In ancient times, welcoming the bride in person referred to the etiquette of the groom personally marrying the bride back home. Qinying, also known as welcoming the bride, is the sixth ritual of the Han Chinese wedding customs, popular in many regions across the country. Specifically, after the male family notifies the female family of the wedding date, the groom personally goes to the female family to welcome the bride on the wedding day. However, there are also ways where the male family sends a wedding procession to welcome the bride and the groom waits at home.
The origin of welcoming
The welcoming ceremony began in the Zhou Dynasty, and the queen also personally welcomed her at the Wei River when she got married. This ceremony has been passed down through generations and marks the beginning of weddings. There are various forms of welcoming ceremonies, which are recorded in many ancient books. Tang Duyou's "Tongdian: The 18th Emperor's Concubine" records: "During the Xia Dynasty, we welcomed each other in court, while during the Yin Dynasty, we welcomed each other in court. During the Zhou Dynasty, when men and women were allowed to marry, we welcomed each other in person at the household." The Book of Songs, Daya, Daming, records: "A great nation has sons, and the younger sister of the heavens. We welcomed each other in Wei during the reign of Emperor Wen Ding, who was known for his auspiciousness
Until the Qing Dynasty, the groom personally welcomed the bride, DRESSed in red and flowers, and rode on a horse or sedan chair to visit her in laws and relatives. The bride is carried by her elder brother into the sedan chair, and when the chair is lifted, several relatives of the bride's family accompany her, which is called "seeing off the bride".
The process of getting married and welcoming the groom
1. Step 1: Prepare everything necessary for the wedding, such as wedding dresses, cameras, vehicles, wedding candies, red envelopes, etc.
2. Step 2: It is necessary to properly schedule the wedding procession, arrange the time, location, and parking spaces, and preferably provide each driver with a "waybill".
3. Step 3: Go to the bride's house to pick up the bride. As there may be bridesmaids blocking the door during the pick-up process, the groom needs to prepare red envelopes to clear the way.
4. Step 4: After successfully receiving the bride, the couple should return to the groom's home, complete the corresponding customs, and then set off together to the wedding venue.