A Taiwanese Wedding

Cultural adventures are as important as hikes and trips to museums. They provide a chance to connect and understand people. Last weekend I went to a Taiwanese wedding. It was interesting. I do not think it would fit the image that a lot of westerners would picture for a wedding though. I am not sure how typical it was, but it did provide me with a chance to see a new side of Taiwanese culture.

The night we got the invitation.

To start this tale we have to jump a bit farther back in time. The original invitation came when I was still with my girlfriend. It was for her friend Peggy’s wedding. I was invited as Grace’s date. However, Grace and I separated. We are still friends though, so I told her I would still go with her.

Now let us speed forward to the wedding day. There was no big ceremony like at a western wedding. They did that at home, just the newlyweds and their parents. Instead, everyone was meeting for the wedding party. At first I thought we had arrived at a car dealership. It was actually a building set up for multiple wedding receptions.

Inside was crowded and bustling. There were at least three weddings going on at the same time. People were milling about and talking. There were a lot of different decorations. The most prominent of which were copies of the wedding photos. Wedding photos are a big deal in Taiwan. Couple love to go to parks, historic sites, and other nice areas for gorgeous photo shoots. A book was set out on a table so that we could flip through them. My personal favorite was of them wearing Mickey & Minnie Mouse ears.

Grace took me to the Bridesroom where Peggy and Rodge were getting their hair done. I sat back and let the girls gab as well as help take some pictures. I did end up teasing Grace. I claimed if she ignored me to much I would tell people I was her fiance or husband.

There was a table set up to hand over red envelopes. Rather than giving gifts, it is traditional to give a red envelope with money to the couple. After we signed a banner for the couple we got our seats in the hall. We were seated around a table with relatives and friends of the bride. Apparently they were having a separate wedding party for the grooms side at a different place because his family lived outside the city.

After a bit things were ready to go. The lights focused in and the happy couple walked down the aisle to their table. There were toasts and pictures. I was busy drinking down cup after cup of mango juice thanks to a case of dehydration. Then the food started to come. As a dish decorated with lobster shells was set down, the bride and groom went back to their room to relax. Duck, beef, and salad were brought around. The newlyweds were not missing out too much, they had lunch in their changing room.

I think I might have ate slower if I had known how many courses there would be. Shrimp and bowls of pork and scallop soup came out. There was a plate piled high with mushrooms and abalone. To me the best part was the lamb ribs. Of course there was still chicken soup to come as well. There were some pastries that even Grace could not identify for me. The final dessert was rum raisin ice cream cups.

The happy couple and their parents. Photo credit of Grace.

The show was not over though. The newlyweds came back, and in style. They, or at least Peggy, had changed cloths. She was in a nice blue dress. Rodge pedaled a tricycle into the hall with her sitting on a back seat waving. She handed out some candy, which the kids mobbed her for. Having promised not to embarrass Grace, I stayed in my seat. They came around each table to toast and take pictures.

Me on the wedding bike. Photo credit of Grace

Adequately stuffed, the last stop was pictures with the couple on the way out. We got our picture with them and Grace shot some photos with her new camera. It turns out that no matter what side of the world you are on, it isn’t really a wedding until someone’s uncle has a bit too much to drink. Grace and I snuck off to look the rest of the wedding building over. It’s kind of our thing. Act like we are some kind of spies. It was a neat little look around. A final wave good bye, and a doggie bag full of ribs, and we were ready to walk off our meal.

Afterwards. Photo credit of Grace.