Last Friday, we scouted for another shop which specialises in selling kua. It took us half-an-hour to locate the shop. It is along Singapore, 86 Tanjong Pagar Road. It was not obvious if you scan across from the opposite shopping lane. It was only when we crossed the road and walked to right in front of the shop, then only we could identify it was the shop.
It is called “House of Etiquette”. It sold and rent Chinese wedding Kua. So far, I think it is the only shop that does that.
For Hong Kong wedding dinner, there are mahjong sessions prior to the actual dinner. Though the time may state 8pm, the dinner may start at around 10pm. (A “no-no” for Singapore’s wedding…normally we will complain it to be very late if the dinner starts at 8.30pm)
Guets may turn up as early as 6pm to play a few rounds of mahjong and it is common to see at least 6 tables of mahjong tables…the room becomes a mini-casino…:p If you don’t intend to play mahjong, it is safe to be there at about 8.30pm or 9pm.
But don’t be there later than 9pm because all guests have to take a mandatory photo-taking before the wedding dinner starts. Mandatory means COMPULSORY!!! (Very different from Singapore…which has picture taken from table to table. No wonder my future mother-in-law (FMIL) kept insisting a photo must be taken) All will take a photo under the “double-happiness” sign in the restaurant.
After taking the photos for everyone, the waiters clear the mahjong tables and set the round tables for the banquet. ( In Singapore, round tables are laid as early as 6pm and the necessary decor done by 7pm)
The feast starts with:
1. a roast suckling pig (a symbol of the bride’s virginity)
2. shark fins soup
3. sea cucumber
4. steamed fish
5. chicken or duck, and other dishes.
6. It ends with noodles and glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves.
7. Sweet red bean soup (for its lucky color) and
8. sweet buns follow up as desserts.
In Singapore and much according to Chinese customs, the bride has to wear a Chinese traditional wedding “kua“. There will be 2 times that she will be wearing. One during the photoshoot and the other on the wedding day when the bride returns home from the groom’s house for the tea-serving ceremony.
My future mother-in-law knew how to see what is a good “kua”. She is very particular about the worksmanship and the design. Her mother (my fiancee’s grandma) used to make “kua” for a living when she was young.
My mother-in-law was very disappointed with Singapore’s bridal studio’s kua and she rated it as poor.
The kua that my fiancee got looked quite old as it had been worn by many wedding couples in the past. There were some small tears, but the staff reassured us it will be mended. She also said that the holes would be too small to be seen by the camera during the photoshoot. Is this statement supposed to make us feel safe?
We, Chinese believe that red brings good luck. Red symbolises happiness. Traditionally, white is avoided. But in modern society, the bride wears a white gown and the groom wears a black suit. I get to have a tuxedo…>.< For guests, it is not advisable to wear black or dark color dress or suit to the wedding.
On that day of the wedding and at a pre-determined auspicious time, the groom will go to the bride’s house to fetch her. To gain access into the house, the groom has to give “laisee” (red packet money) to the bridesmaid or attendants “guarding” the door. Normally, these “sisters are made up of close friends of the bride and they will also help out in the bridal recpetion at night during the wedding dinner.
The wedding in Hong Kong is quite different from that in Singapore. Though we are all Chinese, there tends to be differentiation in custom according to the dialect groups. Especially for Cantonese dialect groups, they are extremely particular about the wedding custom especially in choosing an auspicious date, time and hours.
When a couple has decided to settle down, the first thing they’ll do is to ask a professional fortune-teller, feng shui master, or Chinese almanac expert to select an auspicious wedding date. As a rule, Chinese do not schedule wedding on the seventh month of the Lunar Year - the month of the Ghost Festival. Likewise, any renovation of the house or the bedroom will not be done in this month.
3 more months to go…or even less…I’m very excited aboout my wedding day…many people ask me why did I want to set up this blog? I should have spent more time resting or doing other things I enjoy.
I enjoy sharing…sharing my knowledge with friends and relatives…in Singapore, I can’t really find a one-stop website where I can find the infomation. I have to literally fish every bits of information from my friends who are getting married or had just gone through marriage.
Chinese Brides Must Avoid Eggplant!
Chinese grandmothers say that certain foods must definitely be avoided at a Chinese wedding banquet. The bride cannot eat any form of eggplant as that can result in sterility.
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