Quick Answer: What Do You Say During the Tea Ceremony?
For jingcha (敬茶, jìngchá), respectfully offering tea, a simple line is the recipient’s family title followed by “please have some tea.” The title matters more than a long speech.[1]
- The host invites the agreed relatives to sit and explains the occasion briefly.
- The couple addresses each recipient using the family’s preferred title and offers the tea.
- Recipients may offer a blessing or a planned gift; the couple thanks them before the next presentation.
The scripts below are original examples to adapt, not a single inherited text used by every Chinese family. Confirm language, titles and order with the people taking part.
A good script helps everyone know when to sit, speak and move. It should also sound like your family. You can use English, Mandarin, a home language or a short bilingual format without turning every cup of tea into a formal speech.
For the meaning, preparation and serving-order decisions, use the main Chinese wedding tea ceremony guide. This page concentrates on the words and cue cards.
Confirm the Family List Before Writing Lines
Make a serving list with the couple and a knowledgeable representative from each family. Include each recipient’s name, relationship to each partner, preferred spoken title and pronunciation. The same person can have a different relationship to the two speakers. A general family tree is useful, but it cannot tell you every household’s preferred address.
Agree whether parents or grandparents come first, whether recipients sit as pairs and how the two families are included. Do not impose an online sequence on a family that uses a different one. Separate households, absent relatives, deceased parents and blended families deserve a private conversation before the host starts announcing names.
Ask whether a new parental title will be used and whether everyone welcomes it. Some families emphasize this moment of family acceptance, while others keep familiar names.[3] Do not write a surprise instruction requiring someone to say “Mom” or “Dad.” The wider wedding traditions guide gives context for combining family practices.
A Short English Script to Adapt
This example has four speaking moments. Replace the general invitation with your verified names and titles on the actual cue card. There is no requirement to repeat the opening explanation before every pair of relatives.
- Host opening: “We are gathering to thank the families who have supported this couple. Through this offering of tea, they share their respect and welcome your good wishes for their life together.”
- Host invitation: “We now invite the next family members on our serving list to take their seats. The couple will offer you tea.”
- Couple: “Please have some tea. Thank you for your love and support.”
- Optional elder response: “May you care for each other and build a happy life together.”
At the end, the host can say: “Thank you to everyone who has shared this moment with us. We will now continue with the next part of the celebration.”
Keep the tone appropriate to the room. In a small home ceremony, a parent quietly saying “Your grandparents are ready” may work better than a microphone announcement. In a larger space, say the recipients’ names clearly so guests and the photographer know who is being invited.
If gifts are planned, allow time for them without announcing their value. The host can simply pause; there is no need to narrate how much money or gold has changed hands. See the wedding gifts guide for the distinction between ceremonial and guest gifts.
Simple Mandarin Lines for the Couple
The reusable Mandarin invitation is “please drink tea”: 请喝茶, qǐng hē chá. Add the agreed family title at the beginning. These two common parent-address forms illustrate the pattern:[1]
| Makna dalam bahasa Indonesia | Mandarin example | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Dad, please have some tea | 爸爸，请喝茶。 | Bàba, qǐng hē chá. |
| Mom, please have some tea | 妈妈，请喝茶。 | Māma, qǐng hē chá. |
| Thank you | 谢谢。 | Xièxie. |
The invitation is short enough to say slowly while concentrating on the cup. Listen to a family member’s recording and practice aloud. Pinyin marks Mandarin pronunciation; it does not represent Cantonese, Hokkien or another home language. If your ceremony uses one of those languages, obtain the actual phrase and pronunciation from a fluent speaker rather than reading Mandarin pinyin as a substitute.
There is also no need to translate every English sentence. You might let the host explain the meaning in English, then use one brief family-language invitation for each recipient. Choose a language the recipient understands and a line the speaker can deliver comfortably.
Common Family Titles and Their Limits
These are common Mandarin reference forms, not instructions to replace the names your family actually uses. The relationships in the table are from the perspective of the person whose family is being addressed.[2]
| Reference title | Makna |
|---|---|
| Baba (爸爸, bàba) | Dad; a familiar address for a father |
| Mama (妈妈, māma) | Mom; a familiar address for a mother |
| Yeye (爷爷, yéye) | Paternal grandfather |
| Nainai (奶奶, nǎinai) | Paternal grandmother |
| Waigong (外公, wàigōng) | Maternal grandfather |
| Waipo (外婆, wàipó) | Maternal grandmother |
Before using the grandparent titles, check whose paternal or maternal side is meant. For example, the bride’s maternal grandfather is not automatically addressed through the groom’s own family tree. A family may ask the new spouse to adopt the bride’s familiar title, but confirm that preference.
Aunts, uncles and their spouses need a more detailed check. Chinese kinship terms may distinguish the mother’s or father’s side and whether someone is older or younger than a parent.[2] Do not label everyone with the same translated “auntie” unless that is what the family prefers. Write the approved title beside the person’s name on the serving list and ask the host to rehearse that exact pairing.
Rehearse the Words With the Physical Actions
Run one complete presentation with the host and tea helper, checking who hands over and clears each cup. Use empty cups at first so the couple can practice speaking while handing them over. Agree on standing, sitting or kneeling in advance; the wording does not require one fixed posture for every family.[1]
- Call the recipients: The host reads the confirmed names and titles while the helper seats the intended recipients.
- Offer the tea: The couple takes the prepared cups, uses the agreed titles and speaks the short invitation.
- Allow the response: Pause for the recipients to sip, speak or present any planned gift; the helper manages returned cups.
- Thank and move on: The couple offers thanks, pauses for the agreed photograph and makes space for the next recipients.
Print the cue sheet in large type with one presentation per block. Put stage directions on a separate line or in a different style so the host does not accidentally read them aloud. Build the rehearsal into the wedding timeline, and keep its ending separate from the host’s later banquet announcements.
FAQs About Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony Scripts
Does the entire ceremony have to be in Chinese?
No. Agree on a language or bilingual format that the couple and recipients understand. A short family-language invitation can sit within an English explanation.
Must I call my new parents-in-law Mom and Dad?
Discuss the address with them before the ceremony. A new parental title can be meaningful, but it should not be imposed as a public surprise.
What if I say the wrong family title?
Pause, accept a quiet correction and continue respectfully. A clear cue sheet and a helpful family member are more useful than treating a pronunciation mistake as a ruined ceremony.
Do elders need to memorize a blessing?
No. A few sincere words are enough. Choose wishes the couple welcomes rather than assuming they want a blessing about children or a particular family role.
Sumber
[1] Singapore Bridal Gown. Chinese Tea Ceremony Sequence: Order, Script & What to Wear
[2] Ministry of Education, Taiwan. 親朋稱呼表
[3] i do, i do. Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony: Order, Ang Bao & What to Say