Dear Friend,

	The newlyweds

What a party! We were invited to a wedding reception for the marriage of Gin Chang Liu and Stacey Cho. They were actually married three days before this party. But part of the traditional Chinese wedding custom is that the newlyweds return and join the bride’s family for another celebration three days after the wedding.

In this culture, when a woman marries, she becomes a member of her husband’s family. So this party is the first time that the bride is received as a guest of her original family. The couple also gives presents to the bride’s family.

Most of the party reminded me of wedding receptions that I’ve attended in the United States. But I was surprised to see the importance of the color red at this party. In the Chinese culture, red is a symbol of happiness and wealth. For this party, the invitations were printed on red paper and sent in red envelopes, and the gifts were presented in red envelopes. One of the three dresses that the bride wore during the reception was red, too. She also wore a Western-style white wedding gown similar to those that we see at weddings in the States.

Your friend,

Carla