Traditionally, Chinese weddings had to follow complicated etiquette said to bring good luck to the couple. The customs were so complicated that they required a professional tai-kum to help with the ceremony.
Tai-kums are women who guide a couple through every stage of their wedding. Centuries ago, part of their job would be to inform a couple about the basics of sex. The first written record of a tai-kum dates back to 1100.
Many couples in Hong Kong still follow Chinese traditions and the profession of the tai-kum survives, albeit modified to fit modern customs. Sharon Au Wai-fong is one of the city's most famous tai-kums. She calls
herself a modern tai-kum and takes on additional roles such as wedding planner, counsellor and MC.
'People don't want complications but they still believe that traditional customs bring luck,' Ms Au says.
According to tradition, the first stage of the wedding is the Chinese engagement. The groom presents the bride with gift boxes filled with dried seafood, wine, cakes, fruit, cash and other lucky symbols of affluence. Accepting the gifts means that the bride accepts the marriage.
'Instead of the boxes, we now prepare two red packets,' says Ms Au. The packets are filled with an amount of cash already agreed on by both families.