Understanding Traditional Chinese Attire for Modern Brides

The tradition of wearing Kwa for Chinese weddings has been passed down for generations with a history of over 300 years. The philosophy of this intricate tradition have been preserved to this day. There are 56 ethnic Chinese groups in China and each ethnic has its own design and style of wedding costumes that symbolise its tradition - e.g. Yugur, Hui, Manchu, Miao, Mongol and such. Malaysian Chinese are descendants of Southern Chinese, that is the Han Chinese, with sub ethnic groups according to provinces (Fujian, Guang Dong, etc). Hence, the designs of traditional Kwas in Malaysia originate from Southern China, a heritage that symbolises our origins, history and culture.

However in this modern times, many brides-to-be do not know the meaning or symbolism of Kwa. For the benefits of those who will be getting married, our planner Adnes went back to basics with Saw Fan from Liang Yuan Weddings. Saw Fan is the 2nd generation owner of Chinese Wedding Specialist Boutique, carrying a wide range Chinese costumes and customary wedding products.