When you need this
This lesson is for the guest side of a wedding. You've been invited; now you have two questions. What do I give, and what happens at the party? Both have local rules, and asking about them is normal. Nobody expects you to know the customs of every culture.
In the US, many couples make a wedding registry: a list of gifts they want, kept online by a store. "Are they registered anywhere?" is the polite way to ask. At many Chinese weddings, guests give cash in a red envelope. At Japanese weddings, cash goes in a special decorated envelope, in new bills. At many Indian weddings, cash or gold is common. If you're unsure, ask the couple's friend, not the couple.
The reception is the party after the ceremony: a meal, speeches, dancing, and cake. Some Chinese weddings also include a tea ceremony, where the couple serves tea to their parents and elders to thank them. Watch quietly, and clap when others clap.
Phrases
a list of gifts the couple wants
asks if the couple has a gift list
money given as a wedding present
tell the couple if you're coming
a guest you're allowed to bring with you
the party after the ceremony
the plan showing where every guest sits
the couple serves tea to their elders to show respect
the couple's first dance together as a married couple
the couple cuts the first piece together
asks how formal your clothes should be
a warm thank-you when you leave
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Practice · 3 min
Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.