PREOCCUPIED BY WEDDING preparations since they set a date, Shanghai fashion retailer Zhang Ming and his fiancee, He Fang, think they need professional help. A consultation with Crescent Moon Wedding Planners convinces the busy pair that they've made the right decision. It's only as the couple leave the premises that they feel a twinge of unease: spotted in the tenants' roster, just above the wedding planners' listing, is a reference to the Tomorrow Divorce Company.
The juxtaposition reflects two parallel trends on the mainland: as nuptials become increasingly extravagant, divorce rates are also rising steadily. According to a Xinhua report, spending on weddings has risen steeply since 2000, when the average celebration cost 30,000 yuan. Last year, Shanghai was the most lavish city on the mainland, with couples splashing an average of 187,000 yuan on celebrations. It was followed closely by Guangzhou, where spending was just 5,000 yuan less.
But the growing affluence has come with increasing strains on marriages. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 1.8 million couples filed for divorce last year, up from 2004's 1.6 million - a 21 per cent jump from 2003, when simplified rules made the process easier. Businesses have been quick to see the opportunities.
'The divorce company talked to us about co-operation opportunities, the first day we opened our wedding business,' says Crescent Moon operator Zhuo Ying. 'The reasoning is similar to why KFC and McDonald's tend to open close to each other. With a rising divorce rate in China, major profits are being generated from consultations, legal, and psychiatric services, instead of just wedding services.'
In his offices on the floor above, the manager of Tomorrow Divorce, Zhu Wenchang, laughs. 'It sounds harsh, but many of the people who come here today for wedding planning will need marriage consultants not too long after.'
Zhang and He shrug off the ominous sign. 'Couples will always encounter problems, no matter how much they love each other,' says He, an assistant at a multinational firm. 'Now, we focus on the wedding; later we may have to deal with other issues.
