Chinese wedding tea ceremony

I finally have some time to go through the amazing photos from our Vancouver wedding reception taken by Gracci and Rico, who run Pelaez Photography. The photos below are their fine work.

A Chinese wedding tea ceremony can be a way to honour your elders, and to welcome the bride and groom into the other’s family.

Traditionally, separate ceremonies are held at the family homes of both the bride and groom, but with time constraints and modern amendments, it’s often done before a Western wedding ceremony or reception.

Having grown up watching tea ceremonies, I definitely wanted the tradition to be part of our wedding reception in Vancouver where most of my relatives live.

I was extremely excited to wear the qua that my aunt, mother and sister had worn for their ceremonies. The two-piece outfit is embroidered with heavy silver thread in a dragon and phoenix pattern. Designed to be passed down through families, the jacket is baggy and the skirt has a drawstring waistband and suspenders!

We did our tea ceremony at the Victoria Chinese Restaurant a few hours before the wedding banquet began there. We started with my dad’s eldest relatives and then moved down the list, followed by my mom’s side and then Jason’s family.

Traditionally, we’re supposed to kneel in front of the relatives but everyone thought that was pretty outdated and agreed we could bow instead.

Jason and I both offer the cup of tea to a relative and address them by their formal title (3rd uncle, for example). They sip the tea, then give us a red envelope of lucky money, or jewelry, and wedding advice in return.

The tea was made with lotus seeds and red dates (莲子红枣茶), which symbolize newlyweds bearing children quickly and often. Also, the sweetness is a wish for sweet relations between families.

Personally, I think the tea tastes gross, but I didn’t have to drink it.