Chinese Tea Ceremony

The Chinese Tea Ceremony is a wedding tradition to unite large families.  The bride and groom serve tea as a sign of thanks to families for raising them and as a sign of respect. The helpers are usually women blessed with a happy marriage.

The bride and groom serve the tea, holding the teacups with both hands, first to bride’s family, then to groom’s family.  The recipients sip the tea, holding the cup with two hands

The tradition 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 stand.

The bride and groom serve tea in order, starting with the bride’s parents then proceeding to family members in the following order: the parents, then paternal grandparents, then maternal grandparents, then oldest uncles and aunts.

In return, the bride and groom receive lucky red envelopes (“lai see,” which means “lucky”) stuffed with money or jewelry.  These gifts are a welcome into the respective families.   These envelopes are placed on the platter which holds the teacups.