1 COLOUR: While white is an extremely “bridal” colour, to the Chinese, white is more suitable for yin events such as wakes and funerals, than yang ones such as weddings. If you want to go for a classy Western theme and are insisting on white, it is better to go for a warm cream colour or an off-white shade than stark white. But there is nothing quite like RED for good old-fashioned yang energy. You will notice that all traditional Chinese invitations are designed in red or with prominent red elements. If you want a strong theme running through the wedding in a colour other than red, pick one that denotes lively, happy energy rather than dull, stagnant energy. Pinks, purples, orange and magenta hues are all auspicious. But avoid colors like olive, brown and black.

2 TEXT: The best colour for the text on the invite is black. This is a strong neutral colour that does not tread on any taboos. Avoid red text and gold text, as to the Chinese, these colours are usually reserved for use on headstones of those who have passed on. Ensure also that the text is not too small, as you do not want your older guests to struggle when reading your invite. Let not your INVITATION card generate any feelings of frustration or negativity. Relative size of text is thus important; the names of the bride and groom on the invite should be larger than the other details. Remember that on your wedding day, the bride and groom are the king and queen of the day.

3 DIMENSIONS: It is a good idea to tap auspicious dimensions when designing your card. Try to let at least one side of your card follow the Yi direction, which is especially suitable for marriage. This is between 16.2cm and 21.5cm long, as this dimension brings the couple the luck of a long-lasting marriage full of love and healthy, filial children. If you cannot tap the Yi dimension, you can also go for the Kwan direction, between 21.5cm and 27cm, which is also auspicious.

4 SHAPE: Regularity and balance is important, especially for a wedding card, so do go for a regular shape when designing your card. A square shape is best, although you can also go for a rectangle, octagon or circle. Don’t design a wedding card in a triangular or star-shape, as the points on the card are inauspicious for an occasion like a marriage.

5 FOLDS: Avoid cards that open up in the middle (like a door), especially those where the names of the Bride and Groom are placed on either side of the opening. When the card opens, this splits up the couple. This kind of symbolism is extremely unlucky for couples, and can even cause them to split. Similarly, envelope seals are equally unlucky. While it may look elegant to have a sticker or wax seal of the bride and grooms’ initials to seal the envelopes, every time a guest opens the envelope and the sticker or seal is torn, it sends a new jab of bad energy to the couple.

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This Year of the Dog is a good one for marriage, especially the Peach Blossom Star appears again in the Paht Chee chart of 2018, boding well for all couples planning to tie the knot this year. But aside from getting married in a good year, it is equally important to choose a good date as well as time for the actual exchange of vows. The date you pick has important implications for your future together, and aside from all the other rituals and ceremonies, this should be first and foremost when planning your wedding.

WAXING MOON

It is better to get married in the waxing cycle of the moon, i.e. a day between a new moon day and a full moon day. Full moon days are considered the most powerful days, but some are wary to celebrate on such powerful days for fear of their personal chi not being strong enough to take the day’s might. Weddings however are different, because they are considered one of the few major hei sees – happiness occasions – in one’s life, so full moon days should generally be safe and auspicious for most. The waxing moon suggests that love between the couple will keep increasing and shine brighter as the years go by.

AVOID CLASHES

Make sure the date you pick does not clash with the astrological sign of either the bride or groom. Ideally, it should also not clash with the parents of either the bride or groom. Siblings, relatives and friends are OK, but if say you pick a date that clashes with a Dog, then if any of your friends are born in the year of the Dog, it is better that they are not present for the actual signing ceremony. (Friends and audience who do not have a critical role to play in the wedding are OK; it does not matter if they clash with the day). It is timely here to also advise those looking for a suitable date to choose good wedding dates from the ALMANAC rather than pay someone to make the calculations for you based on the Zuan Kung Da Kua method. The latter is not an easy method, and many have been known to make mistakes in the calculations with dire complications. Better to use the Almanac which has been calculated by a group of professionals from Hong Kong or Taiwan.

PEACH BLOSSOM INFLUENCE

Picking a date that corresponds to the Peach Blossom Animal of either the bride or groom can be quite beneficial. In fact, it is a bonus. For the Horse, Tiger and Dog, your Peach Blossom animal is the Rabbit, so if you pick a Rabbit Day to tie the knot, this bodes extremely well for love and passion in your relationship. For the Rooster, Snake and Ox, your Peach Blossom animal is the Horse. For the Dragon, Monkey and Rat, your Peach Blossom animal is the Rooster. And for the Rabbit, Sheep and Boar, your Peach Blossom animal is the Rat. Ii is a good idea to incorporate the peach blossom animal motif in your card or on the dinner tables.

AUSPICIOUS HOUR

The time of the actual ceremony is important as well. Use the Feng Shui Almanac for this, and pick an hour time-slot that is auspicious. This is for the signing of the official documents, and for the exchange of vows. Likewise, it is also very beneficial if you choose an auspicious time for both the tea-pouring ceremonies with both families. The tea pouring ceremony is of vital significance in a Chinese wedding, as this is when the couple receive blessings from their elders. Red packets containing lucky money is usually offered to the bride and groom at this time. Those of you with wealthy elders (uncles and aunties) are advised to keep the money from the red packets to create a wedding wealth vase, rather than to spend it. This is how to capture the lucky money chi for your future.

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