Last Weekend, Caren and I were invited to a friend's wedding in Changzhou. Changzhou is about 90 minutes north of Suzhou, but Tristan and Liv had hired a bus, which made the journey really easy.
Heading to Changzhou
Our first stop was at the bride's parent's house, where according to Chinese tradition the whole wedding party collected the bride to take her to the ceremony. Lots of firecrackers were set off in celebration.
Collecting the Bride
Firecrackers!
After collecting the bride, the whole wedding party headed into Changzhou to the hotel where the reception would be held.
Tristan and Liv Greeting Guests at the Reception
The format of Chinese weddings is a little different to Western weddings, with the bride and groom taking to the stage at various times throughout the guests meal to make toasts.
Bubbles
Fireworks
The food and drink was all excellent. I tried my first good Baijiu (Chinese spirit) and also bird's nest soup, which I was assured is vegetarian, though I am skeptical. I think that even if I wasn't vegetarian, I wouldn't have tried the soft-shelled turtle. However, I'm told it was delicious.
Bird's Nest Soup
Soft Shelled Turtle
