Many couples plan their wedding for the summer months hoping for a beautiful day for an outdoor ceremony and or reception.  In case of inclement weather there is often a tent on standby, or it might be a planned retreat from the sun.  Whether decorating an outdoor space like a yard, deck, area of a beach, or a tent for a daytime or an evening wedding, paper lanterns, fans and umbrellas or parasols are a functional and unique touch.  Since each comes in a wide variety of colors you can create any atmosphere you desire.  Whether you dream of a bright white light, icy blue glow, pastel, or vibrant colors to accent a wedding scene, you can’t go wrong with hanging lanterns.  Using folding or paddle fans as table markers and name cards is a unique idea.  They will serve the dual purpose of easily seating your guests while keeping them cool when the party heats up.  Parasols or umbrellas can also serve many purposes.  They are great accessories for the wedding party to carry, can be used to decorate a wedding arch or entrance way for the wedding party to walk through, or used to offer shade on a sunny day.  While living in Taiwan we were fascinated to see modern Asian women still carrying umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun’s harsh rays. 

Here are a few interesting facts about traditional weddings in Taiwan.  They are accented by red, not white.  The color red is considered good luck, a strong color that can drive away evil spirits.  Wedding clothes are red, well-wishers give red envelopes containing money and congratulations to the couple, and red wedding lanterns are hung at the celebration. The groom sets out to the bride's home, and he will predictably be blocked at her door by her friends, and the bridesmaids will play the “door game” with him and his attendants. They will try to stop him from entering by asking questions about the bride, a way to test if he really cares about her.  They may also do other tricks to delay the bride's leaving.  The groom will try to buy his way in by presenting "Li Shi", token money in red envelopes. The door game originated from ancient time and denotes that the bride is a charming girl and her family and friends do not want to marry her away.   When the bride leaves her home with the groom to go to the ceremony, a "Good Luck Woman" holds a red umbrella over her.  This symbolizes "raise the bark, spread the leaves." This "Good Luck Woman" is traditionally someone who is blessed with a good marriage, healthy children and husband, and living parents.  Other relatives will scatter rice, red beans and green beans in front of her. The red umbrella protects the bride from evil spirits, and the rice and beans are to attract the attention of the gold chicken.

Couples have an amazing wedding album made prior to their wedding day.  The bride and groom dress in many different wedding outfits and have pictures taken in a variety of scenic locations.  The groom’s family gifts the bride’s family with a large number of boxes of wedding cakes or cookies called “Double Happiness Cakes” or “Dragon and Phoenix Cakes” to give to friends prior to the wedding .  They serve as an announcement.   Some have fillings made of lotus seed paste, red bean paste or green bean paste.  I was the recipient of a few boxes and was amazed at the quality and assortment of cakes, cookies and candy in them.  I was also honored to attend a ceremonial tea given for the parents of the couple the morning of the wedding.  Traditional herbs and dried fruits with specific meanings are selected for the sweet tea, which symbolizes a warm and sweet beginning of a new life. This tea ceremony is used to express thanks to the parents and honor them on the wedding day.  It is traditional for both the bride and groom to kneel before their parents and serve them tea. The parents will usually sip the tea and then give them a red envelope, which symbolizes good luck. During the tea presentation, the "Good Luck Woman" says favorable phrases to bless the couple and the parents, and to amuse the extended family and make the occasion fun and joyous. Another variant is for the bride to serve tea to her future parents-in-law, symbolizing that she is to become a part of this new family.  The ceremony I observed was the latter.

Bamboo clothing is soft, light, and pliable, making it ideal for everyone in the family.  Because of the smooth and rounded structure of its fibers, bamboo blend cloth is soft and non-irritating, even to sensitive skin.   It has natural luster and softness that feels and behaves like silk but is less costly and more resilient.   Clothing is usually woven using rayon made from bamboo fiber that can be used for yarn and fabrics. Typical blends may include rayon from bamboo, cotton, and / or spandex to create cloth which is soft, pliable, and flexible. Bamboo blend clothing is hypoallergenic. It is highly absorbent and wicks water away from the body 3 to 4 times more rapidly than cotton. In warm, humid weather, bamboo blend clothing doesn’t cling to the skin, keeping the wearer drier, cooler, and more comfortable. The construction of bamboo fibers make bamboo fabric blends more breathable and thermal regulating than cotton, hemp, wool or synthetic fabrics.   Bamboo blend clothing naturally resists wrinkling better than cotton, is washing machine and dryer safe. Bamboo blend fabrics absorb dyes faster and more evenly than cotton yielding more vivid colors. These fabulous qualities have made bamboo blend clothing more popular with fashion designers and retailers.

Those of us who embrace the 3-Rs, Renew - Reuse - Recycle find bamboo clothing of particular interest since bamboo's most important quality is its natural sustainability.  Bamboo does not require the use of any fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.  Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment.  The far-reaching root system of bamboo holds soil together, prevents soil erosion, and maintains water in the watershed.