With the sound of drums resonating through the air, the dainty bride walks towards her to-be in-laws with a silver tray of Chinese tea. She serves her groom’s parents and grandparents to show her respect for his family and honour them.
Tea is a symbol of reverence and appreciation. Today, both families are honoured through the medium of tea, that is specially brewed, to represent love and tranquillity.
Each wedding is planned differently, and could have one large tea ceremony that honours both families, or separate ones for each. Just as the Indian bride presents her prospective in-laws with tea before an engagement, the Chinese bride serves tea too. The groom serves the bride’s family too, uniting them for life.
Tea is of high significance in Japanese weddings too. Japanese tea ceremonies also known as “Chanoyu”, much like the Chinese in conception, are more quiet and serene. They are meant to symbolize harmony, purity and respect between both parties. It is the Way of Tea. The guests sit in revered silence while the hosts prepare the sacred tea and delicately discuss the tea and its preparation while they sip it.
Tea has been part of wedding ceremonies around the world for over a hundred years, and it’s the simplistic, yet sophisticated drink that people of any country or social status can afford and enjoy. Through the years it has symbolized love, peace, respect, understanding, truce and unity. It has been used as a way to seal-the-deal, both for marital and business engagements. Every place, every culture and every family uses tea differently, and it means something new to each person who uses it. How would you use and interpret your tea?
If you have a wedding coming up and if you’re a lover of teas, we can help you brainstorm, and choose vibrant or subtle blends based on your preferences together that will be perfect for your ceremony. We can find ways to incorporate the gift of tea into the festivities and share this symbol of love and joy with all your guests. What better way to use our custom blended teas or choose from our Gifting Catalog.
India is a land rich in culture, cuisine and ritual. Our weddings vary from north to the south vastly, but one thing ties them all together – tea! Today’s weddings tend to deviate from age-old tradition and take on characteristic themes and personalized rituals based on the couple's preferences. What if we in India came up with new ideas for Indian tea ceremonies that can play off the traditions of China and Japan?
