Traditional Chinese Wedding

China is a large country with 56 nationalities. Different nationalities have different styles in marriage customs, but whatever the nationality is, the wedding ceremony is usually very complicated. A traditional Chinese wedding ceremony usually involves 6 necessary processes as match-making, engagement, betrothal presents, meeting the bride, three bows, and drinking wedlock wine. In addition, a typical Chinese wedding nowadays goes easierlike this: when a new couple is engaged, then what following behind is a descion of the date of their marriage. Most of them would like a bank holiday or special Chinese festival for their relatives and friends to attend the wedding. However, quite a few others, especially those in the countryside, would probably ask a fortune-teller for a lucky date (usually an even number) so that their marriage would have"Double Happiness". Red is the key to the wedding theme of China. It represents love, joy, luck and prosperity and is used in a variety of ways in Chinese wedding traditions. The bride's wedding gown is often red, as well as the wedding invitations, and wedding gift boxes or envelopes for carrying gifts. Even the bride and groom's houses are painted in red on the wedding day. The wedding ceremony is usually presided warmly, and the wedding ceremony very often ends with a very extravagant banquet. Toasts are made to wish the new couple long life, eternal love and happiness, and also early birth of a healthy baby.