RANDOMNESS LEFTOVERS

CHINESE WEDDING...CON'T

Sorry this took so long to finish...but I was writing in between the wedding and then had to leave for Chongqing and my flight home..so on to the happy ending!!.

     So I realized I actually skipped a whole step.  After the pictures were taken we go back to the apartment (CJ and Christina's).  I have to hurry to get back....they have actually bent the rules a little so I could see the whole wedding.  Normally the grooms parents would just wait at their place.  Along with Rita, one of CJ's friends Anson is also my escort and interpreter.  He gets me to the apartment and there are a lot of people waiting there too.  At first they thought it was Christina and CJ coming in but realized it was me and let me in!  When CJ and Christina do finally get to the door it gets loud and crazy again.  They have to throw more lucky money inside to be able to get in.                                                                                                               

  Once they get in CJ carries Christina to the bedroom.  As they do that everyone starts popping all the balloons!! 

 The bed has been made with a beautiful red bed cover and that is covered with peanuts and dried fruit. (I don't know why).

    I have to go and sit on the couch and CJ and Christina kneel in front of me and serve me tea and then I have to give them each a large lucky envelope.

  On to the wedding part........

The groom,  best men and bridesmaids are standing on the side of the isle and the flower girl and ring bearer come down the isle and throw flower petals  

.  The best men and bridesmaids walk back to were Christina and her dad are.  

 They walk in front of them and come to a purple and white draped canopy.

  Christina and her dad wait there until CJ steps up on the platform (isle) takes a bow and walks down to where they are waiting. CJ kneels down and I don't know if he has to say something or what...I was seated near the front and stood up to see and was told to sit down!

 ...then CJ and Christina walk back down the isle together and her dad comes back to where Christina's mom and I are sitting.

.  There is an actual person doing all the announcing while the wedding is going on....CJ says his vows in Chinese to Christina and she in turn says hers to him in English.

They exchange rings....

You may now kiss the bride....

      They together pour a bottle of Champagne into the top glass of  a pyramid stack of glasses which trickles down in to the other glasses.

  CJ and Christina come over to where the parents are sitting.  Christina hands me a little glass, CJ hands one to Christina's mom and together they hand one to her dad.  We all take a sip.  CJ and Christina go back to the stage and each get another glass and the whole room toasts them.

  The parents then come up to the stage and stand next to them and do the same thing..

 Christina's bouquet is loaded with Lucky money envelopes.  She and CJ turn around while the bridesmaids stand behind them.  As Christina tosses the bouquet CJ also throws a handful of lucky money. 

     Christina has gone and changed out of her gown while the parents turn their chairs around to the table.  There were over 300 people at the wedding.  Each table was piled high with all types of food.  There was a big turn table in the middle of each table.  Large bowls are on the bottom and smaller ones are sitting on top of and in between those and there is another layer on top of those. Bowls of soup, a whole fish, beans, vegetables and meat, nuts, so many things and I don't know what half of them where!

     Now the married couple and the parents go around to each table and someone makes a toast or two!

Most of the guests go home (we all went home to rest and that is when I wrote the 1st part) and any who stay mostly sit around and talk or play Mahjong.

 Around 5 o'clock we return for dinner.  This wasn't as exciting but most of the people who attended the wedding ceremony came to the dinner also.  Again there were tons of food. CJ Christina and I sat with some of the foreign teachers..most of whom I met last time...so I got to carry on a conversation or two.