March 1998

Wedding revolution

Tying the knot in special places

By Fiona Lau

The traditional wedding is held in church or at the Marriage Registry Office. But several couples have broken these norms and tried something new.

Ms Ho Man Pui and Mr. Kenji Tam Kit Chun held their wedding in Wong Tai Sin Temple on 13 December 1997.

Mrs. Tam said, “It was really unforgettable. The whole process was holy and solemn. And it was very meaningful to hold a Chinese-style wedding after the handover.

Courtesy of Mrs. Dior Li

“My husband has been a follower of Wong Tai Sin for more than 10 years. Affected by him, I also became a follower of Wong Tai Sin. So we decided to hold our wedding there.

“We are getting closer because our wedding was witnessed by our god.”

According to the vice-president of Sik Sik Yuen, a group associated with Wong Tai Sin Temple, in order to hold a wedding in the Temple, the bride and the groom must believe in Wong Tai Sin.

Said Mr. Peter Lo Wai Keung, the vice-president: “They can apply in two ways. They can be introduced by the members of Sik Sik Yuen. If they are not members, they need to attend a short interview in which they must prove themselves to be followers of Wong Tai Sin.”

Courtsey of Mrs. Stella Wong

Because Mr. and Mrs. Tam were the first couple to hold their wedding in Wong Tai Sin Temple, it attracted public attention.

Mrs. Tam said, “On the wedding day, there were too many people in the Temple, including reporters and passers-by. Most of our wedding photos included people whom we did not know.

“Also, it was not so respectful for reporters to take photos inside the Temple.”

Mr. Lo said that they had encountered some difficulties in organizing the wedding.

“There are no special marriage rituals in Taoism. After some investigation, we decided to follow the ritual of a feast. We also went with some of our own ideas,” said Mr. Lo.

The wedding was divided into three parts.

Firstly, Mr. and Mrs. Tam prayed to heaven in the inner temple and sacrificed fruit to the god. Celestial music played while the government-appointed minister, Mr. Lo, delivered a benediction for the couple.

Secondly, Mr. and Mrs. Tam signed their names on a certificate of marriage. After an official of Sik Sik Yuen stamped on the certificate, the marriage was legally recognized.

The Temple then rang the bells for 16 times, which symbolized congratulations to the couple.

No fee was charged. Instead, the couple received two “red pockets”, or lai si, from the representative of Wong Tai Sin. They had to prepare a traditional wedding cake.

Another couple, Ms Dior Leung Shuk Bing and Mr. Li Kwai Kwong held their wedding in Tai Koo Shing Ice Palace on 14 November 1996.

Mrs. Li is an ice-skating coach. She said that holding a wedding on ice was a colleague’s idea.

Said she: “My boss was happy about this because it was the first wedding in an ice-skating rink in Hong Kong.

“But my husband and I were too busy to have a rehearsal. Besides, since my husband is not an ice-skating coach, he thought that it might be too flashy to hold such a wedding.

“Guests who did not know how to ice-skate were provided with chairs. The wedding still proceeded smoothly.”

Mrs. Li said, “Though we spent $10,000 on the wedding, I think it was worth it. The memory is engraved in our hearts.

“One of my students who had emigrated to Canada knew that I got married through a television report. He phoned me and said congratulations to me. It was really touching.”

According to Mr. Daven Bow, the assistant manager of Tai Koo Shing Ice Palace, anyone can apply to hold a wedding there.

Mr. Bow said, “We just rent the rink to our customers. We consider the nature, the time and the impact of the functions. The charge is determined according to the above conditions. Usually, the amount charged is higher at night.

“In our experience, the most expensive charge was $10,000 per hour, not less than 3 hours each time.”

Sharing the same hobby — mountaineering — Ms Stella Ho Suk Chu and Mr. Wong Yim Leung held their wedding on Kowloon Peak on 11 February 1984.

Mrs. Wong said, “Both of us love mountaineering. We are members of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union. My husband started learning it in 1977 and I started in 1981.

“The first time I met him, we were on a mountain. So we decided to hold our wedding on a mountain.

“None of our family members knew that we would hold a wedding on a mountain, because we only wanted our friends to join. So we chose to hold the ceremony during an activity of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Association.

On the wedding day, only the cosmetician, the photographers and the couple knew that there was going to be a wedding on the mountain.

Said Mrs. Wong: “We wanted to give our friends a surprise. The roads were rugged, but we had to compete with time. We had to reach the top faster than the others.”

In Mrs. Wong’s bag, there were a wedding gown, a pair of high-heeled shoes, a bunch of ribbon flowers, some cosmetics, and wedding cake coupons. In Mr. Wong’s bag were a suit, a pair of shoes, some cakes and soft drinks.

Mrs. Wong said, “When our friends reached the top, they found us dressed in a wedding gown and a suit. They were very surprised. I will never forget their surprised faces.”

Because Mr. and Mrs. Wong love nature, they wanted just a simple wedding and to share their happiness with their friends.

Said Mrs. Wong: “The wedding cost only $200-$300. It was very economical. My friends liked it since it was held in nature.

“It was really an invaluable experience. I still keep the ribbon flowers.”

Since Mrs. Wong and her husband did not make any announcement, only a few people knew that they were the first couple to have been wed on mountain.

The second couple to be wed on a mountain held their wedding on Lion Rock, while the third and forth couples were wed on Tung Lung Island. All of them are mountaineers.

Mrs. Wong said, “I believe that if a couple have a common hobby, there will be mutual trust and sharing between them. It is the key to maintaining a marriage. I am very fortunate.”

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