Shoes are usually the last thing a bride and groom think about when planning their wedding, but shoe etiquette has long played an important role in Chinese weddings. The Chinese word for ‘shoe’, xie, sounds similar to the word for ‘harmony’, and so they were considered an important symbol for weddings.

Confucianism is one of the cornerstones of Chinese culture. Centered on the teachings of Confucius, or Master Kong, the philosophy came into being several thousand years ago and continues to be an important part of the Chinese system of values.

Traditionally, Chinese wedding celebrations lasted for three days, which included a number of customs and rites. Today, however, modern couples tend to pack all of the customs into just one day if they are doing a traditional Chinese wedding. One such custom is the bride’s home visit.

2011 is the Year of the Rabbit on the Chinese calendar. Starting on February 3, 2011 and going until January 22, 2010, the Year of the Rabbit is meant to be a very good time for couples to get married. This is because the Rabbit is seen as a peaceful symbol of Chinese astrology and it is often associated with good relationships and friendships.

Chinese weddings are very traditional events, and they have a long history of customs going all the way back to the earliest dynasties. Historically, Chinese marriages were arranged by the parents of the couple, for the purposes of political and social gain, moreso than romantic love, and so many of the customs surrounding Chinese weddings stem from those early arrangements.