHongbao etiquette explainer for non-Chinese guests; optional registry.
  • RSVPPer-event RSVP — some guests attend banquet only.
  • Cultural glossaryDoor games, tea ceremony, hongbao, qipao explained.

Defaults & toggles

  • BilingualEnglish + Traditional or Simplified Chinese; pinyin optional.
  • Double-happiness motif囍 character available as design element.
  • Tea ceremony lineupEditable list — parents and elders in order of seniority.
  • Banquet seatingRound-table assignment tool with table names (peony, lotus, jade).
  • Color paletteDefault red & gold; modern alternates available.
  • Auspicious date displayLunar + Gregorian date shown together.
03 · Paper goods that fit

Red, gold, and double-happiness.

04 · Roles & honorees

Whose blessing the ceremony seeks.

Family

  • Parents (both sides)Receive tea first; bestow blessings and gifts.
  • Grandparents & eldersReceive tea in order of seniority — the order itself is the protocol.
  • Hao ming fu ren (good-fortune woman)An older married woman with a "complete" family — sometimes leads the hair-combing or bed-setting ritual.

Day-of party

  • Best man & bridesmaids (xiongdi / jiemei)Run the door games; defend the bride at her door.
  • MC / 司仪 (siyi)Banquet host — keeps toasts and games moving.
  • Witness eldersOften two senior figures invited to formally witness; named on the program.
05 · Gifting traditions

Hongbao — and how much goes in.

Guests give

  • Hongbao (红包)Red envelope with cash. Amount should be an even number (doubled luck) and avoid 4 (sounds like "death"). 8 is auspicious. Local cost-of-banquet norms apply.
  • Gold jewelryFrom close family — often given during tea ceremony.
  • Symbolic giftsLotus seeds, longans, peanuts — for fertility and harmony.

Couple gives back

  • Banquet favorsSmall wrapped sweets or candied lotus seeds.
  • Custom tea or chocolatesBranded tin or box as guest takeaway.
  • Thank-you cardsPrinted cards distributed at door send-off.
06 · Sample template preview

Microsite home page.

囍 The wedding of
恭喜恭喜 — with the blessings of our families

Wei & Mei

22 · 10 · 2027 · Hong Kong
Morning
Door games · Tea ceremony
Afternoon
Photos · Rest
Evening
Nine-course banquet
Our storyScheduleBanquet menuGlossaryRSVP

Start an Occasion from this template

The Chinese wedding structure pre-loaded — your families, date (lunar + Gregorian), banquet venue, language setup in the next step.

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