Ceremony and Banquet

The average Chinese wedding reception is very different from those held in the West. Characterized by a series of risqué games, a lavish banquet, and plenty of baijiu (strong rice liquor), the Chinese way of celebrating recent nuptials is colourful, boisterous, and above all, fun.

Candy plays several small but essential roles in any traditional Chinese wedding. Typically, candy is exchanged between the families as a traditional symbol of happiness and fruitful offspring. Wedding candy is also often handed out or displayed at the reception feast, or offered as a wedding favor to the guests.

The reception feast is the most important aspect of a modern Chinese wedding. Usually extravagant and opulent, receptions are a chance for the families (especially the groom’s family who, traditionally, pays for the feast) to show off their wealth and happiness about the new marriage.

Music is incorporated into many aspects of a Chinese wedding. More traditionally styled weddings opt for more traditional musical genres, while modern weddings may also feature jazz music or pop songs sung in Mandarin or Cantonese, depending on where the couple is from.

Food is one of the most important elements of Chinese culture, so it of course plays a crucial role in any traditional Chinese wedding. As the wedding banquet is the time for the parents and families of the bride and groom to celebrate the new marriage and display their wealth and happiness, Chinese wedding feasts are usually lavish and exorbitant.