A comparison of Western and Chinese wedding ceremony and how they

influence each others

Lee Yan Chi 10014462Yeung Ming Lut 10010629

Western Wedding Ceremony

Wedding dress customA bride from the late 1800s wearing a black or dark colored wedding dress.

• European and American brides had been wearing a plethora of colors, including blue, yellow, and practical colors like black, brown, or gray.

White wedding White wedding gowns

and veils, credited to Queen Victoria's choice to wear a white wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840

Implication: "a connotation of

innocence and sexual purity.”

4 Customs on the bride

1. SOMETNINOLD Inherit every bliss and happiness

2. SOMETNINGNEW To symbolize new life

3. SOMETNINGBORROWED To symbolize that the bride would enjoy a happy marriage too

4. SOMETNINGBIUE To symbolize purity5. Silver sixpence in your shoe To

symbolize good fortune

The ceremony Exchange of

wedding vows Promises each

partner in a couple makes to the other

The ceremony Exchange of wedding

rings The Romans believed

a vein in this particular finger, called "vena amoris" (a.k.a. the "vein of love"), leads directly to the heart. 

By wearing rings on the fourth finger, symbolically declares their eternal love for each other.

The ceremony

A public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or leader

The ceremony

Flower girl and page boy

Usually 4-8 years old child

Flower girl is the angel in the wedding, carrying happiness and blessing to the bride.

Symbolize the blessing to have children

Wedding reception

Speeches / Toasts From the groom, best man, father of

the bride and possibly the bride wishing the couple well.

Wedding reception

Dancing First dance as

spouses

Wedding reception

Wedding cake Distribution of cake

among the guests by only the bride because consuming the cake would ensure fertility.

The bride and groom would share a piece of cake before distributing it to the guests to symbolize their union and their promise to forever provide for each other.

Chinese Wedding Ceremony

Basic principal: “Three Letters and Six Etiquette”

• Formal document of the engagement

Betrothal Letter

• Listing types and quantity of gifts

Gift letter

• Confirmation of the formal acceptance of the bride into the groom’s family

Wedding Letter

“Three Letters”

“Six Etiquette”

Proposing Birthday matchingPresenting Betrothal Gifts

Presenting Wedding GiftsChoosing wedding dateWedding ceremony

Proposing

If parents of a young man identify a woman as the wife of their son, then they will find a matchmaker present their request to the identified woman’s parents

Birthday matching

The matchmaker would ask for the girl’s birthday and birth hour record to assure the compatibility of the potential bride and groom

Presenting Betrothal Gifts

If the match was predicted to be auspicious, the matchmaker would take gifts to the girl's parents and tell them that the process could continue. 

Presenting Wedding Gifts

Prolific gifts were presented again to the girl's family, symbolizing respect and kindness towards the girl's family as well as the capability of providing a good life for the girl. 

Choosing wedding date

Male side asks a fortune-teller and proposes a lucky wedding date, then goes to female side to ask for confirmation.

Wedding ceremony

For the bride

Bathing with pumelo

“hair dressing” ritualRed wedding dress, shoes and her face need to be covered by a red cloth.

Phoenix decoration

For the groom

Long gown, red shoes and a red silk sash with a silk ball on his shoulder

“Capping” ritual

Dragon decoration

The Ceremony

1 2

3 4

Mixture of Chinese and Western style on bridal

dressWestern style

Chinese style

Style bridal veil Cheongsam, Mandrian collar

Cutting Narrow on the upper body part but wide on the lower part of body

Straight, narrow, close-fitting

Color White Red

Mixture of Chinese and Western style on bridal

dress

RITUALS