In Chinese Weddings, the Matrimonial Bed Ceremony is one of the most important wedding customs they highly value until today. It has the Chinese term “An Chuang”. It is a ceremony where the wedding couple’s new bed is prepared for their new life adventure together. People will decorate and set up their bed. To know more about the ceremony, we have the information below from our Chinese Wedding Planner.
Who sets up the Matrimonial Bed?
As usual, a woman with good fortune will be the one to set up the wedding couple’s new bed. It means that she should have the gift of having many children and a living husband. Anyone from the family can participate in the ceremony but setting up the bed is preferably from the groom’s parents or grandparents. By doing so, their good luck and fertility can be received by the couple.
The Process of Setting Up the Matrimonial Bed
When planning for Chinese Weddings, the first thing to do in setting up the couple’s bed is to transfer the new bed to the bridal room. Unlike before, using an old bed is acceptable in modern-day couples. Next, to determine the best location to place the bed inside the room, you must consult a Feng Sui master. Then, that is when the woman of good fortune will glam up the bed with a new set of bed linens. It must be in favorable colors – commonly red, having dragons and phoenix designs. Lucky items and the ones from the betrothal gift ceremony are also set on the bed. For example, the special and lucky items needed are the following:
- Coconut
- Red Bean
- Areca
- Green Bean
- Red Dates
- Dried Longan
- Peanuts (still in shells)
- Dried Walnuts
- Dried Lychees
- Face Washbasin (from Bride’s dowry)
- Bedroom Slippers
- Birthing tubs
- To 2 red packets – amount containing number “9”, placed on the pillow.
Before the wedding day, the bed should be slightly tilted at a certain angle. When setting up the bed is complete, children must jump and roll on the bed representing the blessing of fertility for the couple. The more the children means the more the fertility will be blessed to the couple.
If you are Planning Chinese Wedding Traditions but still unsure about your timeline and details, we got you covered. Our wedding planners and team would be happy to be at your service. You can guarantee that you will have our undivided attention fulfilling everything you’ll need. Moreover, if you want to know more about Chinese Wedding Traditions, we have other related articles you would love:
An Chuang Part I, Chinese Tea Ceremony, Chinese Door Games, Chinese Hair Combing Ceremony, and Other Exciting Things To Know About Chinese Wedding Traditions.
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