More than saying "I Do", Chinese weddings involve going to parents' houses, playing jokes on the groom, and drinking lots of tea.

Chinese weddings are teeming with symbolic preparations quite different from Western wedding rituals. In emotion, though, they are exactly the same - beautiful, romantic, and funny. Here's how the Chinese tie the knot.

1.Once a couple decides they want to be married, both the bride and the groom go to their parents and ask for their permission/blessing.

2.The groom's family sets the date for the wedding, after consulting the Chinese Astrological Calendar for "good" days in which to wed.

3.The groom's family consults the astrological calendar again to find a "good" day in which to send gifts to the bride's family.

4.The groom then presents the bride's family with a monetary gift, even though today the groom's family will more likely pay for the wedding instead of give money. The bride will probably bring family jewelry to the groom's family for a gift.

5.Unlike American wedding customs, it is the responsibility of the groom's family to organize the Big Day; they usually decide the guest list, and then relay to the bride's family how many people they can invite.

6.The couple purchases a new bed for their wedding night and covers it with new linens that are, of course, red. If the couple already has a bed, they will purchase new red linens for their wedding night. A new bed and bedsheets symbolize a new beginning, and are also supposed to bring good luck to the couple.

7.Both the bride and the groom perform a hair-combing ceremony the night before the wedding, symbolizing the entrance into adulthood. The bride should perform the hair-combing under the gaze of the moon to bring her children. Both should comb their hair four times, each stroke bringing good luck. The first symbolizes the unity of the couple from the beginning of the marriage to the end, the second brings harmony and faithfulness into old age, the third brings lots of children and grandchildren, and the fourth stroke brings wealth and a long-lasting marriage.

8.On the day of the wedding, both families decorate their houses top to bottom in red. The bride wears a red wedding gown, although she may change her costume four or five times during the course of the day.

9.On the day of the wedding, the groom and the groomsmen go to the bride's house to pick her up. Before he can see his bride, the bridesmaids make him perform a series of silly tests to prove himself "worthy" of his bride. The tests can be anything that will force him to show his love, from physical feats to singing songs. The final test, though, is whether or not he brought "good luck" for the bridesmaids, usually contained in red envelopes full of money or small gifts for the girls. Then the wedding party moves on.

10.They stop at the bride's family's home first, where the bride and groom serve the parents tea and receive gifts. Again, monetary gifts are presented in red envelopes, and there is usually jewelry for the bride.

11.The couple then moves to the groom's family's home, where the same ritual is performed, ending again with gifts and money.

12.Leaving the house, the bride is not allowed to touch her feet to the ground until they reach the ceremony site, so she is carried from the door to the car. Opening a red umbrella over the bride at this time brings good luck to the bride's fertility.

13.The official ceremony is performed. Afterward, family and friends move on to the wedding banquet, which is considered the most important part of the wedding day.