The Ultimate Guo Da Li (过大礼) Guide and Where to Shop For The Items In Singapore

By Audrie Soh on 21 March 2024

Find out where you can get your Guo Da Li items and learn more about this age-old Chinese wedding tradition with our comprehensive guide.

With all the available resources around, wedding planning isn’t all too difficult for modern brides. But when it comes to the more traditional aspects of a wedding, things get a little tricky.

Chinese weddings are rife with traditions that are meant to bless the couple and their marriage, such as the Guo Da Li ceremony. As these traditions were passed down mostly by word-of-mouth through the generations, the purpose of these traditions and how to prepare for them may not be clear. To help brides better understand the Guo Da Li ceremony and prepare for it, we’ve put together a guide on everything you need to know about this ancient Chinese wedding tradition for your wedding, including where to find what you need.

WHAT IS GUO DA LI (过大礼)?

Christine and Mun Yeong's Garden Wedding in Johor Bahru with Beautiful Traditional Chinese Outfits and Dreamy Elements by The Once Production

Guo Da Li (过大礼), or the Chinese betrothal ceremony, marks the important formal meeting between both families and symbolises the groom’s sincerity towards marrying the bride and his assurance that she will be well taken care of after marriage. It is part of the traditional Chinese wedding rituals known as the Three Letters, Six Etiquettes (三书六礼), which includes the selection of an auspicious wedding date.

WHEN DOES GUO DA LI (过大礼) TAKE PLACE?

It usually takes place any time between two to four weeks before the wedding. During the betrothal ceremony, the groom and a matchmaker, or an elder female relative with good fortune, will present the bride’s family with a variety of gifts that represent fertility and prosperity.

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR GUO DA LI (过大礼)?

What you need to prepare for your Guo Da Li ceremony will depend on your dialect group. A Hokkien bride’s Guo Da Li ceremony will have a few items that are different from a Cantonese bride’s. But despite your dialect group, the items used for the ceremony should always come in pairs as a representation of good fortune.

A Guo Da Li set typically includes:

A betrothal basket
One pair each of dragon and phoenix candles
A red packet bearing the bride price, or ping jin
A can of pig trotters or a platter of roast pork
Hard liquor or wine
Traditional wedding cakes (喜饼)
Oranges (usually 8, which is an even and auspicious number)
Jewellery for the bride (四点金)
Double happiness stickers
A red banner to hang over the door

To make sure that you’ve prepared the correct items for your dialect group, save our Guo Da Li list below.

HUI LI (回礼), OR RETURNING OF GIFTS

To show their acceptance of the marriage and gratitude for the over-generosity of the groom’s family, the bride’s family will reciprocate his generous gesture and share the good fortune by returning a portion of the gifts. This is otherwise known as Hui Li (回礼), the returning of gifts.

The bride’s dowry (嫁妆) will also be presented during the Hui Li to the groom’s family as a symbol of the wealth and prosperity of the bride’s family, and to bless the couple’s marriage with happiness and prosperity. The dowry includes items such as:

A tea set for the wedding tea ceremony at the groom’s house
A five-piece descendant pail set (baby bathtub, potty, washbasin, tray and mug)
New bedsheets and duvet for the bridal bed
A set of bed-side lamps
A dining set consisting of a pair of chopsticks, spoons, bowls and plates
Two pairs of red wooden clogs, wedding slippers or bedroom slippers
A sewing basket with an even numbered rolls of colourful thread, a set of needles, pincushion and scissors
A set of gold jewellery given by the bride’s parents

Save our Hui Li checklist to help you prepare for this important ritual.

PLACES TO SHOP FOR YOUR GUO DA LI (过大礼) NEEDS

There are many Guo Da Li shops located island-wide, with the majority of them situated in the Chinatown area. To save you the trouble of googling for all the available Guo Da Li shops, we’ve compiled a list of shops you can go to for your Guo Da Li needs.

Eternal Red Bonds

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Eternal Red Bonds is not your average wedding solution for traditional wedding customs. They are modern love architects, crafting extraordinary experiences from age-old customs, guiding modern couples and helping them ace their traditional wedding customs from the Guo Da Li ceremony all the way to setting the bridal bed and hair combing.

Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +65 8118 1226
Website: www.eternalredbonds.com
Facebook: Eternal-Red-Bonds
Instagram: @eternalredbonds
Services: Guo Da Li
Dowry
Bed-Setting
Hair-Combing
Tea Ceremony
Rates: Please enquire for rates
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The Chinese Wedding Shop

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Location: AMK Jubilee Sq: 61 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 #01-12A S(569814)
JEM: 50 Jurong Gateway Rd #04 - 51A S(608549)
JP1: 1 Jurong West Central 2 #03-25C S(648886)
Parkway Parade: 80 Marine Parade Rd B1-29 S(449269
Bedok Central: 214 Bedok North Street 1 #01-169 S(460214)
Services: Specialises in Chinese wedding traditions, Guo Da Li preparation including Bed-Setting, Hair-Combing, all the way to the wedding day
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Amanda Dreamweaver

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Image taken from Facebook

Location: 32 New Market Road #02-1030 Singapore 050032
Services: Customary Ceremony needs
Auspicious date selection
Wedding planning consultation
Wedding Suit, Gown & Kua
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Changjiu Wedding

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Location: 202 Kallang Bahru, Level 2 Unit 238, Singapore 339339
Services: Chinese wedding essentials like Guo Da Li, Dowry & Bed-Setting, Bridesmaids gifts, Wedding favours and more
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Cheok Keuw Bridal

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Location: Blk 506 Jurong West St 52 #01-180 Singapore 640506
Services: Chinese traditional wedding customary products and services
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Golden Happiness

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Location: Katong Shopping Centre 865 Mountbatten Road #01-45 Singapore 437844
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
Jia Jia Wedding Items

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Location: Blk 335 Smith street #01-226 Chinatown Complex Singapore 050335
Kekhoon

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Image taken from Instagram

Services: Chinese Customary needs // Auspicious dates selection // Matchmaker
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Le Knot

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Location: 810 Geyland Road, City Plaza, #05-09A, S(409286)
Services: Wedding Products // Traditional Chinese wedding customs consultation // Wedding Date Selection // Matchmaker (媒婆/大妗姐）Service // Undertake big scale Guo Da Li project
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Minah Departmental

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Image taken from Instagram

Location: 140 Upper Bukit Timah Road #01-19 Beauty World Centre Singapore 588177
Services: Traditional Chinese accessories for various dialect groups // consultation on individual products for bride and groom // Selection of auspicious wedding dates // Customisation for different dialect groups
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Shuang Xi Le Wedding

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Services: Chinese Wedding Customs // Wedding Accessories // Wedding Date Selection, Matchmaker, rental and other services // Gift Ideas
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Sin Chye Departmental Store

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Location: 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #01-K3 Beauty World Centre Singapore 588177
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
The Wedding Chamber

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Location: 32 New Market Road #02-1082/1106 Singapore 050032 (Beside People’s Park OG)
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
The Wedding Pavilion

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Location: Prosper House #06-04 S(388399)
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
Xiang Heng Wedding & Gifts

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Location: Block 335 Smith Street, Chinatown Complex #01-75/76 Singapore 050335
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
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Yuan Xi Traditional Wedding & Gifts

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Location: Blk 335 Smith Street Chinatown Complex #01-77, #01-096, S(050335)
Services: Guo Da Li essentials
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