by Penne Cole

Created on: November 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 14, 2010

As part of a traditional Chinese wedding, the groom, accompanied by his entourage of loyal friends, is required to pick up the bride from her house and escort her to his home. However, before the groom is granted entrance into the bride's house, he must first prove his love for the bride. Today, this part of the wedding day ceremonies has evolved into a light-hearted affair, where the bride's friends and family are given a license to gently tease, and some would even say, torture, the groom. While the bride can participate in the planning of these door games, traditionally, she will not be present when the groom is actually playing these games.

Some ideas for these wedding door games include:

Eat

A favorite game among the bride's entourage is making the groom and his entourage eat things that we wouldn't normally eat. Think less gourmet and more Fear Factor. Favorites include wasabi bombs, basically a hand roll stuffed with wasabi, chili peppers, and durian stuffed with shrimp paste.

Drink

You can choose to play it safe by getting the groom's entourage to drink a few liters of coke. Alternatively, you can literally spice things up by mixing your own concoction. Adding some pepper or Tabasco sauce, or even soy sauce to a drink is a favorite.

Declare love

If the thought of making your loved one eat and drink disgusting foods is too much for you to stomach, try a spot of public embarrassment instead. Getting your loved one to publicly declare his love for you is always entertaining. Get him to write a poem, or bellow a speech declaring his love from the rooftops. Demanding that he serenade you is also another option.

Act like a girl

Get your man and his group of friends to step into your shoes for a few minutes. Ask them to go through what girls have to put up with on a daily basis. From waxing to putting on mascara, blush and lipstick, have fun encouraging the men to get in touch with their feminine sides, and don't forget to take pictures for posterity!

Find the wife

Another favorite Chinese wedding door game is to get the groom to identify his bride. Ideas include blindfolding the groom and getting him to pick out his wife by the sound of her voice or the feel of her hands. Alternatively, put the bride in one room, and ask the groom to guess which door she is behind.

Learn more about this author, Penne Cole.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.