The Chinese tea ceremony is the long-held custom of the bride and groom thanking their parents for raising them. On the day of the wedding, the bride serves tea (holding the cup with both hands) to her mother and father as a sign of respect and gratitude. After the wedding ceremony, you can follow the Chinese tea tradition by doing the following:

• The newlyweds kneel and serve a traditional tea with lotus seeds and two red dates to the groom's seated parents and his other family members, generally with the women on the left and the men on the right.

• Starting with the groom serving his mother and the bride serving her father-in-law, the couple goes down the line of the groom's family from the oldest to youngest (i.e. groom's paternal grandparents, then maternal grandparents, then groom's uncles and aunts, and so on).

• During the tea, the couple receives red envelopes stuffed with money or jewelry called "lai see," meaning lucky. During one of my baby showers, a Chinese co-worker of my husband gave us a "lai see," which is popular during other celebrations as well.

• Sometimes "lucky women," women who have either been blessed with a happy marriage or chosen by a fortune teller, also help attend to the tea ceremony.

I've never witnessed this ceremony firsthand, but it sounds like a wonderful way to honor family on your big day.