Chinese Wedding

This year's trip to China has fallen late into the autumn due to the wedding of my wife's nephew, and this event is now approaching. The day before, we will travel in the late afternoon by bus from Cangzhou to Dazhuangzicun, the hometown of the groom's parents. From the main road to the entrance of the courtyard, huge red arches held up by air blowers are erected, prominently displaying the English word 'Wedding.' The decorative setup continues in red inside the courtyard and the house. In Chinese culture, this color traditionally represents happiness. The celebration area in the courtyard and house already shows signs of strong wear the day before the wedding but is deserted, as the approximately 350 guests have gone to a restaurant. Therefore, the rehearsal dinner is the more crowded event. I am surprised by this intensity of celebration already the day before, as I had only expected it the next day. By the way, the arches are illuminated at night, and the buzzing of the air compressors does not stop even during the night. The next day, the festivities begin early in the morning. We arrive at the home of the groom's parents, where many relatives have already gathered. For the wedding caravan, a large black Mercedes Maybach with floral decorations is waiting, along with several Audi A6L cars adorned with red flags. A seller of candied fruits takes advantage of the moment and positions himself right across from the courtyard entrance with his tuk-tuk. The groom is dressed in festive red attire. The groom and his parents leave in the procession, and we follow after a while in another car. The celebrations take place in a hotel 7 kilometers away in Zhaizi. As we approach the hotel, the wedding parade of the couple arrives. Now the men surrounding the area spring into action, jumping forward to fire off a cascade of firecrackers. It makes an incredibly loud noise, and a big red heart in the square bursts apart amid the din. The Maybach patiently waits until the last rocket has exploded in the sky. Dressed in beautiful traditional red clothing, the couple now steps out and walks into the hotel. The guests now all march into the large hall, which is elegantly decorated with flowers and blue and white decorations. A glowing runway in the middle leads to a stage. Dramatic lighting illuminates the backdrop. We are now waiting among the approximately 150 guests, and I greet familiar relatives while I am introduced to my wife's unknown family members. The wedding agency is now briefing several young participants, such as the ring bearer and confetti boys, on their roles. Some guests sneak close to me and want to take photos so they can be in a picture with a foreigner. A little boy even asks if he can take a photo with me, and of course, I squat down a bit for that. Suddenly, a host begins the ceremony. The groom in a gray suit, standing at the side of the stage, is introduced first and raises the bouquet of red roses high. Now event-announcing music plays, the lights briefly go out, before a light and music show increases the tension and transitions to the main part of the ceremony. The host jumps onto the runway and begins moderating. The groom is again on the stage with his bouquet at the center. Now the door opens, and the bride's father leads the bride, this time in a white wedding dress, into the room. The groom walks along the runway, and a brief smile crosses the bride's face. He kneels before the bride, hands her the bouquet, and red-and-white confetti flies from the firecrackers. The groom now bows before the bride's father, who then gives his daughter to the groom. The couple walks down the runway to the stage under constant moderation. Firecrackers provide further showers of confetti. During the following marriage questions, the host approaches the couple and discreetly cleans up confetti leftovers that have remained on the groom. Now the rings are exchanged, brought to the stage by a bridesmaid. Afterward, there is a hug, and now a very important part of the ceremony follows. In China, the family is the most important social reference point in life. Therefore, the bride is ceremoniously welcomed into the groom's family. The father-in-law expresses his willingness to welcome her, and from now on, the bride may call him 'Father' as she hands him a glass of water, which symbolizes tea. After a sip, he hands her a Hongbao, a red envelope with money. Now the bride may start calling the mother-in-law 'Mother,' to which the mother-in-law agrees. The bride also hands a glass of water to her mother-in-law and receives a Hongbao in return. This entire procedure is repeated with the groom and his in-laws. A final bow to the parents by the couple concludes this important ceremony. They have now officially been accepted into each other's families. It is only now that the registrar is allowed to give his speech and officially announce the couple as married, even though this part of the ceremony seems rather minor. Now it becomes hectic among the guests, as all mothers try to usher their older unmarried sons onto the stage. The bride is to throw the bouquet over her shoulder. I have my justified doubts about the success of this act due to the low ceiling construction and the many decorations, and I should be right. The front row ready to catch it emerges victorious. The newly married couple thanks the guests for coming by bowing to the right and left towards the audience. Finally, there are a few photo scenes and group photos with family members, where, surprisingly, I am also called onto the stage. The ceremony is over, and everyone heads to their tables to eat, located in other rooms on the hotel floor. Just before one o'clock in the afternoon, the celebration starts to disperse, and it continues in a smaller setting at home. An impressive wedding of an extremely kind and pleasant couple, to whom I wish all the happiness in the world. Here are some brief scenes from the wedding, with the ceremony of family integration uncut: Chinese Wedding