February 26, 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Hong Kong Weddings: Traditions, Budgets, and Timelines

Planning a wedding in Hong Kong? From traditional customs to modern trends, this guide covers everything you need to know to create a memorable celebration. Whether you're going for a full-on traditional ceremony or a mix of East-meets-West, we’ve got you covered!

1. Hong Kong Wedding Checklist and Budget Planning

📋 8-Month Countdown Checklist

Book a popular restaurant or hotel banquet hall (popular dates may require booking a year in advance).
Choose an auspicious wedding date (consult the Tung Shing almanac or a fortune teller).
Hire a Daai Kam Zeh (a traditional wedding coordinator).
Customize dragon and phoenix bangles (龍鳳鈪) and gold jewelry.
Prepare for the Guo Da Li (過大禮) ceremony (betrothal gifts exchange).

💵 Hong Kong Wedding Budget Breakdown (2024 Survey)

Category	Percentage	Local Highlights
Banquet Venue	55%	HKD $8, 000 –$ 15,000 per table
Guo Da Li Gifts	8%	Includes dried seafood, betrothal money, coconuts, etc.
Daai Kam Zeh	5%	Full-day service: HKD $6, 000 –$ 10,000
Wedding Photography	12%	Popular spots: The Peak, West Kowloon Cultural District
Wedding Favors	5%	Commonly Ferrero Rocher chocolates or honey jars

Money-Saving Tips:

Choose a non-peak wedding date (avoid red days on the "Big Days" calendar).
Opt for alternatives to traditional dried seafood packages.
Rent emerging photo shoot locations like Central Market.

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2. Classic Hong Kong Wedding Banquet Timeline

⏰ 3:00 PM–5:00 PM: Bride-Picking Ceremony

Groom’s squad plays games (common props: spicy sushi, custom drinks).
Tea ceremony for the bride’s parents (prepare a kneeling cushion).
Daai Kam Zeh negotiates the "door-opening red packet" (開門利是).

⏰ 6:18 PM: Legal Ceremony (auspicious time for "實發" – prosperity)

Officiated by a lawyer.
Exchange of dragon and phoenix bangles.

⏰ 7:30 PM–10:30 PM: Banquet Highlights

Couple’s grand entrance with a waltz.
Play funny videos of the bridal party.
Change outfits with each course (typically 3–4 gowns).
Groom’s squad helps "block" drinks during toasts.

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut set wedding gift boxes (click to view products)

3. Traditional Hong Kong Wedding Customs Explained

🧧 Guo Da Li Essentials

Even-numbered dried seafood (abalone, mushrooms, dried oysters).
Two pairs of coconuts (symbolizing "having both grandparents and children").
Two boxes of dragon and phoenix pastries (龍鳳餅).
Three meats and wine (chicken, pork, fish).

👰♀️ Key Rituals

Bed Setting (安床): A "lucky woman" prepares the bed with red dates and lotus seeds.
Hair Combing (上頭): Combing hair facing the window the night before the wedding.
Returning Home (三朝回門): Bring a roasted pig to the bride’s family three days after the wedding.
Wedding Favors: Give Ferrero Rocher chocolates and custom pastry vouchers.

Taboos to Avoid:

Newlyweds should not attend others’ weddings or funerals within a month.
The bride must hold a red umbrella when leaving her home to ward off bad luck.
Avoid the number "4" in betrothal gifts (sounds like "death" in Cantonese).

4. East-Meets-West Wedding Ideas

⛪ Popular Wedding Venues

Tsim Sha Tsui Marriage Registry (glasshouse).
Stanley’s Murray House.
The Peak’s St. John’s Cathedral.

🍸 Fusion Wedding Elements

Morning bride-picking + afternoon church ceremony.
Add a roasted pig cutting ceremony to the banquet.
Wedding favors: Lysee candies + wax-sealed thank-you cards.
Dessert table must-have: Mango pomelo sago shot glasses.

Appendix: Hong Kong Wedding Roles

Role	Responsibilities	Common Candidates
Daai Kam Zeh	Hosts traditional rituals, says auspicious phrases.	Professional wedding coordinator.
Groom’s Squad	Designs bride-picking games, blocks drinks.	Groom’s close friends.
Bridesmaids	Collects red packets, safeguards gold jewelry.	Bride’s best friends.
Logistics Manager	Manages betrothal gifts and gold jewelry.	Both mothers.
Photography Assistant	Captures traditional moments like eating sweet soup.	Cousins.

💡 Must-Know Tips for Hong Kong Couples

Set aside a transportation budget for wedding-specific vehicles.
Prepare "fake alcohol bottles" for toasting.
Book the marriage registry 3 months in advance.
Host an after-party in a hotel suite post-banquet.

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Gift Sets| Souvenirs, groomsmen gifts thank you gifts, (click to view products)）