上班族必備軟實力

[Richard was married in Taiwan 17 years ago.]

A Taiwanese wedding is a lavish and intricate affair. Before the wedding, couples usually have wedding photos taken. These are taken by professional photographers, and involve many clothes changes in various scenic locations. It is all put into a lavish photo album that they can show off and cherish the rest of their happily wedded lives.

The main part of a Chinese wedding is the banquet. It is important. Family and friends are seated at large tables, and delicious food is added continuously to the daisy wheel. If people don’t finish the first courses, then they will have trouble fitting subsequent dishes onto the table. It can be quite a battle, moving stuff around and emptying plates. They usually start with appetizers and go through soup and several main dishes that might be lobster, sashimi, boiled fish, beef, stir-fried meats and veggies, pork, and much more. The last few dishes will be some sort of cold sweet bean soup and various fruits.

Wedding participants travel to the banquet en masse, and decorate their cars with red ribbons. Good luck firecrackers are set off just as the wedding party departs.

 Each car has a ribbon for the procession.

The newlyweds travel from table to table receiving congratulations in the form of toasts. After that, table by table, guests will visit the couple’s table and offer toasts.

There is a reception table in front for people to sign in and to leave red envelopes as gifts for the bride and groom. The money is meant to bring good luck and prosperity.

Weddings are interesting and fun in Taiwan. You can really eat well, and that’s half the battle. Thank you for reading.