Beijing weddings’ costs rising

"The more luxurious the wedding and the bigger the expenditure, the older the man tends to be. The greater the gap in age, the more the price goes up," Claire Pan said with a smile.

The 30-year-old wedding organizer said anyone marrying a younger woman had to be prepared to demonstrate his love with his wallet.

According to figures provided by a wedding organizer, the average cost of a wedding in China is now 200,000 yuan, although the company has handled weddings that have cost a staggering 10 million yuan.

The cost, according to Pan, is typically borne by the groom, unlike in the West, where the bride`s parents usually pay the bill.

Although the average cost is 200,000 yuan, Pan said many couples exceed that figure and while 10 million yuan might be an extreme example, 1 million yuan is not uncommon.

The biggest cost items tend to be hotel accommodation and a banquet, which costs 75,000 yuan for a typical wedding where there are 15 tables.

Liquor and cigarettes for the guests come in at 20,000 yuan, as do the wedding rings for both the bride and the groom. The next biggest item is the bride`s dress at 13,000 yuan.

Pan said one of the biggest trends among young couples was to have a green or low carbon wedding.

One way to achieve this is to dispense with the traditional wedding car and have the wedding centered at a particular hotel, where everyone stays for the duration of the event.

Pan said other features of a low carbon wedding were a decision not to have any flowers and the use of fewer lights or less bright lighting at the event.

"They even go as far as to have a no-smoking environment. Smoking has been a traditional element of a Chinese wedding and cigarettes tend to be provided. The word smoke and happy event are pronounced the same way in Chinese and are seen as going together," she added.

Pan married herself to her fiance Sam Wang last year. They held their wedding in the evening at a hotel in Fragrant Hills on the outskirts of Beijing.

"All the staff came to help and it just took one week to organize," she recalled.

"There was a power cut and we had no music so we had to improvise with people singing songs," she added.

"It was still a very special event and I liked it very much. It was special for us and it is that kind of experience we want to create for our clients."

原文地址：http://www.i21st.cn/story/916.html