With hundreds of loosely connected friends, colleagues and distant relatives who 'must' be invited, and overbearing family members to pacify, traditional weddings can be hugely stressful. It's no wonder Hong Kong couples are looking to avoid such pressure-cooker weddings. And what better way to do that than flee the city for intimate nuptials on a private beach or a centuries-old monastery in Bhutan?
The practice is still rare in Hong Kong since filial customs often override the couple's wishes. Local wedding planners estimate that a mere 1 per cent of the 300,000 nuptials held by Hongkongers every year take place abroad - a far cry from the 16 per cent in the US cited by an industry study. But some insiders expect this ratio to multiply tenfold within a decade as attitudes change among the new generation of Hongkongers.
'It's quite difficult for locals unless their parents are open-minded,' says Sharon Sau-king Meakins, an executive assistant who got married in Hawaii to escape the pressure of local traditions. 'But I just thought, 'This is my special day. I'm going to do what I want'.'
Although born and raised in Hong Kong, she didn't want a local wedding. 'I'd been to many weddings here and the brides always looked so stressed,' Meakins says. 'I wanted something happy, carefree. I didn't want to have to worry about people I didn't know criticising the food or the way I looked.'
So she made plans without her parents' involvement. She and husband Victor paid for two close couples to spend two weeks with them in Hawaii. The small group relaxed and partied before celebrating the wedding in a luxury hotel, after which the friends continued their holiday on different islands. The total cost - about HK$100,000 - was 'almost the same as having a big wedding in Hong Kong', but Meakins says it was the most romantic, unforgettable experience of her life.
'When you have a destination wedding, you just have to remind yourself who the decision maker is - you, or your parents,' Meakins says.