our taiwanese wedding banquet

So, right after the ceremony, we headed over to a large Chinese restaurant for the wedding banquet. 

Law's parents picked out the restaurant, but we were pleasantly surprised that they had chosen a restaurant that was own by a Christan.  Very cool!!

Here are some of the banquet highlights:

• Before the whole thing started we (the bridal party) were ushered into a little room for a small rest.  This was very nice.

• We were then introduced and entered the banquet hall.
  

• There were 27 tables at our wedding, which means 270 people.   (Ten people per table is the traditional standard. You tell others how many were at your wedding by telling them how many tables there were.)

• 270 people at a wedding banquet is not considered a large wedding.  Small to medium at best.  I've been to one with 100 tables--that's 1000 people!!

• Also, just FYI, only about 80 people attended both the church ceremony and the wedding banquet.  Many just showed up for the banquet, some were only able to attend the ceremony only, and students were invited to ceremony only.  So, less than a third of the people at the banquet had been at the ceremony.

• After the formal introduction, we sat at the head table at the front with parents, and uncles (and their wives).
  

• After the first dish or so was served, we went "on stage" with his parents and my best friend's father, Lin BaBa, who stood in as my "Taiwan father." (I love how the two dads seems as if they are standing at attention.)
  

• We toasted everyone (using cranberry juice, interesting to me since in the States we probably would have used grape juice).
  

• Law and I then did the "couple entwined armed" toast together. :)
  

• After a few more dishes, we sang a Karaoke song together.  The only love song I know in Chinese is "The Moon Represents My Heart," so that is what we sang! :)
  

• Then he had to "wei wa" wine.  "wei" means to feed someone something--kinda like a mother bird feeds her baby chicks (and "wa" means "me").  SO . . . he first had to put the wine into his mouth and then "pour" it into mine. All I could think about was "don't you dare get any on my dress!" :)
  


• Soon after that the two of us toasted the main family table--parents and uncles.
  

• Next, his parents, Lin Baba (my adopted Taiwanese dad), and Big Uncle joined us as we toasted each table.  Waitresses guided us through the entire room, and followed us making sure we all had full glasses.
  

• There were several other Karaoke songs sung.
  

• Law's parents decided on all the dishes that were served.  There was a lot of seafood.  I ate little, and appreciate the photos people took of the meal since I didn't get to see it all.
  

• When Law's brother and his girlfriend wanted to sing a song, Law "punked" them by making them kiss for a long time.  They "punked" him back by making us show him how . . . so we kissed for 9 seconds--the whole room helped keep count. "9" in Chinese is pronounced "joe" which is the same pronuncation of "long."
  

• After a bit more eating and Karaoke, we stood at the door kinda like a receiving line, passing out candy and photos to our guests.
  

• Some of our good friends stayed a bit longer, and so we took a few more photos together.
  

• Then finally we left . . . .
  

• YAY!!  Weddings OVER!!!! :)

Comments

[Lisa H. Chang]

Hi Amanda! Great photos! It was sweet you had a baba to stand in. :) Did you wear the same dress for the banquet as your American wedding?

[Susanna]

No wonder you were tired after all that. Glad we don't have to wei wa wine here ;)....Imagine if you had only just kissed for the first time that day and then had to do that!

[amanda p. wu]

Yeah, a first time kiss and then that and . . . OH MY! I don't even wanna
think about it!! :)

[amanda p. wu]

Hi Lisa,

Yes, he has been my Taiwan baba for nearly 12 years now. When we first met
he was an unbeliever, he has since become one of the strongest Christians I
know. It is so neat! My Taiwan mama (his wife) passed away a few years
ago. I'm sure she would have had a ball that day too.

Yes, that is the exact same dress I wore at the American wedding. I got a
great deal on a dress in America and bought knowing I could wear it twice.
It came in a trunk as my friend's second suitcase this past Christmas when
she came home to Taiwan during winter break.

[jimmie]

Girl, you sure know how to throw a party! :-)

[amanda p. wu]

Ha! The banquet was completely out of my hands. That is typical, standard
Taiwanese wedding banquet. We met with the restaurant once (parents went
back to pick out the dishes since I would have no idea how to put together a
12 course Chinese meal) . . . and they (the resturant) set everything up.

SO MUCH easier than the way we do it in America.