Traditional Taiwanese Tea Ceremony Engagement Party

Today we are sharing a stunning traditional Taiwanese Tea Ceremony engagement party. Incorporating the tea ceremony into their gathering, Tiffany and Reid chose to begin their marriage foundation rooted in a exquisite and meaningful tradition that we love to see! How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another? Reid and I first met in Los Angeles, CA when I was one of the first people to sign up for a membership at his fitness studio in 2017. We lost touch when I started my OBGYN residency. Two years later, a mutual friend invited us both to a bar in our Arts District neighborhood; there, we discovered we had the same birthday, same values, and same love for travel. We have been inseparable since that serendipitous night. Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship! Our favorite discussions are our travel bucket lists and comparing experiences; finally, we found a spot neither of us had travelled, and we booked a trip to see the Dutch Tulips. Unfortunately, COVID kept us stateside, and we visited the 2020 Keukenhof Tulip Festival via AppleTV instead. After COVID, Reid moved to Fort Worth, TX to grow a new business, and I to Stony Brook, NY for subspecialty fellowship training. Long distance did not faze us; it combined our love for each other with exploration of new places to meet up and grow familiarity with. We finally made it Amsterdam, and on on March 2023, Reid proposed amongst the tulip garden. Tiffany Yang: About my engagement party – As the eldest of two Taiwanese immigrants, I wanted to create a special space that honored my family’s heritage and shared my appreciation of our culture. I wanted to bring awareness to my friends of how meaningful each element of our traditions are and to welcome my partner’s family into our family. The engagement party started as other cocktail parties at a venue that was sentimental to us, but the focus would be a traditional Taiwanese Tea Ceremony, a tradition that started in China during the Tang Dynasty. I wore traditional Chinese attire, the qi pao, and the center of our ceremony highlighted a bamboo loveseat that is a family heirloom shipped from our grandparents’ home in Taiwan. I served tea to my parents and grandparents to show gratitude for raising me, and to Reid’s parents to thank them accepting me into their family. By accepting and drinking the tea, the families recognize a new member of their family and offer words of advice and lucky red envelopes containing money and gold jewelry passed down through our families. We surprised everyone with a traditional lion dance and drummers. The décor and floral arrangements were specific in color and symbolism. Red was chosen as the color scheme. It is considered a lucky color and represents happiness, fertility, success, and good fortune, which is why red envelopes filled with money are the most common and traditional gifts. Lotus flowers and roses were used throughout our arrangements because of their symbolism for purity, longevity, and honor. My florist The Poppy Studio also included fruit, jujubes, longan, and oranges; citrus symbolizes riches and good luck because the word for orange in Chinese sounds like the word lucky. We served dim sum, which means “touch the heart,” which is the traditional accompaniment to tea. The event was meaningful to my family and a representation of my culture for my friends and new family. The center of our ceremony highlighted a bamboo loveseat that is a family heirloom shipped from our grandparents’ home in Taiwan.
The décor and floral arrangements were specific in color and symbolism. Red was chosen as the color scheme. It is considered a lucky color and represents happiness, fertility, success, and good fortune, which is why red envelopes filled with money are the most common and traditional gifts. Lotus flowers and roses were used throughout our arrangements because of their symbolism for purity, longevity, and honor. I am honored to feature my family’s culture with the goal to make Chinese tradition look elevated, beautiful, and memorable! -Tiffany Yang Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning. We live in different places and have friends and families in on both coasts, it was difficult to decide where to host our event! We chose the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel because it was sentimental to us, somewhere I visited often with my grandparents while growing up in Orange County and shared with Reid during our four years in Southern California. What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you? We planned our event to appear as other cocktail parties would with the opportunity to mix and mingle and enjoy appetizers in front of the Pacific Ocean, but the focus would be a traditional Taiwanese Tea Ceremony, a tradition that started in China during the Tang Dynasty when the bride and grooms’ families make formal introductions. I, along with my mother and aunt, wore traditional Chinese attire, the qi pao, and the center of our ceremony highlighted a bamboo loveseat that is a family heirloom shipped from our grandparents’ home in Taiwan. The bride is traditionally guided through this ceremony by a lucky woman, and in our family, the luckiest is my Aunt Christine. She is blessed with a loving husband and wonderful kids; she represents everything a woman can wish for and is the symbol of good fortune for the new bride. I served tea to my parents and grandparents to show gratitude for raising me, and to Reid’s parents to thank them accepting me into their family. By accepting and drinking the tea, my parents and grandparents recognized a new person into our family. Our families offered us words of advice and lucky red envelopes containing money and gold jewelry passed down through generations. It was so sentimental and truly an honor to participate in such a long standing tradition in my culture. I grew up wanting to fit in, but this ceremony reminded me to be proud of my heritage and encouraged me to share the beauty and importance of Chinese customs. Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your day? As the eldest daughter of two Taiwanese immigrants, I wanted to create a special space that honored my family’s heritage and shared my appreciation of our culture. I wanted to bring awareness to my friends of how meaningful each element of our traditions are and to welcome Reid and his family into our family. Photographer: Jana Williams Photography
Venue: Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Floral Designer: The Poppy Studio
Dress Boutique: Lovely Bride
Dress Designer: NEWHITE
Cake Designer: Sprinkles Cupcakes
Makeup Artist: Crystal
Hair Stylist: Korbin
Mens Formalwear: Indochino
Rentals: Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Harpist: Wendy Smith
Lion Dancers: Ane Thanh Lion Dance
Qipao: Traditional Chinese Dress: Beth & Brian Qipao