Today is AiLin's cousin's wedding. Emily and I have never been a part or seen a Taiwanese Wedding so it will be hard for me to compare it to one, but I can compare it to weddings that I have seen and been a part of.
I have been to many Catholic Weddings and Civil Weddings, but this wedding is nothing close to any of those. The day started very early for us, 5 AM early, which is normal on wedding days. We got dressed at our place then we got picked up to go to AiLin's cousin's family house where we got to see the Groom Kenny.
Emily and Kenny.
Family photo before we left for the Bride's house.
After taking some pictures, we then traveled to the Bride's place to deliver the gifts and have a Tea Ceremony.
When Kenny's brothers were bringing the gift over to Nanci's house, the wedding coordinator asked me to carry the gift because my zodiac sign is suppose to be lucky. So I carried the gifts to the house not knowing that I was actually carrying the money (lots of it).
I guess I can compare the Tea Ceremony to "pamamanhikan" in the Filipino culture, where the grooms parents goes over to the brides parents house to formally ask for the bride's hand and ask for blessing from the bride's parents, this is also were they set the date of the wedding the bringing the dowry. So maybe a Taiwanese wedding was no different to weddings I've seen.
Above were the gifts that we brought to the Bride's house and below is the parents choosing how much of they gift they are taking along with the Bride offering Tea to the family.
Finally below is the new Family Photo.
After the Tea Ceremony, instead of staying we left to get the groom's house ready. What better place to go and buy food for the guest, Costco. Yes, there is one in Taiwan and it looks exactly like the ones here in the US, but they have clam chowder, bulgogi burger, and apple soda (Apparently, AiLin's family love Apple Soda or maybe it's big in Taiwan) at the cafeteria along with the regular food we see here.
Costco in Taiwan!!! Emily is loving that Bulgogi Bake.
When we left the Bride's place, the Groom and his groomsmen played some wedding games, they showed the video during the reception. After we got the Groom's house ready, we left to rest and get ready to go to the reception later that night.
Here's the big difference that I noticed, there was not a formal wedding? There were no officiant, judge, priest or anything. It went from the Tea Ceremony to the Reception. The reception was held at a reception hall where all they do are weddings. During the time we were there, there were 5 other wedding receptions happening. That I have never experienced.
Here's what the entrance to the wedding venue looks like. Yes we are in table USA!!!
During the reception the couple walked with their dogs in a dog carriage. Then after that there were wedding introductions (minus best man and maid of honor speeches), wedding games, A LOT of food, and video montage. After all the dessert the reception ended along with the rest of the wedding that were going on that night.
Emily got to wear her Chinese dress that we bought here in the US. We misplaced here black shoe so we had to make due.
Here's Emily with her Chinese Dress.
Here's our USA Table Setting and the 12 course meal actual 13 but I guess I missed a food picture.
