When you’re fulfilling Chinese wedding traditions in Singapore, you can’t run away from the Guo Da Li ceremony. And just
like many Chinese traditions which centre around blessings, Guo Da Li is an
age-old ceremony to wish the happy couple a fruitful marriage.
But to receive these blessings in full, you’ll need to carry them out in
an auspicious manner! So use these quick tips to guide your Guo Da Li planning,
ensuring you don’t miss out on any sacred customs and adhere to them accordingly.
What is the Guo Da Li ceremony?
To start things off, what is the Guo Da Li ceremony? To put it briefly, the Guo Da Li
ceremony is a traditional Chinese betrothal ceremony, set up for the two
families to formally meet. As the betrothal gifts are passed from the groom’s
to the brides’ family, these gifts are not just a sign of wealth and abundance.
They also symbolise the groom’s sincere promise to care for his wife up till
old age.
While the Guo Da Li ceremony isn’t necessarily hard, it can turn out to
be rather tricky. Below, we have summarised it down to four simple steps on how
to go about doing so!
1. Picking the Right Date and Time
You might have heard that this ceremony is typically done two or three weeks before your wedding reception, but there’s more to picking the right date and time for this timeless
tradition.
Check against the Chinese lunar calendar and shortlist a couple of
appropriate dates and timings. After which, when you arrange with both groups
of parents, it’s easy to coordinate and finalise an available and auspicious
date! If sticking to tradition is important to you, consider hiring a Feng Shui
master to recommend a favourable date and time as well as warn against
ill-advised dates.
Getting this right is crucial, especially when you have elderly parents
or grandparents who are more particular regarding date sensitivity in the Guo
Da Li ceremony.
2. Prepare Gifts According to Your Dialect Group
There’s more to your list of gifts than the basic Xi Bing, oranges, dragon and phoenix candles; it can be especially tough when the list is extensive. Nevertheless, the first step is to figure out the groom’s dialect group, and use that as your reference point to preparing the various possible auspicious gifts.
Whichever dialect groups you and your fiance belong to, one key aspect that unites them all is the common Chinese tradition of emphasising the need to give gifts and offerings in pairs. Just like how you present a pair of oranges to elders during Lunar New Year, remember that you need to give your gifts to your in-laws — in, you guessed it, pairs!
Prepare two sets of every food or item because pairs signify good fortune in Chinese culture.
3. Need a Matchmaker?
For that extra dimension of prosperity and good fortune, who better to employ the service of than a female matchmaker? You’ll need to select an older female relative from the groom’s side who presents the gifts as symbols of prosperity and fertility. Traditionally, this matchmaker acts as the chaperon of the groom.
These days, however, many modern weddings have done away with a matchmaker. Instead, they simply have the bride, groom and both sides of parents receive the Guo Da Li gifts. Again, check with your family if they are comfortable without a matchmaker. Some families might still be fairly traditional and prefer to request the presence of a matchmaker role to facilitate the entire process.
4. Exchanging the Right (Auspicious) Sayings
Source: Jason Leung on Unsplash
Finally, prepare to shower the occasion with
auspicious sayings! It’s customary for the female matchmaker (whoever it be) to
greet the bride’s parents at the doorstep with such well-wishes. The auspicious
sayings also set the scene for the start of the exchange of gifts. So before
the ceremony, you can duly prepare these sayings and practise them with the
female matchmaker for a smooth delivery.
Conclusion
Source: Isabelleatelier on Pixabay
Following traditions can be tricky if you’re not prepared with the
necessary information! If you need guidance regarding the customs of Guo Da Li
and other traditional Chinese ceremonies, why not seek help from our
complimentary and resourceful Blissful Brides Concierge! Fill this form and our experts will set you up with their array of rich wedding
planning utilities and tools.
