Now Married!

[ktmracer]

I am home now in upstate New York. Wow! it feels so good to get a solid night of sleep. As for the wedding, it was so great to have been in a full blown Chinese wedding. My laopo never stopped smiling and her family was so receptive of me. I got my little red book in a solid binding slightly bigger booklet in Tianjin. I brought my "affidavit of single status" papers from New York and the minzhengju translated to Chinese right there.

The next night the party was at The White Palace Hotel with 22 family/friends in attendance. The food just kept coming and I mean alot!. The bill was only $224, Laopo was worried it was too much. People were dressed nice, I was in a suit, laopo in red dress. The men there treated very well and they were the one's that ensured I followed tradition. One of which was to stand with laopo and refer to laopo's as Mom (mama) and dad (baba) as well as aunts and uncles. Her parents then gave me the little red packets as did the aunts and uncles in which I immediately gave to laopo! To tell you the truth, I felt a little funny accepting money, I felt as though I should have been giving for how genuniely nice they are to me. You know, I was so sick one night when I was supposed to go out to eat with parents, aunts and uncles and after they finished, they all came over late at night to see how I was doing. The men actually argued about which hospital to bring me. Yeah, I ended that arguement with a refusal to go.

Then we spent an entire day (8:30 am-4:00 pm) at a bridal gown shop. This where she got her face done up and me too for a zillion pics in 5 different wedding outfits, some representing weddings 200 years ago. The makeup person would fix her makeup alot due to my laopo's tears. As for the pics, they go into a BIG wedding book (at least 24"x18") and a little (U.S. size) book. The book is beautiful in a artsy kind of way, nothing like a U.S. wedding book (album). I asked why she was so emotional, she said she finally got a book like her sisters, previous husband refused to "waste" money like that. After I wanted cab driver to stop at bank so I could get money for the Pics and book. She refused the money, I said in U.S. man should pay, she said You are not in U.S.

Yes, everything was great until.... I get to the screening at the airport where there was a problem with my coat. They kept screening it over and over. In one of my side pockets there is a small hole, where a drywall nail fell through (remodeling downstairs per laopo's directions). So I think I am done, no, still a problem now they find a un-used bullet. Oh no, Midnight Express,Midnight Express,Midnight Express. Security comes takes me away, main man was smart realized it not made in China, I told them I had found it on the ground near a store(really I did) and had forgotten about it. They had me sign papers, copied my passport and let me go. moral of story do like your mom says and always have clean underwear on.

Another thing, guys, if you can, marry your laopo in China, you will be treated as a new family member, not just an american who married their sister as told to me from her brothers.

 

ok, now time to add timeline to my profile since I brought all papers with me for laopo to sign.

[RLS]

Ktmracer, it sounds like you had a wonderful time and Congratulations! I'm K1 so I have to marry here in the U.S., so I will miss that big ceremony. I was picturing you when they found the bullet. LOL Good Luck! Ron

[gman2531]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!! We got married in China too with about the same size wedding party. Fantastic food too! Good luck with the rest of your process.

Edited November 22, 2006 by gman2531 (see edit history)

[jemmyell]

Congratulations,

 

Glad you are back, now to the filing!

 

-James and Loving Candle

[chilton747]

Sounds like you has the time of your life. Congratulations!!!!!!!!

[mama bear]

Congratulations!!!

And welcome to join the long visa jorney! All the best to you both!

[rlheim]

Congratulations!!

[woainilin]

I am home now in upstate New York. Wow! it feels so good to get a solid night of sleep. As for the wedding, it was so great to have been in a full blown Chinese wedding. My laopo never stopped smiling and her family was so receptive of me. I got my little red book in a solid binding slightly bigger booklet in Tianjin. I brought my "affidavit of single status" papers from New York and the minzhengju translated to Chinese right there.

The next night the party was at The White Palace Hotel with 22 family/friends in attendance. The food just kept coming and I mean alot!. The bill was only $224, Laopo was worried it was too much. People were dressed nice, I was in a suit, laopo in red dress. The men there treated very well and they were the one's that ensured I followed tradition. One of which was to stand with laopo and refer to laopo's as Mom (mama) and dad (baba) as well as aunts and uncles. Her parents then gave me the little red packets as did the aunts and uncles in which I immediately gave to laopo! To tell you the truth, I felt a little funny accepting money, I felt as though I should have been giving for how genuniely nice they are to me. You know, I was so sick one night when I was supposed to go out to eat with parents, aunts and uncles and after they finished, they all came over late at night to see how I was doing. The men actually argued about which hospital to bring me. Yeah, I ended that arguement with a refusal to go.

Then we spent an entire day (8:30 am-4:00 pm) at a bridal gown shop. This where she got her face done up and me too for a zillion pics in 5 different wedding outfits, some representing weddings 200 years ago. The makeup person would fix her makeup alot due to my laopo's tears. As for the pics, they go into a BIG wedding book (at least 24"x18") and a little (U.S. size) book. The book is beautiful in a artsy kind of way, nothing like a U.S. wedding book (album). I asked why she was so emotional, she said she finally got a book like her sisters, previous husband refused to "waste" money like that. After I wanted cab driver to stop at bank so I could get money for the Pics and book. She refused the money, I said in U.S. man should pay, she said You are not in U.S.

Yes, everything was great until.... I get to the screening at the airport where there was a problem with my coat. They kept screening it over and over. In one of my side pockets there is a small hole, where a drywall nail fell through (remodeling downstairs per laopo's directions). So I think I am done, no, still a problem now they find a un-used bullet. Oh no, Midnight Express,Midnight Express,Midnight Express. Security comes takes me away, main man was smart realized it not made in China, I told them I had found it on the ground near a store(really I did) and had forgotten about it. They had me sign papers, copied my passport and let me go. moral of story do like your mom says and always have clean underwear on.

Another thing, guys, if you can, marry your laopo in China, you will be treated as a new family member, not just an american who married their sister as told to me from her brothers.

 

ok, now time to add timeline to my profile since I brought all papers with me for laopo to sign.

 

Sounds like a wonderful time. I am so happy for you congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

[michaln]

SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A GREAT TIME AND A LOVELY WEDDING

BROUGHT BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES FOR ME I HOPE YOUR JOURNEY IS SWIFT

[tonado]

Congrats on your wedding.

[SirLancelot]

So I think I am done, no, still a problem now they find a un-used bullet. Oh no, Midnight Express,Midnight Express,Midnight Express. Security comes takes me away, main man was smart realized it not made in China, I told them I had found it on the ground near a store(really I did) and had forgotten about it. They had me sign papers, copied my passport and let me go.

 

 

Holy shit! This was actually on your person as you went through security checkpoint? Thank god you were in China. I believed they'd have arrested you in the US if they found a bullet on your person during airport security screening.

 

Congrats on the marriage! Best wishes going forward.

[Cerberus]

Congratulations!

 

Dave

[Randy W]

So I think I am done, no, still a problem now they find a un-used bullet. Oh no, Midnight Express,Midnight Express,Midnight Express. Security comes takes me away, main man was smart realized it not made in China, I told them I had found it on the ground near a store(really I did) and had forgotten about it. They had me sign papers, copied my passport and let me go.

 

 

Holy shit! This was actually on your person as you went through security checkpoint? Thank god you were in China. I believed they'd have arrested you in the US if they found a bullet on your person during airport security screening.

 

Congrats on the marriage! Best wishes going forward.

 

On my trip in October, I packed a Swiss Army knife in the checked luggage. Once I got to China, I kept it in my pocket. When we went to the consulate, I went to the security gate - it was still in my pocket, so I tossed it in the x-ray bin, next to my camera bag, in plain view. They were very interested in my camera bag, and obviously paying no attention to the knife. So I tossed it back in my pocket, and went on through rather than bring any attention to it.

 

Then at the airport in Beijing, same thing, except that I was able to put it in a pocket in the camera bag, away from the camera equipment that they would look through, but right next to it, so it wouldn't stand out on the x-ray. No problem.

 

Then again at Newark. (We were in such a hurry to make our connecting flight that I forgot to toss it in the checked baggage).

 

But I didn't dare use it for fear that someone might see it.

 

Oh - and congratulations!

[jim_julian]

Congrats on your marriage!

 

For the K1's out there no need to miss out on the big Chinese wedding party. If you're engaged and have the K1 it's perfectly acceptable to have the big wedding party. The family will treat you as married even though the actual wedding will be in the US.

[NDTPRO]

Congratulations on your wedding. Boy aint those Chinese Wed-Dings great! I like the way they do everything. They decorate the wedding car insted of trashing it. My god at the food. Our diner cost about the same as yours, we had 35 people attend our wedding.

 

Its always good to see the happy stories on this site.

 

Good Luck in the future.

 

Let the waiting begin.