The importance of wedding ceremonies in people's lives is
unlikely ever to go away with all their different styles and
cultures. This year, Chinese "Year of the Dog", many thousands of
couples have married in style in the country. But what are new
trends in China's wedding industry? And why is the wedding business
booming?
In terms of your own wedding ceremony would you rather follow
old traditions or have a unique new style ceremony that'll remain
fresh in everyone's memories for a very long time?
A gentleman expressing a view on his wedding may very well say,
"I always dreamed my wedding ceremony would be held on the top
floor of the highest building in Beijing. I want to hold my lover's
hand and tell her I love her."
The bride certainly attaches importance to her makeup and
wedding dress. She wants her beauty to last forever.
?
A thoughtful bride may observe, "I think the most important thing
should be the wedding pictures because the ceremony only lasts a
day or even a few hours. But the wedding pictures can be kept for
ever. After 10 or 20 years I can still look back to those beautiful
pictures and have my memories."
According to someone in the know about the wedding industry more
than 70 percent?of young couples still prefer traditional and
Western-style mixed weddings.
However, personalized weddings are becoming more popular.
Weddings in the sky, underwater, on a yacht... it's really up to
you. And this sort of approach brings tremendous business
opportunities with it.??
At the just-concluded Beijing Wedding Culture Week held at the
Henderson Center many wedding design, photography and jewelry
companies spared no efforts in promoting their new products and
ideas.?
Ji Liang, a project manager from a Shanghai-based diamond
company, says his company makes customized products to meet various
demands.
Ji explained, "A traditional jeweler may recommend customers
choose from ready-made designs but many--or some?--nowadays have
their own distinctive ideas. They want to have unique wedding
rings. If they present their designs and they're within our
technological capabilities we can make them ourselves."
Liu Rongning has been in the business for many years. He says
the wedding industry in China is growing at a rate of 15
percent?each year. In 2005 wedding-related spending reached
250 million yuan. This year that figure is expected to break the
300 million yuan mark.
Why is the business growing so fast? Liu Rongning explains the
baby boom in the 1980's is why the wedding-related enterprises are
on roll. "The longest and most influential baby boom was between
1986 and 1992," says Liu. "Children born during this period of time
are starting to get married."
According to Liu some foreign wedding companies have already
noticed the potential market. He says he saw a Swiss wedding
company in Shanghai not long ago.
Seeing wedding convoys is already a daily occurrence. Whether
culture or business the personalized wedding industry is attracting
more young couples and service companies.
(CRI November 1, 2006)