Wedding Stories

Chinese Tea Ceremony at a Chateau Wedding


Jenny and Rich came to us after being recommended by the venue and had a relatively short lead time to their August weekday wedding.

They lived in Hong Kong so were struggling with the language, accessibility and time zones to plan their ideal wedding.

It was very important to Jenny to include traditions from her Chinese culture, but she also wanted good design that had to incorporate a stunning floral display for the ceremony and the colour red… representative in Chinese culture of happiness, success and good fortune.

The day started with a humanist ceremony under the shade of two big oak trees that stood at the former entrance to the chateau.  The trees were strung with cascades of hundreds of white silk flowers that hung above the couple and congregation.  They delicately wafted in the summer breeze, creating the stunning setting Jenny was looking for.

Cocktails on the lawns followed with the soft tones of a string duo playing contemporary songs whilst guests enjoyed champagne and canapes.

Before dinner, a traditional Chinese Tea ceremony honouring the elders and symbolising the union of two families took place.  Meanwhile, other guests were busy finding their seats for dinner with the help of a ‘Lai See’ place card tree.

The dinner was held in the fabulous ornate orangery where tables were identified with Chinese symbols, and the table settings included fortune cookies presented in mini bamboo steamers.

After some amusing speeches and the presentation of a traditional French Croquembouche, the bride and groom entertained with a choreographed first dance.

As the sun set, red Chinese paper lanterns lit up the garden as the guests partied inside.

Congratulations Jenny and Rich

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Chinese bride with groom entering orangery
Pale pink and cream floral table centre with Card with Chinese double happiness symbol on stuck in it
Chinese tea ceremony being prepared at a wedding in a Chateau's gardens

Photos by Lukas Kacki

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