Gift items exchanged in a traditional Chinese wedding
Want to know what how to put together a betrothal gift, dowry set, or a bridal bed package for your own customary wedding? Principal Consultant and owner of World of Fortune, Sean Lui, provides a set of handy lists for your easy reference.
Key items in the Betrothal Gift Package, or Guo Da Li (see main picture above):
1. A pair of Wedding Baskets to bring all the gifts to Bride's family
2. A pair of Red Packets, also known as "Pin Jin", which is the amount requested by the Bride's family
3. One piece of "Everlasting Relationship Cloth" to wrap jewellery that have requested by the Bride's family
4. One pair of His and Her "Double Happiness Towels" to signify their respect and gratitude towards their parents
5. Two bottles of liquor to mark the joyous celebration
6. Six types of grains which consist of:
- red dates
- lily bulbs
- dried longans
- lotus seeds
- red beans
- green beans
7. Four types of candies to signify a sweet beginning for the newly-weds
8. Two packets of sesame crispy flakes and 2 packets of peanut candy
9. Six cans of pork trotters to signify prosperity
10. 12 fresh oranges to represent good fortune
11. Two pairs of Dragon and Phoenix Candles to signify the "receiving of the Groom and sending off of the Bride"
12. Six cans of Chinese Tea to signify Groom's commitment to this union
13. Six boxes of Vermicelli to represent longevity for the newly-weds
14. One set of Red Cloth, also known as "Men Cai", to announce the occasion and receiving of prosperous blessings
Did you know?
The grains in the betrothal gift represent a form of blessing of abundant food for the couple and also a fruitful harvest, as a majority of Chinese were farmers back in the old days.
In today's context, they signify wealth, a good career and other positive aspects of life in years to come.
Key items in the Dowry:
The Dowry set is given to the bride by her family on her wedding day
1. One Baby Prosperity Set (plate, mug, potty and basin) to represent good fortune and prosperity
2. One baby's bath tub to bless the couple with healthy offspring
3. Two pairs of Wooden Clogs to represent smooth advancement in their careers
4. A ruler to bless the couple with great wealth
5. A sewing kit to represent the bride's virtues and her ability to care for her new husband and family
6. A set of Dragon and Phoenix bowls with two pairs of chopsticks and one thermal flask to represent an
abundance of food and drinks
7. One tea set, which will be used to serve tea to the couple's elders on the wedding day, to represent
Did you know?
A red umbrella has many uses in a wedding.
1.It blocks off any inauspicious or clashing elements from other events or incidents such as funerals, another wedding event or even seeing dead animals or an incense paper burning ceremony along the way.
2. It is representative of the bride's parents hopes that their daughter will be well-protected with a big house to live in.
3. Customs dictate that the bride should not "look at the sky or touch the ground" on her wedding day, since the Chinese believe that the deities in the sky or spirits underground may harm the bride as they are jealous of her happiness. So, the bride is always sheltered with an umbrella and carried on the back of a matchmaker in days of yore.
the couple's gratitude and respect for their elders
8. "Destiny charm", also known as "Yuan Qian" or "Yuan Zi" blesses the couple with family bliss
9. One wedding umbrella to represent the warding-off of any negative influences against the bride
10. One wedding fan to signify removing any traces of bad temper by the bride. It is thrown on the floor during the wedding day
11. A pair of bedside lamps, or "Zi Sun Deng", to represent a blissful future with healthy offspring.
The Bridal Bed is usually set up for the newly married couple by the groom's parents.
The bridal bed is prepared for the new couple by the groom's family
Key items in this package include:
1. One set of bed-setting basket containing 6 types of grains such as:
- red dates
- peanuts
- dried longans
- lotus seeds
- red beans
- green beans
2. A set of mini "Prosper Buckets" with ancient coins
3. Two fresh oranges
4. Four red packets containing "destiny charm"
5. One set of the Almanac, which is also known as "Tong Shu"
Auspicious sayings to be recited by each of the couple's parents during the Hair Combing Ceremony:
Hair-combing set for the bridegroom
Hair-combing set for the bridegroom
1. The first stroke symbolizes from sweet beginning till the end
2. The second stroke symbolizes harmony from now till old age
3. The third stroke symbolizes healthy sons and grandsons
4. The fourth stroke symbolizes abundant wealth and a long-lasting marriage
To make it more convenient for couples to pick up their Chinese wedding gift sets and consult for auspicious wedding dates, Mr Lui and a group of fengshui and geomancy specialists have set up a one-stop wedding consultancy service to help couples with Chinese customary wedding rites for their big day.
