Singapore Wedding Traditions
Every culture has their own unique traditions and weddings are always great avenues to showcase the richness of one’s heritage. In Singapore, there are few wedding rituals and beliefs that Chinese couples commonlyinclude into their special day. If you are planning a wedding in Singapore, you might not want to miss out on these:
Betrothal Ceremony.Also known as Guo Da Li, the Betrothal Ceremony is a formal ceremony signifying the groom’s willingness to marry his bride and his readinessfor the responsibility of taking good care of her for always. Traditionally, the groom and an elder female relative (a woman of good fortune), will offer a variety of gifts tothe bride’s family; gifts that symbolize prosperity. Placed in a traditional betrothal basket, the gifts can include pig trotters, hard liquor, traditional wedding cakes, oranges, jewelry, double happiness stickers, Dragon Phoenix Candles, among others. In return, the bride’s family signifies their acceptance of the groom’s sincerity by sharing the gifts received from the groom. The bride’s family likewise presents to the groom’s family the bride’s dowry as a sign of wealth and prosperity, a symbolism of bestowing happiness upon the marriage. The dowry usually includes dining cutlery in pairs, a tea set for the tea ceremony, gold jewelry, among others.
Hair-Combing Ritual.This ritual represents the transition for the bride and groom into womanhood and manhood, respectively. Held on the night before the wedding, the hair-combing ritualstake place in the respective homes of the bride and groom. First, you wash yourself withpomelo leaves-infused water. This is believed to ward off evil spirits. You are then dressed in a brand new set of pajamas and undergarments and sit in front of a pair of dragon and phoenix candles (which wasa part of the betrothal ceremony gifts).
Tea Ceremony. In Singapore, the tea ceremony is the traditional and formal introduction of the bride to everyone and heracceptance into families. The couple first goes to the groom’s family home to serve tea to and address the family members by their formal titles as a show of respect. Here, the groom’s family will accept the bride as part of their family and give their blessings for the marriage. Afterwards, the bride and groom are to return to the bride’s family home for another round of tea serving and paying respects to her family. The bride wears a special tea ceremony dress (known as the kua) for this part of the ceremony.
There are a few more traditional wedding rituals customary for couples of Chinese heritage. Whether you decide to go all-out traditional for your wedding or just partially, always keep in mind that truly memorable weddings outlast the actual day and so make the affair as befitting and personal to you and your fiancé as much as you can. Immortalize the wedding traditions you’ve chosen in the wedding cinematography video. All the prewedding events may be documented in a PreWedding Videography Package from your Singapore wedding videographer. Go with the Singapore wedding photographer and videographer that knows you and how best to capture the moments that matter most and will be able to record every detail lovingly placed on each cherished wedding day.