Auspicious Weddings At A Glance
The procedures of an ancient Chinese marriage are captured within the phrase "Three (3) Letters and Six (6) Etiquettes".
The three Letters will be the engagement letter, the delivery of gifts letter and the taking of the bride letter.
In ancient times, if a man is serious about a woman, he will engage a middlemen (a middle-women actually) to explore the possibility and if appropriate to convey his intentions to the woman's family. If the woman's family finds him acceptable, they are going to notify him and he will make the official proposal by delivering the formal letter of engagement upon an auspicious date.
At this stage the women's family can still say no to the proposal. When you would expect you will find still a lot of things to sort out and to negotiate over.
If the proposal is accepted, the next step is to deliver wedding gifts to the woman's family. These wedding gifts that are normally expensive are accompanied through the 'Delivery of Gift' letter which is essentially a list of items and quantity much like a delivery order! By signing this letter and taking delivery of the gifts, it signifies the women's family acceptance of the marriage.
The itemized 'Delivery of Gift' letter is additionally a safeguard against pilferage by the delivery team!
The third letter is known as the 'Taking the Bride' Letter since it is the letter that the groom produces when he arrives at the bride's home on the wedding day. Upon acceptance of the letter, the bride is deemed to have joined the groom and be a member of the groom's family.
It is no surprise why the bride mothers weep uncontrollably on wedding days. It's like losing a daughter!
It refers to the six main procedures within an ancient Chinese marriage. It includes the official proposal, the checking of Ba Zi (compatibility using a system of Chinese Astrology), selection of auspicious date for Read the Full Report wedding, delivery of gifts, confirmation of wedding dates and finally the wedding itself.
Once the man has set his eyes on the girl, he sends an official proposal to the woman's family. After the proposal is accepted, he will seek the services of an astrologer to determine if they are compatible. Research will also be done to guarantee that there is no blood relationship between them. At this stage the engagement may be called off should they are not compatible or if their blood line are somewhat connected.
