Wedding Preparation

Wedding preparation is really not easy. There seems to be 1001 things to be done. Especially now that we are not signing with any bridal studios, even more plannings are required. We need to make our own wedding gown, evening gown, maybe cheongsum, my suit, got a florist, look for make-up artist etc etc etc....

The above are for the actual day wedding dinner and also photo-shoot. Then there is the ROM to worry about. Then furthermore got other traditions to follow like Guo Da Li (纳 彩 吉 日 吉 时) or known as Betrothal Day. This is a formal meeting between the parents of the perspective bride and groom. The groom's family presents various proposal gifts that represents fertility and prosperity in Chinese Culture, which is also known as "Grand Gift". Thus, the two are considered officially engaged. So what gifts must we prepare? Look below..

Gifts prepared by Groom:

1) Wedding Dinner Invitation Cards
2) Cans of pig trotters
3) Red packet $xxxx (bride to return $?)
4) Wedding cakes
5) 2 bottles of Martell with Yuan coin in it
6) 1 pair of Dragon & Phoenix Double Candles (dragon for bride side) & (phoenix for groom side) with Yuan coin
7) Gold - Si Dian Jin
8) 12 Oranges (Bride to return ? of it)
9) 2 Big basket (for groom to carry gifts)
10) Ang pow for match maker (if any)
11) Longan and Lianzi

Gifts prepared by Bride:

1) Pants for groom
2) 2 bottles of oranges juice in exchange for the Martell
3) Return some cans pig trotters & Oranges
4) Towels wrapped up as presents for groom's grandparents, parents and sibling with Yuan coins in it
5) 2 Bedlamps with Xi (either battery operated or electrically operated)
6) 2 Tea set (for groom's side and bride's side)
7) Xi stickers (include 2 big red ones to paste on main wooden door & 1 gold on masterbed & small ones to paste everything)
8) Descendants Ruler (supposedly to measure ur life together)
9) Ribbons (3 different sizes, big one to tie pillows)
10) Fans (1 pair)
11) 1 sewing box - 12 color threads, measurement tape, scissors. NO NEEDLES INSIDE!! BUY UR OWN NEEDLES AFTER THE WEDDING (12 colors to represent colorful life "tuo zi tuo cai", black/white thread to represent "bai tuo tao lao")(scissors dun use for cutting so soon)
12) Yan Ji (include 10 big & 10 small)
13) Variety of gold jewellery in a box for bride (has to show to the in laws, then bride keep after actual day)
14) Longans, red dates,lotus seeds, rock sugar, yuan bing for groom
15) Red packet, pigleg & cake for matchmaker (if any)
16) Red packet (for bride)

The above serves as a guide but can be really scary to think that we must prepare all these. Lucky my future-in-laws not very particular. And yah, while doing research discovered something interesting. During Guo Da Li, roasted pig is given by the groom to the brides family to signify that the bride is still a virgin. Haha.. no wonder very few people are giving roasted pig now!

******************************

I must said that, luckily, our planning starts really early, we (or rather I) are super kiasu. Can take time to surf the net for information. Actually, it is fun too. Wonder where those brides got their information from during the pre-internet era.