Wedding traditions & red packets

A traditional Hong Kong wedding often blends a Western-style ceremony and reception with a set of distinct Chinese customs, most commonly a tea ceremony held earlier the same day.

The tea ceremony

The couple formally serves tea to both sets of parents and senior relatives, in descending order of seniority, receiving a red packet (see below) or piece of jewellery in return — a ritual acknowledging the couple's new status and respect for both families.

Red packets (lai see)

Cash gifts in red envelopes, already familiar from Lunar New Year (see our festival planning guide), are also standard at weddings — guests typically give an amount considered auspicious, often avoiding numbers associated with bad luck as covered in our superstitions guide.

Door games

Before the groom can collect the bride on the wedding day, his groomsmen are traditionally made to complete a series of playful challenges and games set by the bridesmaids at the door — a lighthearted, often elaborately staged custom that's become its own mini-tradition at many modern weddings.

The banquet

A formal wedding banquet, already covered in our banquet food guide, typically follows, bringing together the ceremonial customs and the celebratory meal in a single long day.