I grew up in a small and simple Chinese family.  When I told Bin that I’ve never attended a wedding in my life prior to our own one, she just laughed in disbelief.  If some day I was asked what makes an authentic Chinese wedding, I would have to refer to google and wikipedia .   To me, the term “Chinese wedding” often associates with grand feast, red envelopes and naughty tricks, thanks to movies and TV shows.

Jenny and James’s wedding, however, brought a new dimension to the definition of “Chinese wedding” in my head.

The wedding took place in a scenic winery in Napa Valley.  With black tie, white gown, rings and flowers, everything seemed familiar and traditional western style.  As I was ready to move on to reception, the “Chinese part” of the ceremony, featuring Han style, was rolled out.

Han, or Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), is arguably one of the greatest periods in the history of China. According to Wikipedia,  “During the Han Dynasty, China officially became a Confucian state and prospered domestically: agriculture, handicrafts and commerce flourished, and the population reached over 55 million people.“  To this day, I, like majority of Chinese, still refer to myself as the “Han people”.  Jenny designed her wedding just like a movie director would do for a clip in Han dynasty.   From the wine cup, the dresses, the scene decoration, to the wording of the announcement, and the bows and gestures, everything demonstrated the bride’s exquisite taste as well as her understand of and pride in our Chinese history and heritage.  I guess James probably took a while to familiarize himself in the groom’s part of the Han ritual.  However, to fully appreciate and cherish the richness of Chinese culture behind the scene would probably take us forever.

Congratulations to Jenny and James!  Thanks Jenny for the history lesson and for promoting what we are all gradually forgetting.