While most people know what to expect at a Chinese wedding banquet, over the years some of the standard dishes have fallen out of fashion.
According to Vivien Fok, director of events at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, in the past few years shark's fin soup is no longer an absolute requirement on the menu.
'Shark's fin soup used to be a must. It's considered a luxury, and everyone normally served it,' says Fok.
Now, due to conservation efforts and trends in consuming sustainable seafood, couples are choosing other options such as bird's nest, fish maw or double-boiled soup.
'Some parents [of the bride and groom] still insist on shark's fin soup, but for the new generation of young couples it doesn't matter,' says Fok.
The wedding banquet usually comprises eight or nine courses (the number eight in Chinese means prosperity, and nine means everlasting), beginning with a a cold-cut dish or whole roast suckling pig.