There’s an unofficial name for today – Twosday. It’s 2.22.2022 and it’s indeed a Tuesday. All around the world lovebirds are making today their wedding day, believing it to be the luckiest day of the year to tie the knot.

So, in the spirit of everlasting love, we’re dedicating all our posts to marriage today.

If you ever get invited to a Chinese wedding, you have to go! They’re super fun – at least for the guests! However, as our writer Nimo Wanjau explains, there are some essential things to know and expect before showing up on the big day.

Witness

In a Chinese wedding, there isn’t a signing of the marriage certificate after saying the vows, as this is done beforehand at the registrar’s office at the local government’s office. You will find that the ceremony is more of a presentation of the couple. Sometimes, the couple will have been legally married for weeks, sometimes years, before the wedding ceremony takes place.

Photographs

Well, you must have seen couples in the parks or famous landmarks in wedding attire getting photos taken. This is for the wedding album and/or banners at the wedding. The wedding album contains more romantic scenes than photos taken at the actual wedding. These photos are usually displayed at the wedding ceremony and at the couple’s home later on.

Gifts

Couples won’t have a registry of the things you can give for gifts but the custom is to give the couple money in red envelopes (or hongbao). The money shouldn’t be in multiples of four as this is considered a sign of bad luck. Additional note by editor: In these cases, the number 9 has a nice ring to it, as it sounds like “long-lasting” in Chinese, as in the phrase 长长久久 (Zhǎng cháng jiǔjiǔ).

Party favors

Most Chinese weddings will have a box filled with whatever the couple picks out. The favors are given or picked up at the end when the couple sees you off and gives thanks for attending, or leaves it at your seat when you arrive. Traditional party favors include candy and cigarettes, but nowadays they can include finer gifts like custom-designed toiletries, perfumes, or jewelry for guests to remember the special day.

Colors

Traditionally, wearing white was a big no-no as that’s reserved for funerals. However, now even the bride wears white. Dark colors such as black, dark blue, or gray should still be avoided as people don’t wear this. You can’t go wrong with anything red. Red is associated with success, prosperity, love, and loyalty – that’s why most of the decorations will also be red. Gold is also a good choice to pick as this is associated with wealth and fortune.

Couples will change attire twice, switching between Western and the Chinese qipao, depending on the preferences of what they want to wear and when.

Alcohol

Baijiu is serious business! At weddings, the newlywed will take a lap around the hall to toast with every table if not with every guest.

KEEP READING: Intriguing Pre-Marriage Rituals From Around The World

Images: BBC, Sourced from China Highlights

If you’re new here in China, there are a few things you really must do to get a feel for the culture. One: you must eat with a Chinese family, ideally in their home. Two: you must go shopping in a completely Chinese market, in the depths of a non-tourist district. Three: you must attend a Chinese wedding where they use traditional wedding chairs covers.

Recently, we were in attendance at my husband’s cousin’s wedding. My daughter was one of the flower girls and my son was the ring bearer – two practices borrowed directly from Western customs. Oh, and there was also a cake that they cut, although it was fake. Fake cake – not so tasty! Besides these components, there was a raised “aisle” down the middle of the hall on which the bride and groom entered on slowly to an eardrum-splintering rendition of “Here Comes the Bride.” …Chinese weddings have a pageantry all their own that is very specific to this culture.

Imagine the final sequence of a romance game show, but with a banquet included. There’s an MC in sparkling attire. There’s entertainment to offset the costume change and then the bride emerges in a new dress. There are prizes on every table: delicious food, expensive liquor, little candy bags. And the huge LED screen behind the stage is an ever-changing backdrop framed by lights, glitter balls, and a strangely robust camera crew filming guests from all angles. Great fun!

Cigarettes are given out to the attendees to symbolize happiness (xi, 喜), because “to smoke” (吸) has the same sound. The only critique I have is that this tradition should be updated. Seems a cruel and ironic joke to use an object capable of slow murder to symbolize long lasting matrimonial happiness!

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift and Kdriese

This weekend, Savvy and I managed to move heaven and earth within our household and arranged for our kids to be looked after so that the two of us could get away for a night to commemorate our 20th Wedding Anniversary. We opted for an overnight stay at East. We had a quiet corner room in the hotel, a delicious sushi dinner at Hagaki, followed by some tasty drinks at Xian. We even managed to catch a movie at the CGV cinema in Indigo Mall – our first night out to a movie since before the twins were born 2 and half years ago. All of this was followed by a blissful night of uninterrupted sleep.

The following morning, we had plans for brunch at Feast with our kids and one other family. Unbeknownst to us, our friends changed our brunch plans to include six other families that have been a bedrock of support while living here. It was a surprise for us to see so many of our friends, though, as usual, we spent most of the time looking after our own kids. Sigh, just another year or two and twins should be much more independent.

Have you ever wondered how much it would cost to get hitched in Beijing? Well, according to CNReview, here is a list of expenses which a respectable couple would expect to pay for their nuptial bliss:

1.  Decent housing near the 6th Ring Road (80 square meters and above) with an average price of RMB 20,000 per square meter: RMB 20,000 x 80 = RMB 1,600,000.

In summary, the total cost is RMB 1,600,000 + RMB 150,000 + RMB 80,000 + RMB 120,000 + RMB 30,000 + RMB 48,000 = RMB 2,028,000.

Although this may seem like an awful lot of money, don’t forget what they say about having a dream wedding of a lifetime:

Priceless.

(and for everything else, there is MasterCard, .. or your Chinese credit card).