A Guide to Chinese Wedding Decorations

Chinese weddings are extravagant, vibrant affairs and decorations play a huge part in making the day feel and look special. There are several venues that will need decoration, including the homes of both families, the bridal chamber and the reception site.

The bridal chamber is quite easy to decorate, and should be embellished with the grand bridal bed, red sheets and several extras that are all installed in advance of the wedding day. The families’ homes can be decked out in banners displaying the ‘double happiness’ symbol, or door banners that depict auspicious couplets and happy greetings for the big day.

Colors

: The most auspicious color in Chinese culture is, of course, red. So, the rule of thumb for wedding décor is everything red! From the bride’s dress to the invitations and bridal chamber bedding, you can’t get enough red in your decorations.

Symbols

: The most traditional symbol for Chinese weddings is the ‘double happiness’ symbol, which has a long history and fun mythical stories surrounding it. Most importantly, the symbol is comprised of the character for happiness written twice, one next to the other and joined by a single line. This has become the most important symbol for weddings, as it signifies the union of two people in joy. Depictions of the dragon and phoenix symbols, which traditionally appear on the couple’s clothing, are also popular for weddings.

Banners

: It is important to hang banners around your families’ homes, as well as your reception site. Banners are usually red with gold lettering and display some type of welcome greeting or lucky saying to wish the couple well on their wedding day. Sometimes, banners also display the ‘double happiness’ symbol.

Invitations, Guestbook and Paper cuts

: Traditional wedding invitations usually use red paper and gold ink, or another hue. Often, the invitations, guestbook and paper cuts will all be red. The guestbook is traditionally made from silk rather than paper, and guests sign their names in black ink with a brush pen. Paper cuts are hung around the reception hall and homes for decoration.

Table décor

: Tables are usually outfitted in red and gold, with bright red tablecloths and red party favors. Other décor might also adorn the tables, like ribbons, and centerpieces, which can be flower bouquets or the traditional wedding dolls showing a vivacious bride and groom in a playful pose.

Wall Hangings and Lanterns

: Lanterns are often hung next to doorways, especially the bridal chamber door to help light the couple’s way into marriage. Traditional Chinese lanterns are made from red paper, and you can also find wedding-specific lanterns that depict playful pictures of a bride and groom. Other wall hangings can include fish décor, ornamental strings of fireworks and woodcuts.

Flowers

: Flowers carry strong meanings in Chinese culture and should be chosen carefully to accurately depict the wedding sentiments. Most Chinese weddings include flowers as table centerpieces, displays and, of course, bouquets for the bride and her attendants.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>