Marriage proposal refers to the idea of a man proposing marriage to the woman's family. The man usually needs to prepare gifts such as cash, dowry list, and meeting gifts to show sincerity.
1. Gift money
The groom should proactively inquire about the bride's opinion on the dowry, such as the amount of dowry and how to receive it. It is also necessary to determine whether the dowry includes wedding expenses and various customs and etiquette expenditures, such as uncle's gift, DRESSing ceremony, mourning ceremony, table pressing ceremony, chef's gift, opening the car door, lighting ceremony, serving dishes ceremony, etc., which should be discussed accordingly to avoid disputes in the future. The amount of gift money varies depending on local wedding customs.
2. Dowry list
When the groom comes to propose, there is one thing that must be prepared in advance but does not necessarily have to be presented in person, which is the dowry list. In many regions, the most important thing in the betrothal ceremony is to discuss the dowry. So before the groom comes to propose, he must make a list of dowries based on the local dowry situation and estimate his own tolerance range.
The list of dowries should be prepared so that we can have a clear idea when discussing the dowries with the bride's parents. For the number of dowries within the acceptable range, the man should readily agree; If the dowry amount proposed by the other party clearly exceeds their ability to bear, the man should not reluctantly agree. It is also a good attitude for him to calmly propose his own alternative opinions based on the actual situation, sometimes even adding points. Of course, just keep this list in mind, there's no need to actually bring it out.
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3. Meeting Gift
The ancient custom of proposing marriage is essential. The groom's family personally visits the bride's house to propose marriage, showing their respect for the bride's family. The meeting ceremony is also divided into six ceremonies and eight ceremonies. The gifts brought to your doorstep must be even numbers, such as tobacco and alcohol, candy, pastries, red dates, lotus seeds, sweet things (not limited to types), round cakes (representing a round and full event), apple gift boxes representing good luck and happiness, etc.
The man can ask the woman's parents through the girl to see what requirements the woman's family has. Generally, as long as the requirements are not excessive, the man should try his best to meet them. The specific number must be communicated between the man and the woman in advance. In fact, the woman is marrying her daughter, not "selling her daughter". She usually doesn't demand too much, but just wants to see if the man values his daughter.
Related reading: Sample speech on groom's door-to-door marriage proposal: Precautions for groom's marriage proposal