Nothing says I love you like ... a flying veil, China’s latest wedding fad
Something old, something new, something borrowed ... something airborne? A new gimmick is giving a lift to a couple’s big day
The quest for the perfect wedding knows no limits in China. Pets, cartoon characters and even troupes of singers and dancers accompany some brides and grooms on their big day.
But a new craze is adding fun, romance and theatre to the rites: the flying veil.
A system of rails, pulleys and cutters sends the veil zooming from the bridegroom across the room to the bride. If all goes to plan, the veil falls gently onto the woman at the centre of it all.
“For guests it is a novel thing to watch, but for the bride that moment feels like an important ritual and very touching,” said Stark Zhang, a wedding planner with Nanjing Wedding Daheng Internet.
“Brides who have used it have all loved it.”
Zhang, who to date has planned more than 20 weddings featuring a flying veil, said many couples still wanted weddings with the familiar components that have remained unchanged for years. But the flying veil was a popular option for others looking for something different.
And so, while a bride stands waiting, romantic music plays. As the airborne veil makes its journey, lighting adding to the visual effect.