Although it is a Chinese tea ceremony, it is now a common part of weddings in Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, and even Japan! It’s a wonderful chance to show gratitude to your parents and the heritage that helped you get where you are today. To help you understand this tradition and plan your tea own ceremony, 48 Studio‘s has posted a significant guide on all you need to know about the Chinese wedding tea ceremony.

When To Have Tea Ceremony?

It is held on the lucky engagement day. However, some have the ceremony before the wedding, during the cocktail hour, or immediately following the ceremony. After consulting a Chinese almanac or a Feng Shui specialist, many couples may choose to hold the tea ceremony during the day’s most auspicious hour while planning their wedding day. When the tea ceremony takes place is largely determined by how much privacy a couple desires to maintain. A Tea Ceremony usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on how many family members are served tea. 

Where To Have Tea Ceremony?

A private outdoor tea ceremony is the ideal way to change a breath of fresh air to your day in contrast to a traditional inside reception. As your guests have pre-dinner cocktails at the reception, hold the ceremony in a garden near your wedding site. If you want to keep things low-key, conduct a little ceremony at home with family. But if you want to include everyone on your guest list, you’ll need to book a large enough venue. Check out these venues in the Lower Mainland BC like Hart House (Deer Lake Park, Burnaby), Eighteen Pastures Golf Course (Mission, BC), Fraser River Lodge (Agassiz, BC), Brix and Mortar (Vancouver, BC), etc., they are chosen by many of our lovebirds because they have great services that you want and the space is amazing for the tea ceremony! Need more information on how to choose the right venue for your wedding? Contact our adviser now. 

What You Need For The Chinese Tea Ceremony?

Bride and groom usually think hosting the tea ceremony is extremely hard sine there are plenty of things to buy. But don’t worry, 48 Studio got your back. Here is the list of things you must prepare beforehand:

• A stovetop or electric kettle for making tea and boiling water
• Chinese tea (Sweet tea is frequently chosen since it represents happiness in a newlywed couple’s union.
• A Chinese tea set is great – something red and cheery. Classical symbols such as a dragon and a phoenix are also appropriate. This item is traditionally included as a part of the bride’s wedding dowry. Make sure don’t reuse cups, prepare enough cups for each pair in your family.
• Bowls of dried dates, nuts, and sweets serve as symbols (Herbs like lotus seeds and red dates are frequently added to the tea since their Chinese pronunciations are connected with fertility blessings for the pair)
• Decorations in red
• Two pillows, one for each bride and groom to kneel on as a symbol of respect
• 5-6 seats for tea recipients — chairs should be moved in and out depending on the size of the party being served
• A Chinese wedding basket/table for keeping presents is optional
• What to wear? There are many wedding qipaos/cheongsam styles if you want something modern and high-quality. Order your wedding cheongsam early and leave yourself with more buffer time for any alterations. If you don’t want to wear a qipao, consider a simple red dress since red is a lucky colour in Chinese culture. For the groom, it’s ok to go with a vest/suit.

 Roles and Responsibilities:

• Tea Preppers: they will help with the tea ceremony procedure, such as filling tea cups, passing the tea, and collecting their gifts, someone is always encouraged to make things run more smoothly.
• Lucky Lady: couples will frequently hire a fortunate lady to assist them during the process; bridesmaids are also wonderful modern possibilities.
• Tea Drinkers (the family members)
• Tea Offerers (the bride & groom)

Are You Ready For Your Tea Ceremony?

Now you know all the basic information for preparing a Chinese tea ceremony. In the next blog, you will find out how tea ceremony works step by step. You shall discover things like what your relatives’ formal titles are when serve tea or what you need to pay extra attention during the ceremony, 48 Studio has got your back, check out our blog!