Wai Tung Gao, a real estate owner and landlord in New York City, visits Wei Wei, a tenant who recently emigrated from Shanghai, China. Wei Wei complains about the lack of air conditioning in her unit and asks about Simon, Wai Tung’s live-in boyfriend. As he leaves, Wai Tung accepts one of Wei Wei’s paintings as payment for three months’ rent. After work, Wai Tung tells Simon that his Chinese parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gao, have signed him up for another matchmaking service in order to find him a wife. In an effort to conceal his homosexuality to the Gaos, Wai Tung fills out a questionnaire for the matchmaking service by providing outlandish requirements for his ideal match. Against all odds, the group quickly locates a multi-lingual opera singer with a doctorate degree named Mao Mei, and the Gaos arrange for her to fly from Taiwan to meet Wai Tung. When she arrives in New York, Mao Mei inadvertently divulges that Wai Tung’s father, who lives in Taiwan, has recently suffered a stroke; however, she says Mr. Gao’s health has improved, and he claims that his desire to have a grandchild is fueling his recovery. At a restaurant, Wai Tung and Mao Mei run into Wei Wei, who becomes upset when she assumes Wai Tung is cheating on Simon. Mao Mei admits that she too has a boyfriend, but has not introduced him to her parents because he is white. Sometime later, Simon and Wai Tung deliver an air conditioner to Wei Wei, who is now unemployed, and they discuss her difficulties obtaining legal immigration status. That night, Simon suggests to Wai Tung that he marry Wei Wei, to help her obtain a green card while simultaneously pleasing his parents, who want him to marry a woman. After Wai Tung agrees, Wei Wei moves into their apartment, and Simon teaches her intimate details about Wai Tung in case Immigration Services investigates their marriage. When the Gaos hear about their son’s engagement, they plan a visit to New York. Wei Wei and Wai Tung pick them up at the airport, and the Gaos approve of Wei Wei’s appearance and family background. At home, Wai Tung introduces Simon as his roommate and landlord. That night, the Gaos present Wei Wei with jewelry, an envelope of money, and a traditional Chinese dress called a chi-pao. Simon gives presents to Mr. and Mrs. Gao, but he accidentally says offensive things to them in broken Mandarin. Despite his parents’ wishes that he have a formal wedding, Wai Tung marries Wei Wei the next day in an quick ceremony at City Hall. Afterward, Mrs. Gao cries, apologizing to Wei Wei for failing to give her a proper wedding, and Simon tries to appease the Gaos by treating everyone to dinner at the China Palace restaurant. Coincidentally, the manager of the China Palace, Old Chen, served under Mr. Gao in the army. When Chen discovers that Wei Wei and Wai Tung have just been married, he insists on throwing them a wedding banquet. The day of the banquet, Wei Wei, in a formal wedding gown, and Wai Tung, in a tuxedo, take turns bowing before the Gaos. Mrs. Gao serves Wei Wei a special lotus soup meant to help her conceive a baby son. The family proceeds to a photography studio for portraits of the bride and groom. At the China Palace, Wei Wei and Wai Tung, accompanied by Simon and Mao Mei, make a grand entrance into a banquet hall filled with guests. During dinner, guests encourage the bride and groom to kiss and chastise Wai Tung for failing to announce his relationship sooner. Wei Wei and Wai Tung become drunk along with many of the guests. After the banquet, Simon takes the Gaos back to the apartment, while Wei Wei and Wai Tung spend the night in a hotel. As soon as the newlyweds reach their room, a large group of friends arrive to continue the festivities, setting up mahjong tables, drinking, and obligating Wai Tung and Wei Wei to play intimate games. Finally, the group says they will leave only after the couple gets into bed and removes their clothes. Once they are alone, Wei Wei initiates sex with Wai Tung despite his protests. After the wedding, Mr. Gao’s health does not permit the Gaos to return to Taiwan; thus, the Gaos continue to live at Wai Tung’s apartment, forcing him to continue the charade of being heterosexual. Wai Tung’s marriage has strained his relationship with Simon, and he fears Simon may be unfaithful. Meanwhile, Wei Wei suffers from depression. One morning, at breakfast, Wai Tung reveals to Simon that Wei Wei is pregnant. Simon, believing that the Gaos do not understand English, freely expresses his anger, arguing with Wei Wei and Wai Tung. That afternoon, Mr. Gao suffers a mild stroke. At the hospital, Wai Tung admits to his mother that he is gay and that Simon has been his partner for five years. He also explains that he married Wei Wei to please them and to help her gain residency. Mrs. Gao urges Wai Tung to keep this information from his father. Over time, Mr. Gao’s health improves, but tension runs high in the apartment. Simon tells Wai Tung he might leave him when the Gaos return to Taiwan. Though Mrs. Gao urges Wei Wei to have her baby, Wei Wei decides to have an abortion, explaining that she must think of her own future; however, on the way to the abortion clinic, she changes her mind. On a walk with Simon, Mr. Gao gives him an envelope of money for his birthday, and Simon realizes that Mr. Gao knows about and accepts his relationship with Wai Tung. Mr. Gao asks Simon not to tell the family, and admits that he urged Wai Tung to get married for the selfish reason that he wanted a grandchild. When Simon and Mr. Gao return to the house, Wai Tung and Wei Wei ask Simon to be a parent to their child, and Simon agrees. At the airport, before the Gao’s flight to Taiwan, everyone looks at the wedding pictures, and Mr. Gao expresses his gratitude to both Simon and Wei Wei.