Marriage in traditional Chinese society was arranged by the family. The parents of the bridegroom selected a bride with the help of relatives, friends, or a matchmaker. They negotiated the brideprice and the dowry, and decided when the wedding should be. The brideprice, meant to compensate the bride's family for the loss of their daughter, was usually considerably greater than the dowry. Dressed in red, the bride was brought to the bridegroom's house in a red sedan chair. Her dowry of furniture,…