The Many Faces of Asian Weddings

The continent of Asia never falls short of diversity. This is most evident in how they celebrate weddings.

Asian weddings are very rich in tradition, colors, religion, and celebration. They are very different from each other, but are all meaningful both to the couple and to the society they hail from.

There are pre and post-wedding rituals. Some weddings place high importance on particular colors. Meanwhile, some follow gift-exchanging traditions. Aside from wedding gowns, some Asian cultures make use of colorful and intricate veils.

Planning usually takes months or even years. From the gowns, venue, and menu, up to the traditions, accustomed festivities, and choosing the date — everything has to be perfect.

And although many Asian weddings are heavily Westernized these days, many couples see to it that they incorporate tradition into their ceremonies.

Japanese Weddings

Traditional Japanese weddings are highly ritualistic. Only the parents and close relatives join the ceremony while all the other guests wait at the reception.

A procession sometimes takes place before the formal ceremony. The bride wears a white kimono and a headdress of the same color. The groom, on the other hand, wears a jacket kimono embroidered with his family crest .

During the ceremony, the bride and groom drink ceremonial sake, called the ‘sake-sharing ceremony’. They drink or sip sake three times from a small cup. Each sip represents a different message, but the whole ritual symbolizes the firm unity of the couple in marriage.

Japanese receptions have lots of food and drink for everyone, but without music and dancing. The newlyweds, however, may opt to hold an afterparty where all the dancing and partying happens.

Chinese Weddings

Chinese weddings and ceremonies involve lots of red. The red color symbolizes many good things in Chinese tradition, including love, wealth, loyalty, and success.

Aside from the red gown, the bride also wears a veil and carries a red umbrella.

Before the ceremony, the groom has to fetch his bride from the bridesmaids. He sometimes had to complete tasks or give the bridesmaids money to fetch his bride.

The wedding ceremony involves a tea ceremony to honor the bride and groom’s families. The newlywed bows to show respect to their parents. The parents, on the other hand, give them jewelry or money inside red envelopes.

Indian Weddings

Traditional Hindu weddings typically last three long days. It’s a grand celebration with lots of food, bright and heavily embellished sarees, jewelry, and family bonding.

A brahmin or priest often determines the best day for the wedding using stars. The actual ceremony involves a ritual called sapta-pad, where the bride and groom step around a sacred fire. Unlike Western weddings, Hindu weddings don’t have the newlywed’s ceremonial first kiss.

The wedding proper alone involves 16 hours of celebration on the 3rd day. The first two days are dedicated to the gathering of both families. Pre-wedding festivities also involve ceremonies such as the mehndi (henna ceremony). This represents good luck and healing for the bride and groom.

Philippine Weddings

Modern Philippine weddings are heavily influenced by the Catholic religion and Western-style weddings. They are big and full of traditional Filipino customs.

One distinct Filipino tradition is the pre-wedding pamamanhikan. The groom and his parents visit the bride’s home to ask permission to get married. Then the parents of both sides talk and plan out the wedding.

The groom usually wears a barong tagalog instead of a suit, while the bride wears a white gown on the wedding day. There’s also the candle lighting, veiling, tying of the nuptial cord, and coin or arras blessing during the ceremony.

Wedding receptions are grand events where friends, families, and long-distant relatives attend. It’s where the newlyweds do their first dance while the ninongs and ninangs pin money into the couple’s wedding gown and suit.

Thai Weddings

Like other Asian weddings, Traditional Thai weddings are heavily cultural. Monks play a vital role in the ceremony. The couple may invite up to nine monks to sing, pray, and bless them to have a lasting married life.

The night before the wedding, a Buddhist ceremony intended to pay respect to the Bride’s ancestors is held. This ceremony involves holy water and a holy thread which will be used again for the wedding the next day.

On the morning of the wedding, monks visit the couple and bless them and the guests with holy water. The White thread or ‘Sai Monkhon’ ritual happens next wherein the couple is joined by a holy thread. More ceremonies follow and the reception will finally take place at around dusk.