Chinese Wedding Greetings You Should Know

Why are wedding blessings so important to Chinese couples?

According to Chinese tradition, auspicious behaviors, lucky symbolisms and certain etiquette, such as well-wishing, is preferred at a Chinese wedding banquet. No matter what festival or occasion, well-wishing takes on an important role in Chinese culture. It is vital to convey the respect you have for the new couple and their families. It is also an essential component in building and maintaining your social relationship with them and the people involved.

When it comes to traditional Chinese weddings, giving special wedding wishes is a wonderful way for you to offer your heartfelt congratulations and sweet blessings to the Chinese bride and groom. If you are invited to the wedding ceremony, it would be considered polite and respectful to give some of your blessings through the power of words. Whether you meet the couple through the tea ceremony or during the dinner banquet, your kind words are sure to bring joy on their wedding day.

But before we dive into lovely wedding greetings you can give, let’s have a look at words you should avoid.

Words that cannot say during the Chinese wedding

It goes without saying that words that are associated with death, dying, endings and fights should be avoided at all cost. This may seem obvious to most, but we are human and there could be a slip of the tongue, especially when one is trying hard to come up with appropriate things to say.

In case of slip-ups, it could usually be easily brushed off with a sincere apology and moving on to something with a much nicer connotation. Talk of joy, health, good luck, good fortune, a blossoming married life, a long and happy life, and wealth are fairly good replacements.

Fun facts about Chinese wedding greetings

The good news is, there are an assortment of ways to offer your wedding blessings. Perhaps the simplest form would be to give a nice and joyous “Congratulations!” to the beloved couple, especially if you are not particularly close with them.

However, this may not appear as sincere, especially if many others are offering the same wordings as you, and it becomes lost in the sea of words. To relay your genuine wishes more effectively, you can memorise a few Chinese wedding greetings to use on their big day!

One of the more common form of well-wishing is Chinese idioms. These four-character phrases pack a lot of meaning and positivity, perfect for memorising and using at the right occasion.

It is ideal to put the words “zhu ni” in front of the idiom. These words mean “wishing you”. A fantastic combination to use is “zhu ni”, followed by the top three idioms of your choice. This is not only more common and respectful, but is also guaranteed to leave a more lasting impression with the couple and their family.

Do keep in mind that using three idioms is optimal, and any more may seem a little pretentious or boastful. Modesty and sincerity is the best!

Chinese wedding wishes in English and Chinese

Without further ado, here are some well-wishes you could use on that very special day!

Wish them a harmonious relationship with:

• May you forever be of one mind: 永结同心 (yǒng jié tóng xīn), or
• May you have harmonious marital relations: 举案齐眉 (jǔ àn qí méi)

Wish that they will treat each other kindly with:

• May you have mutual love and respect: 互敬互爱 (hù jìng hù ài)

Wish them a long-lasting marriage with:

• May you have a harmonious union that lasts one hundred years: 百年好合 (bǎi nián hǎo hé)
• May you live together until your hair turns white with old age: 白头偕老 (bái tóu xié lǎo)