Chinese Wedding Traditions

Chinese weddings are not always a black tie affair, in fact quite the opposite, they have a Double Happiness Dress Code. Black, white and dark colors symbolize mourning in the Chinese culture, not celebration, so instead, you will notice most guests will wear bright colors. Red is good luck in China and is known to represent success, loyalty, honor, fertility and most importantly love! Traditionally a bride will wear a red wedding gown. Now with weddings becoming more westernized the families of the couple will wear red to show their support and to wish the couple the best in their new lives together. As a guest, you should not wear red unless you know for certain the bride is not wearing red.  Some other acceptable colors are purple, pink, and peach because they symbolize new life and happiness. For a fall wedding yellow and orange are also acceptable.

Even though color is the best way to show your support be sure to still be conservative. Color does not have to be flashy, avoid neon and loud patterns. Stay conservative and avoid tight-fitting outfits especially if Chinese food is on the menu. Also, check with the couple if a tea ceremony is going to be performed. You will need an outfit that you can easily move in. In this culture, it is polite to try every course, and typical Chinese meals have several courses, so wear something with room to grow or you may regret it by dessert.

Gold jewelry is always a safe choice as well, gold is also commonly used to accent wedding decor because it is associated with wealth and fortune. Incorporating some of these tips will show the couple that you respect and admire their heritage and bring them double happiness! This symbol is also good luck in this culture and means just that, double happiness!  囍

If you are unsure what to wear, ask the bride well in advance! Every wedding is different and not all couples incorporate their original traditions.

Our couple Xiaoyi and Anthony were from China and France, they balanced their two cultures to create a stunning wedding day combining both traditions! – See more here.

Our other American and Chinese couple had their Destination Wedding in the South of France. The bride changed from a traditional white gown to a beautifully embroidered dress – take a look at both here!

Read more about Turkish Wedding Traditions in this blog!