It is the Year of the Dragon! Golden Wedding Planners wants to wish all of our Chinese couples, past, present and future a very Happy New Year!
In 2007, it was the Year of the “Golden Pig” which only comes around every 60 years or so. That year, China saw a baby boom because it was considered especially lucky to have a baby that year. But 2012 is another lucky year, and if you’re Chinese and lucky in love, this is the year for you!
This is the luckiest sign of the Chinese zodiac and that’s why many Chinese couples are choosing this year to tie the knot. The extent of tradition seen in these weddings is up to the couple. There are many creative ways to show your guests that you’re celebrating your marriage during the year of the dragon, and we’re here to share a few. If you know of any others, or want to share pictures, you’re welcome to email us at [email protected]. We’d love to feature a real Chinese wedding this year, so please get in touch if that’s your plan!
First and foremost, it’s not just the year that is lucky, but according to the Chinese calendar some days are luckier than others. So if you haven’t picked your date yet, a few to consider would be: March 24, May 19, August 11, October 27, December 30, and many more.
If you’re really superstitious, tradition dictates that you and your groom should not attend a wake or a funeral 3 months before your big day, or another wedding for that matter!
Some taboos you should avoid when planning your Chinese wedding: no white, blue or green in your decorations. These are considered mourning colors, so keep that in mind especially when meeting with your florist. Speaking of your flowers, avoid pale yellow or white chrysanthemums because those are used for funerals or to decorate graves.
Red is the color for Chinese weddings and represents luck and happiness. You can tie this color into your flowers, your invitations, and even on your cake. If you want to bring wealth and fortune into your marriage, then the color for you is gold. If you’re planning an evening wedding, why not add a lot of gold sparkle to it, right down to your shoes? Rim your signature cocktails with gold colored sugar! Another color to incorporate is silver, which signifies purity and fulfillment. If you’re all about the sparkle, mix up your silver and gold for a party that will really shine! If you like red but it’s just too bold for you, pink stands for love and romance and is also used in Chinese weddings. If you’re wedding is in the spring, this will be easy to accomplish with big fluffy roses and pink uplighting at your reception.
When it comes to the dress, there are many options. You could stay in a traditional white dress the entire night, but many brides change their dress before the reception to something even more traditional. To celebrate the year of the dragon, many brides are having a dragon stitched onto the red fabric of the dress. While the bride may choose to wear a red qipao, the groom can also get in on the action and change his clothes before the reception. Grooms can wear a traditional blue robe at the ceremony and then change into his suit at the reception. While his wardrobe changes won’t be as elaborate as the bride’s, there are plenty of options to choose from, so celebrate your heritage and your own personal style!
The clothing that is chosen for the bridesmaids and groomsmen is equally as important. In fact, even the flowers they carry or wear needs to be decided carefully. A Chinese wedding also honors parents and grandparents using flowers.
You can have a lion dance at your reception or at the tea ceremony, or even have them escort you and your party from the ceremony to the reception! Serve foods like Peking duck and lobster to your guests. Use origami in your centerpieces and other decorations. There are so many traditions and you can use as many or as few as you would like.
Need help planning your Chinese wedding? Contact us today to get started. If you have wedding pictures to share, please email us so we can feature you in a future blog.
Happy New Year!