Traditional Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony

We met Heidi and David two years ago while they were traveling through Slovenia and stopped at Lake Bled for a couple’s session. We never thought their love will take us across the globe all the way to Hong Kong.

They loved our photographs and the connection we made. And when they started to plan their big day, they asked us to be their wedding photographers. Our season was completely booked out and there was only one October weekend left to fill – and as coincidence would have it, it was their wedding date.

And there we were, flying from Zagreb to Hong Kong, full of excitement and fear of our first Hong Kong wedding. From the touchdown on, Hong Kong impressed us with its sophistication, how easy it was to get around, the kindness, amazing food and a breath-taking skyline.

Heidi and David planned their wedding in two parts. You’re about to see part one, the traditional Chinese wedding tea ceremony, which was on Friday.

Given that tea is an important part of Chinese culture, it's not surprising that it's part of a traditional Chinese wedding. Both bride and groom are expected to serve tea to both sides of the parents, representing an important moment in which members of both families become relatives of each other.

After the tea ceremony, the bride and groom took us to a traditional Chinese park to take some photos. It was the perfect background to match their traditional red and gold wedding attires. And afterwards we all went to the hotel for an amazing 13 - course dinner experience.

Can we just say how grateful we are that we got to experience Chinese traditions up close? We loved every second of it, from getting ready at the brides home, to the park and the evening dinner. It was raw, pristine, emotional and so much fun!

Make-up and hair: Once make-up and hairdo by Ivy Choy
Location: Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong

This was part one of our Hong Kong adventure. Part two, a western chapel ceremony, is coming to our blog soon!