a description of how traditional Chinese weddings have influenced modern wedding ceremonies

1. Chinese weddings
-date
-Communications 101
-Mrs. Sonandre

2. Heng Heng
Ashley Adamire, Sarah Khan, Jeff Noeller
Brynn Nugent, Tyrah Vasbinder, Galina Zalevskaya

3. high context and low
context cultures
The concepts of high context and low context refer to how
people communicate in different cultures. Differences can be
derived from the extent to which meaning is transmitted
through actual words used or implied by the context. High
context implies that a lot of unspoken information is implicitly
transferred during communication. Low context implies that a
lot of information is exchanged explicitly through the message
itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden.
Lombard

4. Is the Chinese culture a high context culture
or a low context culture?
China — and indeed most Asian cultures — is most a high context
culture. Communication is frequently indirect, and requires a deep
understanding of the cultural context to be able to properly interpret
what others are saying and doing. This is especially true of situations
that could involve anger, confrontation, or disagreement.

5. In China communication tends to be very
efficient because of their information-
flow at work and in privacy. They discuss
everything in advance and consider
meetings as an official ceremony where
the already commonly agreed decision
will be announced. Chinese use a high-
context communication. They place great
importance on ambience, decorum, the
relative status of the participants in a
communication and the manner of
massage’s delivery. In case of a meeting,
the Chinese would not interact and
express their disagreement or
reservations. For Chinese issues,
circumstances and relationships are as
important as work so they would
comment only in a more private or
appropriate occasion.

6. What determined this?
• Because of thousands of years of culture and history that have
emphasized the importance of maintaining balance in relationships,
which means avoiding saying or doing things that could upset others,
and potentially damage relationships. In traditional Chinese culture,
being too direct is generally seen as an indication of lack of
sophistication, of being poorly educated, or simply of being rude and
inconsiderate of others.

7. How the Wedding is Proposed

8. The marriage was not based on the couples LOVE for one
another, but it was based upon what the parents wanted to
accomplish
Presenting Wedding Gifts: This was the grandest etiquette of
the whole process of engagement. Prolific gifts were presented
again to the girl's family, symbolizing respect and kindness
towards the girl's family as well as the capability of providing a
good life for the girl.

9. Symbols
Symbols
• Double happinesssymbol
• Double happinesscandle
Meaning
• Composedof two standardcharacters
representing the wish for the newlyweds
to havehappiness.
• Lighting candles is very important to
Chinese wedding night. Imply the good
wish for the newlyweds living together till
white hair with love and good luck.
2012
Lee

10. Symbols
Symbols
• Red/RedInvitation Envelopes
• Gold
Meaning
• Symbolizesgoodfortune and joyin Chinese culture.The redenvelope
is alsoa symbolof prosperity. Redis alsothe color in Chinese
weddings,representing goodluck,joyand happiness.
• Consideredthemostbeautifulcolor.Goldis a verypopular color to
matchred. Traditionally,the color goldcan be usedonlyby emperors
as a symbolof the higheststatus.The combinationof redand gold
provide peoplea strongsense of happinessand honor.
Qi
Lee

11. Symbols
Symbols
• The pattern of Dragon and Phoenix
• Cheongsamand Han
Meaning
• Thepatternof dragonandphoenixisalsousedfrequentlyin
Chineseweddingdecorations, symbolizingthegroomand
briderespectively.Theyaremostoftenembroideredon
weddingdresses.
• CheongsamandHanChineseclothesarethetwomost
popularstyles.No matterwhichstyleyouchoose,thewedding
dressisalwaysmadeof redsilk,withbeautifulembroideries
onit.
Zhang
Lee

12. Bride Preparations
- At the dawn on her wedding day the bride is bathed in water infused
with pumelo, a variety of grapefruit to cleanse her of her evil
influences
- A ‘good luck woman’ attends the brides preparations and dresses the
brides hair in the style of a married woman
- She is carried to the main hall on the good luck woman’s back, or it can
be the most senior sister-in-law
- She is put in a jacket and skirt and steps in red shoes
- Bride’s face is covered in a red silk veil

13. Groom Preparations
• -Dresses in a long gown
• Red Shoes
• Red silk sash with a silk ball on his shoulder
• Father places a cap decorated with cypress leaves on the grooms
head
• The groom bows first before the tablets of Heaven and Earth and his
ancestors then to his parents and the rest of the family members
• The father removes the silk ball from the sash of the grooms
shoulders and places it on the top of the bridal sedan’s chair

14. Getting Ready
• The ‘good luck woman’ carries the bride on her back to the sedan chair.
• A sieve, which strains out evil and a metallic mirror, which reflects light, is
placed at the rear of the bride’s sedan to protect her from evil influence.
• Firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits as the bride leaves the
sedan chair.
• She later arrives at the groom’s house and firecrackers are set again at her
arrival.
• A red mat is placed before the sedan chair for the bride.
• After all these rituals take place the groom can finally raise the red scarf
are view the brides face

15. Ceremony
• The bride and groom are conducted to the family altar, there they paid
homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God.
• Tea with two red dates is offered generally to the grooms parents
• After the ceremony the couple is led to the bridal chamber where both of
them sit on a bed. They drank honey and wine poured into goblets linked
by a red thread. They exchanged cups and took drinks, and drank it down.
• The bed chamber is soon open to visitors who view it.
• Later there are separate wedding feasts, Men and women sit separately.
• The most important feast is given to the groom’s family on the day of the
wedding.

16. After wedding traditions

17. conclusion

18. Lombard J. May28,2016, What Makes China a High Context Culture?, Quora. retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/What-makes-China-a-high-context-culture
Maclachlan M. Feb12,2010, Cross-Cultural Communication Styles: High and Low Context.
Communicaid. Retrieved from https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/high-
and-low-context/
2012, Chinese Marriage Ceremony Designs. Documents and Designs. Retrieved from
https://www.documentsanddesigns.com/reception_accessories/Dings_Swirls/Index_Chinese_Sy
mbols.htm
Qi Harmony. Feb 12, 2013, Significance of Red & Goldin Chinese Culture. Retrieved from
http://qiharmony.com/significance-of-red-gold-in-chinese-culture/
Lee Richard, Traditional Chinese Marriage. China Private Tour Guide Services. Retrieved from
http://www.chinatourguide.net/12_19.htm
Zhang Xiaoxi, 2009, Wedding Dress. Chinese Wedding. Retrieved form
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/zhang_x/dress.html
References

19. Mar, L., & Rutledge, I. (1996). Chinese Wedding Traditions. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from
http://chcp.org/virtual-museum-library/chinese-wedding-traditions/#wedding
Traditions -> Festivals and Customs. (2007). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from
http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/14Traditions30.html (for ceremony pic)
Wang, F. (2016, April 05). What goes into a traditional Chinese wedding in Guangdong? Retrieved
February 28, 2017, from Quora, https://www.quora.com/What-goes-into-a-Traditional-Chinese-
wedding-in-Guangdong (picture of woman at wedding)

20. 1. Title Page (Ashley)
2. Intro/ Overview (Ashley)
3. High Context vs. Low Context Cultures (Three slides) (Tyrah)
4. Why China is a high context culture (Brynn)
5. Why China is a high context culture based on traditional weddings (Brynn)
6. How the Wedding is Proposed (Jeff)
7.-9. Three Important Symbols in the Wedding (Galina)
10. Bride Preparations (Sarah)
11. Groom Preparations (Sarah)
12. Getting Ready/ Ceremony (maybe 2 slides) (Sarah)
13. After the Wedding Traditions (maybe 2 slides) (Jeff)
14. Conclusion (Ashley)
15. References (Ashley)
Reference page still needs to be put in abc order and I left the web pages for our
references.

21. Reference page
• https://www.documentsanddesigns.com/reception_accessories/Dings_Swirls/Index_Chinese_Sy
mbols.htm
• http://qiharmony.com/significance-of-red-gold-in-chinese-culture/
• http://www.chinatourguide.net/12_19.htm
• http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/zhang_x/dress.html
• https://www.quora.com/What-makes-China-a-high-context-culture
• https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/high-and-low-context/
• http://www.via-web.de/high-context-vs-low-context/