Traditions & Translations

Our wedding saw the combination of several different cultural influences -
German, Chinese, American and Australian.
We present an explanation of some of the traditions that we featured during our wedding...

Wedding Tea Ceremony (Chinese)

Wedding Banquet (Chinese)

Although not featured during our wedding, you can read more about
other Chinese wedding traditions by clicking here.

In addition, we present translations and explanations for some of the Chinese symbols
you will find on our website, invitations and during the wedding...

Double Happiness

Chinese Poem

Chinese Poem about Cindia & Ron

Our Chinese Names

The tea ceremony is a Chinese wedding tradition where the bride and groom show their respect to their elders, especially acknowledging the importance of their parents and thanking them. Many believe that the Chinese wedding tea ceremony probably has its origins in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a period known mostly for its refinement of tea.

After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds serve tea, inviting the groom's elders to drink tea by addressing them by formal title, e.g. first uncle or third aunt. As a sign of respect, most couples kneel as they do so to express gratitude for their parents' love.

The tea contains lotus seeds and two red dates. The ancient Chinese believed that putting these items in the tea would help the newlyweds produce children early in the marriage and every year, which would ensure many grandchildren for their parents. The words "lotus" and "year", "seed" and "child", and "date" and "early" are homophones - i.e. they sound the same but carry different meanings in Chinese. Also, the sweetness of the special tea is a wish for sweet relations between the bride and her new family.

[ Note: During the banquet, part of the dessert will also contain red dates and lotus seed. ]

The general rule is to have the woman on the left side and the man on the right side. The people being served will sit in chairs, while the bride and groom kneel. For example, when the newlyweds serve tea to the groom’s parents, the bride would kneel in front of her father-in-law, while the groom would kneel in front of his mother.

The groom holds one cup with two hands and gives one cup to one person and then another to the other person. At the same time the bride does the same.

The newlyweds serve tea in order, starting with the groom’s parents then proceeding from the oldest family members to the youngest, e.g. the groom’s parents, then his paternal grandparents, then his maternal grandparents, then his oldest uncles and aunts, and all the way to his older brother.

In return, the newlyweds receive lucky red envelopes (“lai see”, which means “lucky”) stuffed with money or jewellery.

The wedding banquet offers an opportunity to repay past kindnesses of family members and friends. It is often seen as a way to renew the good fortune, respect and happiness of the whole family. As many as twelve courses are served during the couple’s banquet. Abundance is the operative word, so be prepared for a long, fun-filled evening where you’ll eat up a storm.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a young man, Wang An Shi, went to the capital to sit for the imperial exam. On arriving, he passed a crowd of people gathered outside the residence of the wealthy Ma family, who were offering their daughter's hand in marriage to anyone that could compose the second half of an incomplete "couplet" posted outside their house (the second line had to match the first in character count, syntax, structure and artistic merit). He found the challenge appealing but could not linger as he had to take the exam the next day.

The exam proved less difficult than Wang had anticipated, and the examiner, wishing to test Wang's quick-wittedness, presented him with an incomplete couplet to complete on the spot. Wang recognised the structure of the half-couplet, so he recited the line from Ma's half-couplet to effortlessly complete the couplet, highly impressing the examiner.

Wang returned to Ma's house and recited the half-couplet the examiner had given him. He was granted the hand of Ma's daughter in marriage and they were married the next day. Meanwhile, news arrived that Wang had passed the imperial exam and attained the top position, an extremely distinguished accomplishment.

These two happinesses had arrived simultaneously, inspiring Wang to pick up a brush and paint two large "happiness" characters on red paper. From that moment on, the double happiness symbol became inseparably linked to matrimony.

Prints of the double happiness symbol are often pasted on walls, doors and windows when a wedding celebration takes place. In addition to attracting luck, red is the colour of joy and happiness, and thus the bride always wears red. You'll find the double happiness symbol on the cover of our invitation and all over our website.

The Chinese characters featured on the back cover of the invitation are the words to a poem that is often associated with weddings.

This poem is usually hung on the 2 sides (one sentence on each side) of the main entrance to the groom's home in order to welcome the bride.

Keeping in mind that Chinese sentences are traditionally written vertically from top to bottom, and scroll across the page from right to left, the poem translates as follows:

First Line

The first four characters represent various Chinese musical instruments.
The fifth character means "welcome".
The sixth character means "nice" or "perfect".
The final character means "couple".

The whole sentence means "Beautiful music welcomes the perfect couple."

Second Line

The first two characters also mean "music".
The third and fourth mean "harmonious".
The fifth character means "seal".
The sixth character means "hundred".
The final character means "years".

The whole sentence means "The harmonious rhythm / music seals the hundred years old vow of the couple."

This poem was specially commissioned for us by Ron's parents during a recent visit to China. It incorporates four characters of our Chinese names (see below). This poem will be displayed at the restaurant during the wedding reception.

Once again keeping in mind that Chinese sentences are traditionally written vertically from top to bottom, and scroll across the page from right to left, the poem translates as follows (below, the first line shows the literal character-by-character translation, and the second, boldfaced line the proper translated meaning):

First Line

great business glorious plan raise heroic spirit

"Your great success and glorious achievement raise the heroic spirit."

Second Line

scholar excellent warrior strategy through long rainbow

"As an excellent scholar and strategic warrior, you will get so high (far) like the rainbow up in the sky."

Third Line

union knot blessing relationship flourish future generation

"The joining of this blessed relationship will flourish the future generations."

Fourth Line

graceful noble peaceful beautiful million miles eagle

"Like an eagle spreading its wings, flying high over millions of miles, displaying grace, nobility, peace and beauty."

The first two lines, incorporating Ron's name, describe the greatness and achievement of the man.

The last two lines, incorporating Cindia's name, describe her beauty and the blessing that comes with the union between the two people.

These Chinese characters, presented in the style of a Chinese chop / seal, are our Chinese given names. The family names have not been included, although they are usually found on the seals for individuals.

The two characters in the first line (i.e. the vertical line on the right) make up Ron's name, and are pronounced "wai mun". The first character means "great" and the second "scholar", so in general, this translates to "great scholar, also implying handsome and gentleman-like".

The three characters in the second line make up Cindia's name, which is a direct phonetic translation into Chinese words, pronounced "sin tay ah". The first character means "fairy", the second "union" and the third "graceful", so in general, this translates to "graceful and pretty fairy, with a beautiful union (referring to marriage)".