Sussex Exclusive Magazine. Issue 4 2023
Showcasing the best of Sussex. In this edition, we shine a spotlight on Eastbourne, share foodie experiences and bring you lots of ideas for the perfect Sussex wedding. You'll also find things to do, some great Sussex recipes, health advice, gardening tips and a lots more.
Showcasing the best of Sussex. In this edition, we shine a spotlight on Eastbourne, share foodie experiences and bring you lots of ideas for the perfect Sussex wedding. You'll also find things to do, some great Sussex recipes, health advice, gardening tips and a lots more.
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An auspicious<br />
wedding<br />
Janine Lowe talks about Chinese weddings and<br />
auspicious dates, colours and flowers<br />
As the focus this month in <strong>Sussex</strong><br />
<strong>Exclusive</strong> is on weddings, I thought I<br />
would share my experience of a Chinese<br />
wedding I went to in Bangkok.<br />
Chinese weddings are planned around an<br />
auspicious month. In this case, the groom was<br />
born in the month of the Rat (December) and<br />
auspicious months for Rats to marry are January,<br />
August and December.<br />
The bride chose traditional, auspicious Chinese<br />
flowers in her wedding bouquet like peonies which<br />
represent wealth and prosperity with a sprinkle of<br />
orchids as these symbolise fertility and abundance.<br />
At the reception there were hundreds of Chinese<br />
lilies which symbolise the union of two people.<br />
Before I went to the wedding, I asked for a<br />
wedding list to give me some idea what to give<br />
them. The Chinese do not generally give a gift but<br />
instead a red envelope is placed beside your plate<br />
in the celebrations, and you are asked to place<br />
money in it and give it to bride and groom.<br />
The wedding I went to was attended by at least<br />
two hundred people so the queue to hand our<br />
little red envelopes over was huge, but everyone<br />
was smiling and loved the fact they could try their<br />
English out on me.<br />
The wedding will always stay with me as one<br />
of those memories which was beautiful and<br />
inspiring but as a Feng Shui consultant an<br />
absolute gold adventure.<br />
Auspicious colours<br />
In China, the bride and groom get married twice.<br />
For the first wedding the bride chooses a red dress,<br />
which was stunning. Red represents prosperity and<br />
good luck. She changed in the evening to a blue<br />
dress which represents stability and harmony.<br />
The bridesmaids, and there were eight of them, wore<br />
gold dresses which represents wealth and prosperity,<br />
and they carried sunflowers as their bouquets, which<br />
symbolize happiness and prosperity.<br />
As you can see in a Chinese wedding everything is<br />
about using the most auspicious colours, flowers,<br />
and the right date to get married.<br />
They also had a tea ceremony which was so touching<br />
to watch and was to bond their love for each other<br />
and to enhance the longevity of their marriage.<br />
Choosing your wedding dates<br />
If you know your Chinese animal here are some<br />
months that are auspicious for you to marry:<br />
Rat – January, August and December, avoid June.<br />
Ox – May, June and September, avoid July.<br />
Tiger – June, October and November, avoid<br />
August.<br />
Rabbit – March, July and October, avoid<br />
September.<br />
Dragon – May, August and September, avoid<br />
October.<br />
Snake – January, April and September, avoid<br />
November.<br />
Horse – February, July and October, avoid<br />
December.<br />
Red is the colour<br />
But it didn’t end there as on the tables in front of<br />
us was a gift from the bride and groom in a red<br />
envelope were Chinese chopsticks engraved with<br />
their names and wedding date. This symbolizes a<br />
long and happy marriage.<br />
Goat – March, June and November, avoid<br />
January.<br />
Monkey – April, May and December, avoid<br />
February.<br />
Rooster – April, May and August, avoid March.<br />
Dog – February, June and November, avoid April.<br />
Pig – March, July and October, avoid May.<br />
Janine is a<br />
classically trained<br />
Feng Shui<br />
consultant in the<br />
arts of Bazi, Flying<br />
Stars, Auspicious<br />
Dates, Qi Men Dun<br />
Jia and I Ching.<br />
www.janinelowe.co.uk<br />
@nudegoose<br />
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