In Chinese legend, the fatherly God-in-the-moonlight ties a red string around the ankles of the man and woman who are supposed to be husband and wife someday. Thus, no matter how far apart they are, they will eventually get married...

A wedding in China is a very important time for the bride and the groom. Their big day may have been planned for a very long time. So what do you want your wedding with your beloved Chinese wife to look like? The customs in Chinese weddings are of great interest of many of our gentlemen. The following introduces the 4 stages of a typical Chinese wedding.

1. Proposal & Betrothal
   
   In Chinese culture, wedding is considered a joining of two families, thus once the bride and groom decide to get married, both families get involved.
   
   This stage starts with an elaborate marriage proposal and acceptance, which is placed in the hands of a match-maker. After that, the groom chooses an auspicious day from the 15 to 20 days before their wedding ceremony to go to the bride's home with betrothal. On the day of the betrothal, "grand gift" is presented by the groom's family to the bride's family. This is a formal occasion where the two families officially acknowledge the marriage and give their blessing. At this point, the two families will proceed to prepare for the wedding.
   
   
2. Wedding Preparation
   
   After the betrothal meeting, both families will make announcement to their relatives and friends by sending out "Double Happiness Cakes" along with invitations. The bride's family then prepares dowry and give a list of the dowries to the groom's family. The groom's family performs "setting bridal bed" ritual and decorates the bridal house for the wedding, while the bride's family prepares household accessories, mostly bedding and dining necessities, for the new home.
   
   And before her wedding celebration, a Chinese bride traditionally goes into seclusion with her closest friends. This Chinese custom gives the bride-to-be some time to symbolically mourn the loss of her friends and family.
   
   
3. The Day of the Wedding Ceremony
   
   Wedding anniversaries in China, are carefully chosen according to astrological signs. It is also customary for couples to be married on the half-hour or their wedding day rather than at the top of the hour. In this way, the couple begins their new lives together on an 'upswing', while the hands of the clock are moving up, rather than down.
   
   On the morning of his wedding day, the groom is symbolically dressed by his parents. The groom arrives at the house of his bride on the way to the wedding chapel. He brings gifts of cash, wrapped in red tissue, to give to his bride's friends, in exchange for 'letting her go'. In some families, the wedding couple serves tea to both sets of parents while kneeling in front of them, a symbolic gesture of asking for permission. The bride and groom then leave for the wedding site together. The wedding ceremony ends with a feast which features elaborate Chinese wedding food.
   
   Note: Chinese brides often change outfits at least three times during the reception.
   
   
4. The day after the Wedding
   
   The next morning of the wedding, the bride should get up early and make a meal for the groom's family to demonstrate that she is well-nurtured. Three days after the wedding, the groom and bride will go back to visit the bride's parents. At this time, the bride would no longer be considered a part of her family, but rather a guest in her parents' house.