Last weekend I went to a wedding in Taipei. The groom is an old friend of my wife. I have not attended any wedding for quite a while because almost everyone around us that wants and is able to get married does so already. So, we left our kid to grannies and tried to enjoy this rare opportunity to witness the creation of a new family.
Weddings in Taiwan nowadays are quite simplified as compared to decades ago. The main part of the wedding is the banquet, where hundreds of relatives and friends from both sides of the bride and groom come to celebrate together. The banquet is actually not complicated for guest - give your wedding gift money (red envelope), sit and watch the ceremony, listen to greeting speeches, watch the show if there is any, get some gifts from the newlyweds if any, EAT, have fun and grab some sweets before you say goodbyes ... That's it! But it is not so easy for the bride and groom! I know since we had been there and done that - no time to eat, a lot of preparation before it all begins (weeks, days before that day and particularly on that day), change two to four times of clothing for the bride, toast to All tables of guests during the banquet, see all the guests off when the party is about to end ... You will have no time to really enjoy your own wedding since things keep coming at you and you see a lot of good friends here but you only have like 10 seconds talking to him/her...
Well, say no more. Let's see my photo log of that wedding I went to. I wish them a wonderful and fulfilling life together ahead! Cheers!
Before It All Begins - Reception and the waiting
Look Around - Table, Gifts, and the Setup
Sometimes they will prepare some small gifts for all the guests... and a globally famous industry in Taiwan is the wedding photography services (ask @rea, she came here to enjoy this too! haha), so every couple will have a small decorated table showing their photos and they will select some to have them printed as small cards as gifts to you.
Here they come !
They show their specially made photos on big screens before the banquet like movie stars. After a long wait, finally the couple will enter the venue with their wedding dresses and begin the ceremony ... music, wedding crackers, flower girls and ring bearer ... it's their moment of life!
The Entertainment
This couple hired a ballon man to provide fun for small guests! It was so popular that only half the demand was met. We were lucky to get one for our kid at home :). Also, the restaurant provided an instant photo machine there too!
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The Feast
Okay, we are here to eat. That's the bottom line. LOL.... Traditionally, a typical feast will have sweets, assorted cold platter, all kinds of sea foods (this is regarded as great treat here), meat and vegetables, chicken soup, specially made rice, fruits and desserts ... Enjoy!
The Music
At this banquet, they let some close family friends sing (like karaoke) on stage. They also have a professional band and wedding singer to really let us enjoy... Music keeps the whole thing together... Wonderful...
Time to say goodbye! I hope you will have the opportunity to join a wedding banquet in Taiwan in the future!
CN區朋友們好啊！
我想我們世界各地華人的婚禮應該已經越來越大同小異了！尤其是婚宴部分。婚禮儀式則不一定，有西式有中式，但特色都是越來越簡化了！婚宴還是整個婚禮儀式中最重要的一部份，因為這是昭告天下，讓親朋友好齊賀的最重要的場合！以吃來慶賀人生大小事，向來是我們的傳統嘛！：）
我上週去參加了一場婚宴，在台北。由於身邊朋友們早就已經紛紛跨入家庭許久，其實這幾年參加喜宴的機會很少了，下一代的喜宴則還早，所以有點喜宴空窗期。這可是好事，荷包裡的錢可以留給自己花，如果兒子老婆花完還有剩的話。LOL...
這次則是老婆的一個老朋友，比較晚婚，所以我們決定把兒子託給長輩，好好去享受一下這氣氛！台灣現在的喜宴，基本上都大同小異了，越來越由新人主導，玩遊戲啦，送小禮物啦，吹氣球，拉炮，送玫瑰花等等，越來越活潑，看你們願不願意花時間規劃而已，外面的公司都可以幫你設計的。
結婚對於賓客來說很好玩，吃吃喝喝，有看有拿，聽音樂看影片，聊天敘舊非常熱鬧！只是有時候前面等待時間比較久，或是致詞人太過熱情講太久等等... 這對人請了專業的婚禮樂團、氣球達人，準備了小禮物、泡泡水等等，更別提標準得要有的婚紗照片與小卡、熱鬧的進場、婚紗照的播放、香檳塔到久等等... 最累的是新人，整場都會過度使用，好友在眼前，只能聊兩句；美食在桌上，頂多吃兩口；人生重要一刻，無暇細細品味 ... 這就是結婚啊！還在思念『前度』的年輕朋友們，這是你們即將面對的下一步人生，而已經離我們有點遠了 .... :)
好吧！其他的說明，其實不用太多。看看上面的照片，一起感受這對新人的喜悅 ...
祝他們百年好合，永遠幸福！