The Tea Ceremony
Honouring Our Roots
The Tea Ceremony will take place in the Entry Room at Adorn Events. The entrance to the Entry Room is at the back of the building on Sundial Dr. There is street parking available directly in front of the Sundial Dr entrance.
The Tea Ceremony will start at 12PM, and doors will open at 11:45AM. Finger foods, water, coffee, and tea will be provided!
The Ceremony
This is the heart of the tradition, representing the formal introduction of the couple to their new families.
The Tea Ceremony is a significant part of a Chinese wedding. It is a formal "introduction" where the bride and groom pay their respects to their elders and, in return, are officially welcomed into each other's families.
During the ceremony, Jakob and Xandri will serve tea to their parents, grandparents, and elder relatives. The flow will look a little something like this:
The Offering
In pairs one-by-one, parents and elders will be seated in chairs. Jakob & Xandri will kneel or bow before each of the elders and offer a cup of tea with both hands, saying, “Please drink tea.” This is a gesture of gratitude for the years of upbringing and wisdom provided by the family.
The Blessing
To accept the offering, the elders would receive the teacup with both hands, take a sip of the tea, and then offer words of wisdom, blessings, or well-wishes to the couple. The teacup is returned to the tray.
The Exchange
After the teacup is returned, the elders present the couple with a gift.
Tradition & Gifting
How the family blesses the couple.
Traditionally, after drinking the tea, the elders present a gift to the couple to welcome them.
For the Chinese Family
(what you’ll observe with Xandri’s family)
You will often see gifts of gold jewelry (Si Dian Jin “四点金”) or Angbaos (“red packets” with money) given to the bride and groom.
For Jakob’s Family
We know this is a new tradition for you! Please do not feel pressured to follow the traditional gifting norms of gold or money. We simply want you to be part of this moment of connection.
Option A
If you’d like to follow the tradition, an Angbao (“red packet”) is generally the standard.
Option B
We would value any wisdom or advice you’d like to share with us. Instead of a traditional tea ceremony gift, you could write us a note with marriage advice or a wish for our future, place it inside a red packet, and hand that to us after the tea!
Other Traditions
Angbaos (“red packets”)
We will have some available! Just find Xandri’s mum, San San, when you arrive, and she’ll be happy to help!
Giving & Receiving
When giving and receiving, everything is usually done with two hands as a sign of respect.
Numerology
8 is the best number! In Chinese, it sounds like the word for “wealth” or “prosper,” so any numbers including and/or ending in 8 (e.g., 88, 128) are considered very lucky.
Avoid 4 at all costs. In Chinese, it sounds like the word for “death,” so any numbers including and/or ending in 4 are considered extremely unlucky.
Even numbers are generally preferred over odd numbers, symbolizing “pairs.” This goes for both the actual number itself, as well as the number of digits. For example, “8” is good, but “12” is better. “88” is fantastic, but “48” is not okay.