Many Chinese weddings come and go but not all are memorable. This series is all about the memorable and fun Chinese elements in a wedding. In my previous post I shared about an aunties and uncles’ choreographed dance routine to open up the evening (what a great idea!) and this week I share with you another great way to infuse some culture into your wedding.
This month I attended my cousin’s wedding. It had Chinese wedding written all over it – 350+ guests at the beautiful Le Jardin, catered by none other than the man known as “Jacky”. No joke, half of my clients’ weddings for 2012 are at Le Jardin catered by Jacky. This isn’t a bad thing, mind you, (I love them both!) it just happens to be the magical combination of the dream Chinese wedding!
I was expecting a rather typical Chinese wedding, but I was impressed by all the elements that came together. I bet it was a dream to help with this one; there were so many great things about the day – lovely decor, great music and DJ, a huge guestlist, great weather, nonstop entertainment and not to mention the dream team of Le Jardin and Jacky’s catering.
The one thing I enjoyed the most was the energy and cultural flair from the lion dancers. Early in the reception, we were graced by the beating drums of the traditional Chinese dance of the lion. Commonly seen at Chinese New Year and at the Mid-Autumn Festival, it symbolizes bringing luck and fortune, while warding away evil spirits. Fruit and red envelopes are hung from high poles, presenting an entertaining challenge for the lion to grab. Read more about the tradition of the lion dance on wikipedia. It has always been a highlight of mine to see lion dancers during the Chinese holidays and what a delight to see this tradition at Christine and Mike’s wedding. Congrats you two!
See more photos from this great wedding here.
Photos courtesy of Joee Wong – www.jwphotography.ca/