All weddings involve a bang – in some way shape or form. Non more so than Chinese weddings where the bang comes from firecrackers. Literally.
It never grows old to watch one part of Chinatown come to a standstill as a string of crackers are set off.
One of my colleagues who once suddenly overheard the pandemonium actually thought in that moment that the IRA was attacking the city again.
When it is a mixed raced wedding, Chinese-English for example, I do wonder what must be going through the minds of the non-Oriental guests who are more used to small, intimate receptions with close family and friends. Three course meal. Speeches. Dancing.
Not Chinese weddings. No siree. For wedding number 4, bring on the fireworks, 120 guests and an 11 course banquet.
Chris and Yen, Mr and Mrs Silver, married at Manchester Town Hall last weekend.
After two days of miserable weather, the sun was out all day.
My mum being the superstitious, religious person she is, said it must have been Buddha and the Gods way of rewarding the bride’s family. Since beating cancer many years ago Auntie Leung, mother of the bride, has dedicated her work and life to Buddhism.
Moments like that, I could not challenge my mum’s reasoning with scientific rationale.
Yen is my dad’s best friend’s daughter. I only met her properly a few months ago and in other circumstances I would not have attended her wedding. After all she’s not a good friend. I don’t even know her birthday.
But I went for my dad because Uncle Leung and him have been friends for more than 30 years. I like to think that one day I’ll be in my 70s and still be best friends with the uni girls and the Derby lot.
Anyways back to the wedding. Yen looked stunning in her made-to-fit strapless wedding gown and traditional Chinese wedding cheung sam (long dress). Both were bought from Hong Kong. Personally you can’t beat Chinese hand stitching and materials.
After the ceremony came a champagne reception. Now bearing in mind I was very hungry even before the ceremony began. So there was a big risk in getting drunk too quickly as a result of an empty stomach.
I limited myself to two glasses. Even by then I could feel myself getting light-headed.
You may be thinking but it’s a wedding. Everyone gets drunk. Not the type of wedding where half of the guests are Chinese and the bride’s parents are close to your parents. If I made a fool of myself (circa 2006, second year of university, house party no 1!) my Dad would have given me The Stare.
After the champers came the moment where the bride threw her bouquet.
The registrar requested loudly for all the single ladies. Who will be the next lucky lass whose fellas will put a ring on it?
Cue my mother and the mother of the bride pushing ME to join the Single Crew. Cue me feeling both embarrassed and nauseous. Yes at one point I could almost taste the bile. Maybe it was the champagne or maybe it was simply realising my biggest fear.
Mother of the bride actually screamed out: “You’re single! You should be down there!” Thanks Auntie Leung.
Suffice to say I did not join the dozen excited ladies. Honestly I’m thankful that I got out of it. I may be a hopeless romantic but I just don’t possess that female gene of desperation/ unfailing faith (delete as applicable) that by catching the bride’s bouquet, it shall be me, the Lucky One whose big day will come next. There’s an episode of Sex and the City where the bouquet lands at Carrie’s feet. Her reaction? “Who wants to go the bar?” and turns round and walks off in her fabulous Manolos. That’s me.
So after that came the banquet. Dishes included wild boar, lobster, crab, fish, abalone, rice, noodles, shark fin soup… basically proper Chinese food that makes yours truly a happy, fed lady!
One surreal moment was the waiters bringing out the first course to the loud and fast noise of pop-classical music (think Vanessa Mae meets Bond, the group not 007).
I call it noise because some genius thought it would be appropriate to turn the volume up to the max. It was painful to hear. Bless my poor dad with his hearing aids.
The groom’s parents, John and Jane Silver, are unbelievably warm and wonderful people to be around. Jane especially is a retired university lecturer both well spoken and enviably smart. She’s also a South African native so we had a good reminiscing moment over Johannesburg and Cape Town. She is my kind of company!
So that’s wedding no 4 all done and dusted. Only one more to go. The big one. Las Vegas is officially ON!
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