Question on Toisanese wedding customs

When one of my sisters-in-law got married over 20 years ago the “groom’s team” (his mom and a sister) met with the “bride’s team” to negotiate the wedding stuff. - number of guests we’d invite for the banquet (groom’s side paid) - number of wedding cakes and wedding cake coupons bride’s side wanted to distribute (groom’s side paid) - other bride price stuff (not a huge figure, mostly symbolic)

Bride’s side provide the wedding gowns, the gold ornaments, and some lucky household goods (like sheets,) and of course, the bride

Days before the wedding, bride-price gifts dropped off: baskets of cakes, bottles of liquor, and at least two live chickens (I was NOT expecting that)

Wedding day, groom’s party came to fetch the bride and had to perform feats to be allowed in to get her. These feats were devised by the Bridges’s friends (like eating lots of hot peppers…)

Then groom and bride served tea to bride’s mother and eldest brother (dad had previously passed away) and then bride and entourage went to groom’s house to serve tea to groom’s parents and be given gold.

After that, the groom’s family sent us a roast pig, with a guy to cut it up. We distributed the roast pork amongst the sibs. Then rested a bit and then went to the banquet.

This was the most elaborate ceremony that I saw of my sisters-in-law. The others married more quietly. I think a lot of it was driven by the groom’s family.

/r/Cantonese Thread