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Step 1
Choose a favorable date for the wedding to honor Chinese wedding traditions. Chinese couples use the lunar calendar to pick a date to wed. This date should be one considered "lucky," where the moon and stars are in good alignment.
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Step 2
Honor the tradition of the "new bed." The groom's parents generally purchase a new bed with all the linens for the groom to sleep on the night before the wedding and for the couple to use following their marriage. If available, a young nephew in the family is encouraged to bounce on the new bed in hopes of promoting fertility.
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Step 3
Hold a tea on the wedding day. This will be served to honor the parents of the bride and groom, as well as other guests of the wedding. The guests will then present the couple with gold jewelry and money in red envelopes.
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Step 4
Prepare for the wedding ceremony with three dresses for the bride. The first dress is a white wedding dress with a veil to be worn during the ceremony, followed by a Chinese ensemble worn during the wedding banquet. The third dress is the one in which the bride will leave the banquet as she embarks on her new life.
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Step 5
Conclude the wedding day with a banquet. This is one of the most important traditions adhered to in Chinese weddings. It is done more so for the parents of the bride and groom rather than the couple themselves. This banquet often consists of a 12-course dinner featuring roast pig, shark-fin soup and fried rice. Cognac is the only alcohol generally served.
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Step 6
Begin the wedding banquet with a welcoming speech by a master of ceremonies chosen for the occasion. Following the speech comes one of the most common traditions of weddings, which is the cutting of the cake. The cake is usually constructed of many layers, from which the couple will slice from the bottom layer.
